The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-07
UNDERwooD,s FoRwARD LEAP

his own judgment as to what is morally helpful or morally injurious"
 
 UNDERWOOD'S FORWARD LEAP From the Charlotte Observer.
 By decisively carrying Georgia and Flor ida on top of Alabama, Oscar W. Under wood takes the place of third candidate in the democratic presidential race. There seems to be no doubt that Mississippi will fall in line. Louisiana would unquestion- ably do likewise but for the antagonism toward him which is felt on account of the free sugar bill. Even so, the people there strongly share the general admira- tion for him. and it is very possible that they will give him some of their conven- ton strength. Thus we see that the south is very far from conducting itself dis creditably toward the candidacy of the man whom It really prefers above every one else and whom it would almost unit edly support but for certain outworn fears.
 "Underwood's greatest weakness" wrote Samuel G. Blythe recently in the Satur- day Evening Post, ''is his extreme southern residence. He lives in Alabama. This handicap is greater among the southerners than in the north. The south- erners themselves say dolefully that man from the south cannot be elected president, but that sentiment does not largely apply to the north. So Underwood is handicapped by the wailings of his fellow southerners The fact is that Un- derwood's residence in the south would not hurt him very much in the north. They do not take that phase of politics so seriously in the north as they do in the south. Underwood will have Ala bama and he has the great advantage of being well considered by almost all dem- ocrats." Summing up the situation MT. Blythe forecasts ultimate success for some compromise candidate. The most likely development which he anticipates is a final test of strength between Under wood and Senator John W. Kern of In- diana. He is entirely independent in his attitude. as the publication employing him desires and insists that he shall be. His and it's reputation is staked upon the &C., curacy with which he outlines situations and hits marks. Underwoods greatest weakness as seen by MT. Blythe is being removed at very rapid rate.
 Thus far, naturally, Mir. Underwood's candidacy has not been very actively pushed, except as a second choice can didacy, outside of the southern states. This course has been pursued both because Mir. Underwood's managers do not possess the large financial means necessary for contesting the country as a whole and because they wish to avoid needlessy an- tagonizing any of the other candidates in his especial field. Their hope, besides, Is mainly in later events. They forego tumult and shouting which means little or nothing in the long run. They have believed all along what every one now sees clearly, that the deliberate judg- ment of the democratic party as ex pressed at Baltimore after many ballots will determine the democratic nominee. They have asked the southern states to support MT. Underwoods candidacy on the first ballot, not because they either attach any great importance to the first ballot or because they think the south should necessarily support a southern man; but they do desire that MT. Un- derwood's candidacy shall be favorably presented to the convention, as it could not be if the people who produced him and who know him best withheld their support. In other words, strong southern support is necessary to the end that MT. Underwoods s candidacy shall have fair chance from the start; shall not be prej- udiced by reason of natural and proper support withheld.
 The Carolinas and Virginia, If they send any instructed delegates, should by all means do as Alabama, Florida and Geor- gia have done. So we increasingly be- lieve, they will become the means of nominating the democratic candidate this year and of giving the country one of the very best presidents it ever had.