The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-01
BLYTHE'S OPINION OF MR. UNDERWOOD
 tf Writes in Current Saturday
 Evening Post CLASH WITH BRYAN
Says It Was Immediately After Un- derwood's Speech That He Was Recognized as Presi-
 dential Possibility

Samuel c. Blythe in the current number of the Saturday Evening Post, under the topic, "The Progress of a Sane Young Man." writes in part as follows:
 It was hot in washington on Wednes- day, the second of August last-so hot you could fry an egg on the pavement at Ninth md F if so be your taste ran to fried egg la asphalt; and 1t was even hotter than on that torrid corner in the rlass ceilinged chamber of the House of Representatives.
 Only few wilted statesmen were pres ent at noon, and the chaplain languidly besought that they should be purified from all guile and let 1t go at that. It may have been there was feeling that some of those statemen-reposing coat less and within the zones of influence of the electric fans in the various com rn,ttee rooms-should have their guile re- moved too: for no sooner had the chap lain concluded his 90 seconds of prayer than the absence of quorum was sug- gested. The heated statesmen came pour ing in from all sorts of places, shoVlhg themselves sull5ily into their coats, ana answered to their names as the roll was called. Two hundred and thirty-three ot lthem responded, each asklng hls helsiiooi SWhats up?"
 If wasn't long before they all found out. After MT. Burke of South Dakota had corrected the Record to show ne voted in the negative on a certain proposition instead of answering Present oscar w. Underwood, the democratic floor iead- CT, and by the same token the majority floor leader, was up. ALSO, oscar w. on dervood was cool. Two hundred ana fb,rtv-two statesmen were moist to the noInt of saturation and heated to the point of liouescence; but Underwood wasscooi' Not a bead of precipitation gemmed ms brow; not sag was in his collar and his shirt bosom preserved Its pristine gloss
 He had a newspaper In his hand' ana as he rose the gasping patriots on both sides took notice and shoveS up their tempera- fures a degree or so by clapping vigor- ously.
 .aThe gentleman from Alabama is rec oguized," said the speaker, leaning for- ward eagerly as If he knew what was coming.
 MT. Speaker began Underwood calm ly, evenly, dispassionately and cooly- which is most important-"Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of personal privilege. The democrats applauded some more. Ihe republicans grinned. Tt was no affair or theirs, save as a show.
 4e asked that the clerk read from the newspaper he held In his hand, and sent a page boy scurrying up to the desk with it. The clerk read in that sngsong man ner in which all reading clerks read It was a telegraphic dispatch from Lincoln Neb, and 1t began: "rhe recent activity of Representative Underwood in defeating the attempt by Champ Clark and others 10 reduce the steel and iron schedule has met with the disapproval of w. J. Bryan.
 Reading Clerk Paused
 The reading clerk paused here, as if to let the enormity of this sink into the par boiled perceptions of the perspiring patriots, and began reading again: TO day Bryan authorizes the following state Ilent The action of Chairman Underwood in opposing an immediate effort to re- duce the iron and steel schedule reveals the real Underwood Speaker Clark and other tariff reformers tried to secure the passage of resolution instructlng the ways and means committee to take up other schedules, including the iron and steel schedule; but Underwood and Fitz- gerald of New York succeeded in defeat- ing the resolution.
 There was more of the statement. but that Is enough to show its general tenor. 1t charged Underwood with being tainted with protection and having an individual interest in the iron and steel business, and was a very pointed and personal as- sault on one big democrat by another After the clerk had finished reading the statement there was d moment of silence. Underwood stood looking directly at the speaker, who still half leaned across the big desk up under the flag. Then Under wood began speaking slowly, dlspassioh- ately, evenly and gravely.
 s'The statements contained in that artcie are absolutely false!" he said Instantly inc entire democratic side broke into a roar of applause.
 ..If the reflections that paper contains rested only on myself l should not take the time of this House to answer them; but the statements contained in that article are a reflection on the only body Of democracy that Is in control of this coyernment. and as the representative leader on the floor of this House, of this majority I should be untrue to my party ~AlL did not rise here and stamp those y,ferances. with the brand of falsehood.' f Underwood continued. He asserted he had asked the committee to take up the iron and steel schedule first because ne comes from an iron and steel district, and appealed to his democratic colleagues on the committee to support this state ment. which they did. He said the com ,niftee had deemed it wiser to take up the wooen and the cotton schedules hrst pe- cause the iron and steel schedules had been cut in the Wilson, the Dingly' ana the Payne bills-and wool and cotton had not been revised for many years. MT. Kitchin of North Carolina corroborated what tn .erwood claimed; and Underwood further rroved his case, explaining his connection with the iron and steel busi- ness--he is a stoclxholder in company that makes pig iron-and having a tele- gram read from MT. Bryan, dated April o3. to Ollie James, in which MT. Bryan asked James. to convey his congratula- tions to Underwood
 'AIr, Speaker" said Underwood, MT. Bryan did not say 1 was protectionizing the democratic party when I brought in the free list bill. Not until I differed with him on the wooen schedule did he have one word of criticism so far as my conduct was concerned. had to .rvrite wooden schedule that would pro
 .t.t1e revenues of the government and
 th,nse I did so and did not obey the 1e3saand of the gentleman from Ne
 D.a. he is endeavoring to make the
 Ary believe am not an honest demr- WAL in favor of an honest revenue tariit' >-IThere was some more of the speech, but not much twas delivered earnestly, but without heat kand without an attempt at oratorical flourish. There was no frenzy