The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-01

of denial, no protesting of innocence. no beating about the bush. A sane young man made sane denial-and proved his case. That was all there was to it-except one thing
 Alabama Had Candidate
 That one thing is this: When Underwood finished that statement and sat down, amid the applause of the House, the state of Alabama had candidate for the dem ocratic nomination for President Under wood didn't know it: nor was 1t the fact that he had assailed MT. Bryan that made him candidate Assaults on MT. Bryan are as common as MT. Bryans assaults on other people--and about as effective. What gave the state of Alabama a presidential candidate was this: Here was a man with the highest type of political rage-independence Here was a man who did not attend to palter with situation, and a delicate one politically, but met it calmly and proved his contention. Here was man who, as floor leader of the House majority, was endeavoring to do what seemed best for the democratic party and the country, and not for the benefit of any individual or the theories of any individual; and the country applauded and began to ask: How about this chap Underwood? He seems to have stuff in him"
 Of course the Bryanophobes seized upon the circumstances to laud Underwood, and equally of course the Bryaniacs would have seized on the circumstances to laud him had he praised Bryan. That isn't the point. The personal equation of it was negligible The mere fact that Underwood rose to question of personal privilege and denounced Bryan meant nothing in the sober thought of the people; bu, the independence with which he did it. the calm and convincing manner in which he made his proof, the fact that the entire majority supported him-coming as it did after an arduous session of Congress. In which this same Underwood had displayed qualities of leadership and generalship and saneness that had caused a wakening of interest in him among the people pushed that good opinion which had been formative to form, and naturally put Un- derwood In the light of being available for the democratic nomination for Presi- dent.
 Hence, unless conditions change very materially before the democratic nation- al convention is held, Alabama, first on the roll call, instead of yielding to. some other state farther down the list when it is time to place favorite and favored sons in nomination, will send an orator to the platform in her own right and present for consideration of the delegates the name of Oscar w. Underwood of Brming- ham, chairman of the ways and means committee in the Sixty-second Congress and floor leader of the democratic ma iority in the House.
 A great many men; wise in public af- fairs have held that the fathers who made the constitution would have bulded even
 better than they did if they had included l in that document provision that no man
 is eligible to the presidency in this coun-
 try unless he has served a certain length of time in the legislative branch Of The ! government. 1t was urged for MT. Tatt that he was extraordinarily well qualified | for the presidency because of his long ex- | perience in governmental matters. Grant | ing that MT Taft had long experience | in the executive end of the government
 he was woefully deficient in knowledge oi | the legislative end: and this has been ap- parent all through his term. So with MT | Roosevelt The tragedy of the death of
 Major Mckinley will hold his name high among the names of our Presidents; but considering him critically. no historian al all familiar with the facts can deny ne was an expert President. a capable Pres ident a President who could secure re.
 suits. a President who knew how to dea | with the Congress which makes the laws | he must execute, because of his long | experience and service in the House. {, Methods Like Mckinley's
 | Now. when you talk of a man as a re l captive or an aggressive candidate for | presidential nomination you tot up his qualifications: and. no matter whether un-
 derwood's name ever gets before the con vention or not no matter if it receives no votes save those of Alabama, the fact is he is highly qualified so far as the mechanics of the government is con. cerned. He has served in the House oi Representatives for 1T years When he took his seat in December, 1895, he was E years old. He was placed on the commit tees on public lands and expenditures on