The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20
SUGGEST HARMON
 AND UNDERWOOD Ticket Said to Meet With
 Much Favor
ALABAMIAN'S R s E
Bryan Episode Has Given Underwood Such Prominence As Party Leader That He Is Sure to Be
 An Important Factor
Nv JONATHAN WINFIELD

Vice President, Oscar W. Underwood ot Alabama.
 This is the ticket that some democrats of the House are talking Of now, since Representative Underwood's scathing re- buke of William Jennings Bryan recent lv. cheered to the echo by the House de- mocracy,
 There are some Underwood supporters so enthusiastic that they have started an Underwood boom for President, but the Alabamian, now chairman Of the ways and means committee of the House, mod estly waves aside all references to him self In the first place it would be en- ba1rassing for Representative Underwood to oppose Speaker Champ Clark at this time. In the second place, he is now mainly concerned with the duties encum- bent upon him as the chief tariff maker of the House.
 The Harmon Underwood propaganda is assuming shape. and there are many dem ocrats who believe that the ticket would be invincible. Both Harmon and Under wood belong to what may be termed the conservative wing of the party. They would receive the vote of men who would never support ticket which included William Jennings Bryan, and perhaps Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jer- sey. The latter is termed a progressive. but here are some democrats who think that the New Jersey governor is too pro- sressIve, and that he would fail of the support of the conservative wing of the party.
 Vr-sII Tar, nings Bryan is thought to have gone long way toward eliminating that three times candidate from the field of possi- bilities for the campaign of 1912. The manner in which the former idol of the democracy was dethroned in the House during the Underwood speech is regarded as one of the most significant political events of recent years.
 The House membership has always been divided as to Bryan. The Nebraska lead CT has had his staunch supporters, like Representative James of Kentucky and Representative Kitchin of North Caro- lina On the other hand he has had bit ter political opponents in the House, mo- tably Representative Frank Clark o. Florida, who has insisted all along of re- cent years that it was time for the de- mocracy to tear itself loose from the iii- f1uence and domination of the oft-defeat- ed leader. A good portion of the House member ship stood by Bryan when he demanded that the ways and means committee should put raw wool on the free list In is revision of schedule K. The Bryan and anti-Bryan went into the democratic caucus and the latter won out. Repre- sentative Underwood and his faction had their wayj and a 20 per cent ad yalorem duty was levied on raw wool under the terms of the House bill
 Bryan accepted this defeat gracefully, a4hough he came out in an editorial in <fis paper declaring that the democratic party had been delivered unto the ene my, and that it vas marching to defeat under the flag of protection. The split in the party at that time was character ized as the initial step taken by the democrats to eliminate Bryan as po- litical factor although his enemies were forced to admit that he still had strong following in the country, and that his personality at the next national conyen- ton might be a dominating one.
 Then came Bryans rebuke of Under wood which seemed to be the last straw SC far as the attitude of the House was concerned Because the ways and means committee, under the leadership of Rep resentative Underwod, had not first under
 
 schedules. Bryan charged in an author ized interview that Underwood's personal interests in the steel industry in his home town Birmingham. had prompted the delay in revision Several weeks ago. dur ing debate on the free list bill, which put steel wire on the free list, Represen- tative Underwood had told the House that part of his fortune was invested in the iron industry At that time the steel trust, at work on a plant in Birmingham threatened to shut down work unless Underwood backed down in his stand that wire should be put on the free list. Mir Underwood stood firm, and declared that he would not be dictated to.
 The admission that he had money in vested in the iron and steel industry prompted MT. Bryan again to make cer- tain pertinent observations as to how the Ademocrats of the House ought to go ahout the work of tariff revision He prac tieally charged that Underwood was standing in the way of a revision of the iron and steel schedules because such revision might hit the Alabama leaders pocket.
 In dramatic speech on the House Moor the chairman of the ways and means committee declared that Bryan's charges were absolutely false," and he chaileneged any Bryanite of the House to stand up and say that he.
 
 end means committee to take up the Iron and steel schedules. Such a course, explained Underwood, would have relieved him of personal embar- rassment. Instead the committee voted to take up first the woolen schedule, and this was followed by a revision of the cotton schedule
 Underwood's speech resulted in an ovation to the young Alabama leader. and an apparent overthrow of the Ne- braskan by the House. The House cheered him for several minutes. and this demonstration of confidence in the integrity of MT. Underwood seemed to mark plainly the parting of the ways between Bryan and the democracy. especially that part of the party repre. sented by the 255 democrats of the House. Even the erstwhile supporters of Bryan on the floor had nothing to say in his behalf that day.
 The Underwood presidential boouo was born that day. Later the demo cratic politicians began to suggest tha f fl might be better for Underwood to have second place on the ticket. inas- much as Judson Harmon has been q recognized presidential possibility for some years prior to the time that Mr Underwood sprang into such fatterine Q prominence.
 The ticket sounds good to the democ- racy. The question is whether MT ITn- derwood would be willing to give UT his commanding position In the House for the rather negative honors thai generally go with the vice presidency Many democrats. however, believe that the Harmon Underwood continuation would beat any yet suggested, and fl the convention should decide that the