The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-24
ROOMS UNDERWOOD
 FOR VICE PRESIDENT
Thompson Says Congressman
 May Be Candidate
PAYS HIGH COMPLIMENT
Alabama Republican Leader Returns From Trip to Washington-Has Accepted CoIlectorship for
 Four More Years

That Oscar w. Underwood was likely
 the United States, that MT. Underwood was highly popular with both the repub- | lcan and democratic parties, and that | he had been rendered the internal collec- torship for four more years and had ac- | cepted that position, were the only au- | thorized statements of Joseph O. Thomp- | son, referee in Alabama for the admin | stration, when he reached Birmingham yesterday from his trip to Washington. | split between Maj. P. D. Barker of Mo- | bile and MT Thompson regarding appoint ! ments in Alabama and the distribution l of federal patronage, MT. Thompson trip to Washington had centered about it a
 falo of more than passing interest. How ever, he punctured the balloon of in- 1 Hated rumors yesterday by saying he was simply in Washington to accept the collec- | torship of four more years and that he
 had absolutely nothing to say as to any
 alleged splits in the republican ranks in l this state.
 | Mr. Thompson demonstrated a disposi- l ton to boost" Congressman o. W. Un- 1 derwood rather than discuss other ques-
 tions nearer home to him, and insisted | that he heard frequent mention of the
 popular Birmingham man as a candidate | for Vice President of the United States In talking of MT. Underwood he said ,,I, | ington. He is credit to Birmingham
 and to his party. I heard frequent men, ton of his name as candidate for Vice
 President on the democratic ticket and
 would be little surprised if he were se- lected. He is respected by all official
 Washington and really one of the biggest | men in the country. He will have more power as chairman of the ways and | means committee than Speaker Champ | Clark because the ways and means com mlttee makes the other committees be- l fore they get to the speaker. He also | has the tariff and financial questions re- ferred to him. The conservative men | like Underwood and think he is as safe | as any man in the democratic party. The officials now in Washington have high and permanent regard for the Alabama 1 congressman, and he overshadows any other democratic leader from the entire l south."
 | In talking of his trip MT. Thompson ~ad:
 "I went to Washington to see President | Taft and to be rendered the collectorshiE here for four more years. have held this position longer than any man ever before me and was congratulated on the record l of this office. I am modest in saying thai
 the work has gone forward here efficient
 lv and I attribute most of the results tc | my force of men. Since I have been here Mississippi has been added to this divi-
 sion.
 "I have nothing to say about any splits which may have been talked about here
 Those are matters that are always exag- gerated and should not be discussed pub licly. I am very well satisfied with things as they now stand and hope to continue | to give my country the best possible ser | vice.
 "As to the postoffice consolidation have learned nothing definite about it However, I do not mind saying that any proposed consolidation will not take place | at any time soon. There may arise con ditions in the future which would permit
 of such a plan."
 MT. Thompson declined positively tc | tall, of the alleged Barker-T Thompson split | about patronage and said he would pre- | fer not having it mentioned at all He said conditions everywhere were In good
 shape and the best of feeling prevailed in the ranks of the party, so far as he