The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-14

mingham he became a member of the Ninth district democratic congressional committee His services in this connec- tion brought him no particular attention until in 1892, when he was elected a del- egate from the Ninth district to the dem ocratic state committee meeting. That was the time of the heated contest be- tween R. r. I<ob and Gov. T. G. Jones for the gubernatorial democratic nomina- ton, both men claiming that they had been nominated. Underwood was made chairman of the committee on creden- tials and made the majority report which gave Jones the nomination and the elec- ton. That was his first conspicuous in- yasiqn into the realm of politics. Not long after~ard he was chosen candidate of the Ninth district democratic con- gressional committee and the political career of Oscar W. Underwood was get ting well under way
 Always Peacemaker
 Underwood has always been a peace. maker. When he became chairman of the Ninth district congressional com mittee there was party friction in the ranks. The old Ninth district covered more territory then than it does now, and included what is now known as the Tuscaloosa district. The city of..Birming- ham was just commencing to srealize what an important place 1t was and Was, going to be; the little coal and, iron. town was the life and blood of Jefferson county and Jefferson county had not fur nished winning candidate for the Ninth district congressional race isfor years. Jefferson wanted a finger in the pie. So did the black belt counties and there were little iealousies between them about their respective candidates. Those were reconstruction days and the result of the whole thing was that several times the democrats were defeated by coalitions of the several other parties existing at that time. Then came Underwood, the peacemaker.
 He was made chairman of the Ninth district congressional committee and without any harsh words or loud scenes or broken friendships he quietly and calmly knitted the factions together. patched up their petty differences and
 in a short time had them doing as beau tiful team work as any college football team that ever scratched d gridiron. The result was that after a few years work the Ninth district elected democrats every term did it easily and have been doing it ever since. Underwood the peacemaker, had put over his first stroke of political diplomacy and had shown thaf ability in the embryo which last summer enabled him to lead the demo- cratic House, without break in the ranks nor faltering man. through a battle ground of the oppositions own choosing and do it after it had been ad- mitted by experienced politicians and public men that the democratic party had been meeting with repeated failures with Bryan and other men at the helm because they lacked harmony because they couldn't pull together, because they didn't have a man like Underwood to patch up their party differences inside the party caucuses and then go onto the floor of the House and poll their votes without dissenting democrat
 How Nomination Came About
 Birmingham was a young town then and full of young men with lots of fight and vigor in their bones They still cherished that idea of Jefferson county furnishing the candidate for the Ninth district A crowd of these young fellows. including such men as Nathan L. Miller. E. K Campbell. M- A. Porter, Henry B. Gray and others. all of them now prom inent in the city and state. held a con- ference one evening and decided that Os- car w. Underwood was the man to bring home the bacon for Jefferson coun- ty'' They. talked about the matter with their friends and few days later men toned the matter to Underwood. The young lawyer blushed and stainmered and apologized and excused himself; such