The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-25

.xn.lzss.luzz.xzz1ss ssxkssT=rsn.z.4 protest, abandon that constructive pol icy which has inspired confidence in the democratic party's power to win, and to do worthy things, after it does win: and must nominate a candidate who has no special identification with this troublesome veto. or with the is sue of all issues on which the campaign should be waged, that is, the tariff is sue, and side track the one man whose leadership has sent President Taft on this trip of explanation, and has made democratic victory probable.
 Strange reasoning that.
 Restore the government to the hands of the people" Is high sound- ing platitude, subject to as many in- terpretauons as there are points of view.
 We are the people; restore the gov ernment to our hands. because, for sooth, those republicans have had it long enough, is mere protest for a platform.
 But follow up the statement of the situation. The captain well says that "a clear line of cleavage has been es- tablished between the progressive and standpat wings of the (republican) party-a cleavage the democrats can rest assured cannot be bridged." But how, and under whose leadership, was that line of cleavage established? The record made in the late extraordinary session by the democrats along the line upon which 1t is demonstrated that all democrats can and did unite, and along which they have succeeded in calling to their help the insurgent or progressive ] republicans, Is the line which marks 1 such cleavage. Why ignore the leader ship which has made this demonstra- ton, and substitute. one who has had no leadership along the line of such cleavage?
 am a firm believer in the idea that we depreciate ourselves by suggesting that a southern man cannot be elected president. It was said that the way to resume specie payment was to resume, ! and the way to rid ourselves of this sectional bogie is to elect a southern man president.
 one of the prophets of old declared l that where there is no vision the peo- pie perish we must have a vision of a southern man in the presidency or continue to perish in the shadow of l supposed sectionalism.
 Another vision has been thoughtfully suggested, viz: The approaching regu- i lar session of Congress with a united I democracy led by its best informed ad vocate of tariff reduction, it's ablest I organizer and one of it's purest men, proposing and passing through the pop uiar branch of Congress, sane, con 1 servative. and constructive legislation; | 2 president and cabinet lowering over a divided Senate, trying by all means at 1 their command to hold the progressive Republicans away from the support of | democratic measures; q President still On the defensive, still on the run, still i ieXplaining, still trying to justify vetoes whfeh strew his course with broken .1. the issue, and Underwood the personifi-
 cation of the democratic side of that issue; all platitudes and new theories lswept aside; and a militant, triumphant spirit prevailing the democracy and de- 1 manding that its ablest advocate and most successful leader be placed in su- l preme command, and upon the platform made by bills providing conservative i but progressive downward revision of it's tariff
 1 It would be suicidal to swap this live
 issue for a broad platitude, or the tried
 and proven leader for another person l whose claims to. recognition as the party's candidate for president rest wholly upon connection with other sub jects.
 This is 8 tariff year, and with this the issue. Governor Wilson's rank is not
 above that of a brigadier. Oscar w. Underwood is the logical commander in chief.
 Captain Hobson further appears in-
 consistent in his inveighing against
 sectionalism and immediately and un- justly characterizing the support of a
 southern man as a flank movement
 gainst a man whose only public serv-
 ices which in any wise single him out
 as q presidential candidate, were rem
 dered in another section of the coun-
 try, and after he had abandoned the
 south as place of residence and field
 for service.
 I suspect that many people would
 rightfully or wrongfully regard the
 nomination of Governor Harmon, with
 his "conservatism.' as a repitition oi
 the Parker campaign. and the nomina-
 ton of Governor Wilson, with his fond ness for new things as a repitition oi
 the several Bryan campaigns.
 have neither seen nor heard any goot
 reason why Underwood would not ge
 every electoral college vote which eithei
 Wilson or Harmon could get, "and ther
 some" and if elected, he would witt his faculty for organization and promo
 ton of harmony, inaugurate Ions ! democratic reign. Yours truly, NATHAN l.. MILLER