The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-05
UNDERWOOD FOR SECRETARY OF STATE

FOR SECRETARY OF STATE.
Barring miracles. Mr.. Underwood's boom for
the Presidency is as dead as that Of Theodore
Roosevelt. At the same time, there is a very
distinct place In the Government open for Mr..
Underwood. He is the turned peg In round
hole that for a long time has been most made
quately filled. without reservation. basing
opinion only on the form he has shown, are
for Oscar Underwood of Alabama for Secretary
o. State
That we are not for him for President means
only that we have our own ideas and ideals
as to the utility Of astuteness In days gone
by, the Presidency might have been Underwood S
for piece of sleight of hand 80 quick that nc
could have known that 1t had happened
before 1t had occurred. 1t is, despite the grow
ing conviction that the best politician is the
man who is no politician at all, the very truth
that Mr.. Underwood is the prime politician now
extant. Admiration must yield itself to man
who has the power Of thus making an all but
abandoned game modern miracle.
Whoever Is the Democratic nominee at Balti-
more will find that most of his campaign thun-
There is the steel schedule and the steel in
V. stgaton. Underwood permitted both, pos
sibly because he was In the steel business him
self and thought thus publicly to wash his
hands Followed the wool schedule. which was
but right and proper as going to show that
what was sauce for the Southern goose was
equally edible in the case of the Western gan
der. Followed again another attack on the
OILY bit of protection worth the salt that
Southern democracy can lay claim to--the bill
for free sugar. Contemporaneous with 1t, the
excise income tax upon both corporations and
individuals, thereby striking the much-salaried
North in that portion of It's anatomy In which
1t is convinced it lives and has lis being. This
was all underwoods work. He has played no
, favorites II it were not so palpable that he
is playing game he would, or ought to be-
the unanimous choice of a Democracy-for-Re
venue Only.
The point is, that not anything may say
or suspect, or that anyone else may suspect
or proclaim, can void the power Of these con-
structive measures. The Democrats will duti
fully pass them, as far as they can. The Re-
pnbicans will feel constrained to kill, or the
President to veto. them. To the Democracy will
belong the credit without the price. the glory
without the sacrifice This is Underwood's
work 1t may not be the work of statesman
but 1t is that of man who realizes the exigen.
cies of his job and the possibilities thereof.
What a man Of this calibre could do as Secre-
tery of State is incalculable. Where Knox has
made muddie in Central America, he could
make a lake of gold and silver. Where blunder-
ing Taft has brought turmoil and suspicion to
Mexico. Underwood could carry the Arm hand
that goes with smile. Where American diplo-
macy In general suffers the reproach Of crudity,
the gentleman from Alabama would make it
rich on one side and evening coated and plausible
on both Mr.. Underwood will scarcely be nomi.
mated for the Presidency. The President who
keeps him out Of the State Department will
have deprived his country OF the opportunity
o! century.