davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
LEADER 80
CLEAN COURAGE HIGH HONESTY
I86HsH4@ FAITHFUL IN HIS FRIENDSHIPS

His name is Oscar w. Underwood;
his years are on the sunshine side of
fifty. Asschief of the Ways and Means,
and chairman of the Committee on Com
mittees, he is Speaker Clar1s right arm
in the House
Mr.. Underwood's cry is Tariff for
revenue onlyP When Mr.. Bryan, eaten
of a rule-or-ruin spirit, came to Wash
ington at the beginning of the special
session to trouble the waters of party
hope with an attack upon the wool bill
as proposed by the Democrats, Mr.. IN
derwood, in going after Mr.. Bryan,
stated his own tariff position. Said he !:
"The Democratic party stands for a
tariff for revenue. The Democratic
party does not stand for free trade,
and ! do not believe the people will
be misled by the statement of Mr..
Bryan
That Mr.. Underwood is against pro-
lection. and fights it, evinces his cour-
age He comes from the Birmingham
district in Alabama breeding ground
of protection. In Mr.. Underwood's dis
trict there are nine railroads, one hun
dred and forty-eight miles of street-car
tracks, $1S0,O0O,000 of invested indus
tries, an annual pig-iron output Of
100000 tons, and a production of
100000 tons of coal The city of
Birmingham has an annual payroll of
S50000,000. The Tennessee Coal & Iron
Company. which is a part of the Steel
Trust, controls one-third of all the prod
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
UNDERWOOD IN me WEST

Rrstifed to see this State NOV
c.wsrd IN almost every line and ]
.~sr fhe wonderful growth of Birming-
- I observe that The dge-7er9Id
- trot full step with the progressive
,-.s-;e sud has led In the work.
.sI,.r growing strength of Oscar IN
s.-.-,os m the minds of the people
,6-oupalort the United States has gwen
tIshs1,a = kind of publicity that the
cs,fe could obtain IN no other way,
csrtic,ilarIy on the great queStion OF
- tariff. for It was not tnougtt ui Ia
-. ,--ouid come ont Of Alabama Win
- v,r;ed interests who would DC
n-v;s ~ DEFY the trusts. Oscar IN
S----.S Is regarded by many men As
-. - eor,;poed. clesnest, fairest man
- nrntioned for the presidency II
= = dominated, he viii nnoouoteoiy
Is ,rv strong sentiment OF the
-. 5.u.rds his election he VIII De
--~-iUxted. Out IN Colorado Win -
,I-uIIEsuds of visitors from eh Pe..s
- - limited States, he IS the nrst MAJ
,--'-< bv most of them. he proll.
- sz;xrn 70 his candidacy py tne
~-s~jnes and the public. press n@S
- : strong tide to rise when l
-. - heI;eve viii carry him to inc
49, House / took much pieasulss
- 1s6np IN organizing the OnoerMoo5
Ga n Denver, and i IS gong 80
- unsuestionsbly. Harry Ele" AZ AZ
"a 81 work. IN the Birmingham A'@''
49, Hrrggd. January {, lSlI-
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14


jority Leader Underwood, as result of
long hours Of hard work on the tariff
in the Ways and Means Committee, put
many a Democrat in a nervous state of
mind. There developed suddenly full
appreciation of the worth of the Ala
bama Congressman as a leader. For
Mr.. Underwood to become disabled or
to be removed from the scene of his
usefulness at this critical time would be
like pulling corner post out from
under platform on which was heaped
most of the political treasures of the
party, Democrats quite generally are
willing to admit.
Credit for the achievements of the
Democratic House bearing the stamp of
constructive craftsmanship is given
readily to the majority leader. Due to
his success as legislative manager-his
ability in most tests to keep the House
Democracy united-and the fact that
Civil War wounds have been allowed to
heal because of the scarcity of public
men of the type of Senator Hepburn,
of Idaho, a Southerner is being Sc
riously considered North and South as
presidential material. The Underwood
for President movement has been at
tracing volunteer workers steadily
since last spring, when the newIy-in-
stalled Democratic House assumed its
responsibilities. An Underwood boom
for the Democratic nomination for
President, put on long trousers at the
beginning of this, the national campaign
year-Austin Cunningham, in the San
Antonio Express, January S, 1912.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
Underwood
. Reel Man

The Democrats of the House have
reason to be proud Of their floor lead
er, Chairman Underwood, of the Ways
and Means Committee. Mr.. Underwood
has given ample evidence of the pos
session of the qualities of mind essen,
tial to the position. He has also dem
onstrated most concIusiveIy that he is
man who cannot be cajoled or bail
lied from the course he considers right
In the debate over the Canadian rec
iprocity bill former Speaker Cannon
made the bluff that the steel trust IA
vors the enactment of the measure
Mr.. Underwood called the bluff very
effectively by producing a telegram
from his home district saying that the
United States Steel Corporation has
stopped work on important mills there.
giving as their reason that Underwood
stood in Congress advocating the tariff
reductions on steel included in this bill
Mr.. Underwood added that two years
ago the steel trust opposed his election
because of the tariff views and threat
ened to turn him out of Congress if
he voted for reductions on steel duties.
I voted for them just the same" he
stated, "and they failed in their efforts
TO turn me out of Congress"
Underwood is every inch a man, and
the people have more respect for ont
such as he than for a whole battalion
of corporation-controlled standpatters.-
The OcGLc Daily Bonner, Florida, Apr
D, 1911.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14

COMMITTEES, Mr.. Underwood has shown
himself to be the right man in the right
place. What advances are made by the
party In 1912 will be due largely to him.
He knows tariff in all its schedule
windings, as a man knows the Railways
OF his own house. He has wisdom. He
has temper and spirit, but is neither
unreasonable nor vindictive. have
faith in the tariff thoroughness of Mr..
Underwood. If / owned the revenues
of the Government, shouldn't hesitate
to employ him as night-watchman-
Alfred Henry Lewis, in the CosmoboE-
itan, January, 1912.
Mr.. Underwood is faithful in his
friendships. To those whom he casually
meets, he is affable, albeit non-com-
initial, keeping his own counsel He Is
never rude nor hard; never violent,
even with blood foes. For the stranger
within his gates his air is gentle and
frank. He is easy to see, and, speaking
generally, has been ever careful to keep
himself within the reach Of all. News
paper folk, sent TO Mr.. Underwood by
some stress of duty, never fail to like
him. He has his dignity, but there is
no reserve. He maintains no distances
between himself and them He answers
question with round readiness, or
says plainly that he can't answer it and
tells why. He expedites the business in
hand, and will even anticipate the pur-
pose of ones coming. and put questions
to himself-Alfred Henry Lewis, in the
COsmopoliton, New York, January. 1912.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
- Southern RresI-
dental Possibility

N me mention of Oscar w. Under
WOOD. Of Alabama. for the Democratic
Presidential nomination resides a good
SsA NOR than a Suggestion that we
- 80 90 al away rom the Civii
War era TO regard a statesman as nee
assarily unavailable" because he comes
hum . commonwealth that was a mem
be Of the Southern Confederacy.
OF the men now before the country
~ possible or probable Democratic
aandidstes for the Presidency, Under
wDod Is certainly one Of the strongest.
he has had fine training in Congress,
zad Is N himself man of natural force
I'D large capacity for work-snd work
@s ere what we want IN executive posi-
aoaE- He has been a member of the
House Of Representatives for some If
areu EesrS. and has risen BY force of
msriE, and nothing but merit to posi-
Ga which made It inevitable that he
Shnuid Be Chairman OF the COMMITTEES
q WAYS and Means when the Demo
@ufs came into control of the popular
hrancA Of the Government. He has the
vpufh. the environment. the enthusiasm,
- courage, the political sagacity, and
- rtatsmznly qualities fully to justify
kis consideration in connection with the
Pr1sidentisl nomination.
ar. Underwood is conservative man,
~ Is capable Of entertaining pro-
rressive ideals and at the same time OF
realizing fully the duty and the ne
,.r-itv for conserving substantial inter
- q the community. The Democratic
partT might 60 farther and 90 Vastly
worse than IL II should nominate MN
- itz stzndard-bearer OF lyi<.-MHH-
!,sT'f NeeasiHe. January, l9lZ
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14

ucts of the district. One-third of all the
.iron-ore holdings of the Steel Trust are
in and around Birmingham. Surely, at
first glance, a bad outlook for tariff
reformerl And yet Mr.. Underwood
succeeds and re-succeeds himself with
ever climbing majorities.
1t is the Underwood honesty that
does it-that, and his clean courage.
The dominant quality in Mr.. Underwood
is honesty, and folk have found it out.
Honesty is among the scarcest of earth
ly commodities, and when community
has discovered it in the possession of
an individual, it guards it and works it
like a gold-mine for every final ounce.
Mr.. Underwood is honest: His cleo
ton was not the work of money. He
was not chosen as either the pet of the
railroads or the frst-born of the trusts.
His seat was given him by the people,
and because they believed he would fill
it to the best of public advantage.
This emanation of the popular gives
Mr.. Underwood the House high ground,
and he is so far military in his genius
that he knows how to fortify and hold
it. From his place as a peoples repre-
sentative, he can overstare and keep in
check the Paynes and the Dalzells and
the Crumpackers, who are present mere
ly by the grace of pirate money, and
dwell, therefore, on House levels much
lower than bis own.-Alfred Henry
Lewis in the Cosmopolitan, New York,
January, 1912 .
As the head of the Ways and Means
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
UNDERWOOD
AND THE PAPERS

The careful reader of the newspapers
is surprised at one notable feature Of
the papers from practically every Sec
ton of the country. This feature is the
general notice and attention paid to Con-
gresham Oscar Underwood as candi-
date for the Democratic presidential
nomination, and the uniform praise
which invariably accompanies the men
ton of him and his candidacy. This is
all the more surprising because Mr.. I'm
derwood maintains no press bureau. On
the other hand, prominent candidates
for the Democratic nomination like Gov
ernor Harmon of Ohio, Governor Viii
son Of New Jersey and Speaker Clark
of Missouri, maintain large and active
bureaus, which are continually sending
out campaign literature to the papers
of the country.
Notwithstanding this, at the present
time Mr.. Underwood is receiving more
attention than any other, we might say
any other two, presidential candidates
combined The attitude of the voters
towards Mr.. Underwood may be doubted
until that attitude is made clear in an
election, but it cannot be doubted that
his record and his strong personality
are admired by. the newspapers of the
country. For now he is receiving more
free and favorable advertising than any
other public man of the country
Montgomery (Alabama) Advertiser,
January 5, 1912.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
Southern LEADERS
end the TarIff

No sensible man, certainly no one
friendly to the South, wishes to see the
tariff made a sectional question. The
course of Mr. Clark and Mr.. Under
wood tends to prevent this. They stand
not only with their own party through
out the country, but with the strong
public sentiment in support of tariff re-
duction that has divided the Republican
party, and thrown the House into the
hands of the Democrats. When We say
that in this they are serving their own
section, we have in mind the important
fact that they arc bringing to bear on
national affairs the intelligence and
strength of their section, and giving it
the opportunity to take a leading part
in the affairs of the Nation. They are
undermining the unfortunate section
alism that has. perhaps unavoidably,
pervaded Southern politics for a long
time. They are ranging the South on
the side of progress and, in the line
of the most significant movement of
national opinion that has manifested it
self in years. Nothing is more certain
than that our vast and intricate and
oppressive tariff system is to be
reformed, and its reform is bound to
be the one task of craftsmanship in the
next few years. It can be determined
and under certain, conditions it can b,
led by the men of the South.--Neu
York Times. January 81, 1911.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE
IMPROVEMENT OF OUR PUBLIC ROADS
night and Duty Of Congress tnquesoned from the FOuuda
ton of the Government

1Esasas from Underwood in the u S House of Rep
, I H lou beng Whole House on the state Of the
SSs for the Agriculture the fiscal year ends
Mr. Underwood said:
psSs d a On this hi: ' sEssSs 9e aas g:
u House more JEALOUS his s to say there IS man t5s floor q
& & perform O S G o s ss fG@p3s ing the g9on have
os enter into s s % not S S the Central GoverPent
% p ns rsSa Osnen within its Tndsnsd powers has i:
power ss sss the c ss s' sns s.a Rs
hz pos-othces and 'PostEOads"
& s :: :s:' e Is ssi ;: s:"s 6
ssa soft he
building carry the iG through he ~9. and
3: u sSs1 i B M
.. Ne Rs r wf s CO.; ss sss s
20 te P mn II rs very clear The Constitution gives the power
HE Douglas The language of posroads
Mr. Williams TRst Question 70 vss Ges.s thing IRON building them
decided IN favor Of the Of the
Mr. Underwood contention made today by the leaders Of the
Sspsn party that the Government Of the United States has
..isd during first half century a9' s oa
On Ir u 1878 II, lio. Of R.p...n,.s. ,.. III. s.no.. res.
= g. q :: e & 3
pA.-.s Jefferson said in letter to Mr. Lipe in 1903
@ tn s s are os a.s Sss ss mi .s
'sT n1s nd SsSs should sis' dssd
E s x nd ss .. x. S 9 &c s s the H'"
NO S'}s g..Y s kind importer,
De General perfected pt'''s'
sdsoa this Congress stronger more specific warrant for
s'Gss '' cs 'iS on S'9 csa:a
Every within including railroads,
and navgsbe existing created within State,
raou made for the the
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
Mr.. UNDERWOOD

Meanwhile Mr.. Underwood has a
work to do in Washington for which he
has revealed a remarkable aptitude. 1t
is not too much to say that the existing
harmony among the Democratic mem
bers of the House, and the ability they
showed at the last session to work to-
gether, are largely due to his slillful
leadership. He proposes to resume the
task of tariff revision at the point where
it was interrupted by the Presidents
vetoes.-The Providence (R. - Jour
nal, December 2, 1911.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14

That with the Democratic party al
ready in power in the House, and hav-
ing a visible chance of coming into COM
plete power in the National Govern
ment, it is of interest to learn from
what SisSypoint the actual Pilot-in-charge
at his task and by what stars he shapes
his course.
Are they fixed and steadfast lights of
the political armament or are they mere
ly those will-o'-the wisps that fame up
as paramount issues" for this year,
only to be forgotten next years We
get comforting light on this question
from another remark by Mr.. Under
wood:
81 think the big question is the tariff.
It is. the question of the development of
the industries and commerce of the
nation"
From a Democrat that is a remark
well-nigh startling. 1t exhibits such an
unusual viewpoint. 1t is almost like
hearing Andrew Carnegie confess that
there might be such a thing as right
eous war. Heretofore, Our Democratic
statesmen have so uniformly declared
that there was nothing to the tariff
question but stopping robbers" from
robbing.
They never seemed to think of tariff
as having anything to do with the de-
velopment OF industries and commerce.
Mr.. Underwood does. He says we
should reduce our tariff because with
the settlement of the West we have left
behind the days when our home market
absorbed the products of our factories
and left US no surplus for which we
needed to look for a market abroad.
He holds that our industrial develop
ment has outstripped the increase in
domestic demand, and that we are pro-
ducing, or at least have the existing ca
pacity to produce, a great surplus OF
manufactures for which we must find
markets in other countries. Therefore,
and since 1--WE cannot trade with other
people unless we permit them to trade
with US" reduce the tariff to a COMPETE
tive basis-to the lowest rates that viii
raise the revenues that the exigencies
of the Government require"
One may agree or disagree with that
theory of tariff -making One may disbe-
heve that its effects will be develop
ment of the industries and commerce of
the nation" But at least it is theory
consistent with itself and protesting
constructive aims and not merely clam
oring for destruction.
And its proponent is no doctrinaire
fresh from academic halls with his nod
die crammed with Solutions" of every
thing. Neither is he the freak product
of passing popular delight with the latest
novelty among political entertainers. -
Chicago Inter-OceGH, September 20,
| 1911.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

The most salient fact connected with
the story of the bill in the present Con-
eress is the remarkable strength of the
Democratic tactics, and the high quail
lily shown by Mr.. Underwood, the leader
of the party on the floor. The farmers
free list" bill was a master stroke, and
Mr.. Underwood utilized it in the debate
with an effectiveness that left nothing to
be desired. What gives real strength to
the Democratic position is that the party
IS graphing with a big and difficult
question in a spirit that is at once
courageous and practical. If there is to
be an era of such leadership as that rep
resented BY Mr.. Underwood, the term
practical politics" may be rescued from
the ignominy into which IT has fallen
and recover the meaning to which it is
fortunately. entitled.-NezU York Eve-
,,;Te Pest. reproduced in The FL Dorado
SrE Cweekly), FL Dorado Springs, Mo.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
UNDERWOOD LOOMS up

Whether the disclaimer of Represen-
tative Oscar w. Underwood of candi-
dacy for the Democratic nomination for
president is to stand or not, there is no
question that he is looming large and
seriously, no less at the North than at
the South, as a possibility, if not this
time, then in the near future. Mr..
Underwood is making widespread and
distinctive impression, not only as the
honest bold, sagacious leader of the
House majority, and not only as mas
terful Southern Democrat, but as an
American publicist and statesman
man of affairs and broad concept of
his responsibility to the whole people
Richmond, Va, Times-Disp0teh, re-
printed in the Birmingham, Ala, Age-
Herald, January y, 1912.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14


But this new leader from Alabama,
with nothing meteoric or iridescent
about him; who has forged steadily
ahead during sixteen years of congress
sional service, and who has proved him
self equal to every emergency in the acid
test of debate on the floor of the House
cool, imperturbable, resourceful, sure of
himself at all times; profoundly learned
on the great tariff issue he stands for;
whose impressive personality is reveal
ing itself in stronger lines every day
as the searchlight of the press plays
upon it-he is the Man of Destiny for
the Democratic party in this year 1912.
And as the campaign for the nomination
Mr.. Underwoods superior
availability will come out with increas-
ing clearness, and the Democratic masses
of the South will catch the inspiration
of the great fact that a Southern man
from the heart of Dixie is at last IN line
for the presidency after all these weary
years of waiting. When that psyche
logical moment arriyes-in the national
convention or before TIA very nearly
solid South, fused to white heat under
the enthusiasm of a genuine Southern
presidential candidacy. win take Oscar
Underwood on its shoulders, sweep away
all the well laid plans of machine politics
and rush him right to the goal, winner
by sheer force of an overwhelming sense
of simple justice to the South. At
least, that's the way we want it-Tbe
SN7UdHee (Fla.) Democr0t, December,
1911.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14

men OF distinction ana merit out my
individual opinion is that the party has
az cppUfttililty Mte'--SssullSs iflsaaAh
selection by choosing for its standard
bearer in 1912 the wise, well-balanced
and thoroughly equipped Alabamian,
Hon. Oscar Underwood.
'Mr. Underwood's record in states
manship is a good enough guarantee
of his fitness for the White House.
He measures up to all the requirements
of the exalted position. He is fearless
and broad-minded, and there is nothing
of the demagogue in his composition.
Some will cavil at his Southern origin
and raise the oft-repeated cry that no
Southerner can be elected to the presi-
dency. This bugaboo is raised in. spite
of the fact that all the leading papers
of the North and South and all writers
of any note have declared time and
again that sectional feeling and prelu-
dice, based on the war of '6l-o5, have
died out completely.
eff that be true is there any longer
any valid reason against going to the
South for a candidate7 If Mr.. Under
woods personality and public service
render him peculiarly available should
the matter of location bar him from the
nomination. The idea is absurd. =
Hon. A. c. Broxton, of Richmond, Va,
in The Baltimore San, January, 1912.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
CHAIRMAN UNDERWOOD

Chairman Underwood has once more
given proof of that levelness of head
and clearness of purpose which have
characterized his leadership from the
beginning. He has fatty refused to
countenance any coquetting with the La
Toilette idea on the wool bill Whether
viewed as a mere announcement of
program or as bill that it is desired
and expected actually to get enacted into
law, the La Toilette proposition does
not meet the needs of the situation
The New York Post, August 2 1911.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
A"Noice
From FIorIda

oscar Underwood, however, has
more friends than any man mentioned
for the Democratic presidential nOrni-
saatis,r, e Is EaSEs Popular throughout
the Country ~itn - tiie l5etslee4lAlsAtsI4II
the others. He. is almost the unanimous
second choice If you ask the Harmon
men who they would be for in case
Harmon could not be nominated they
will say Underwood; when you ask the
Wilson men the same question as to
Wilson, they reply that if Wilson can
not be the nominee, Underwood is their
choice; and the same thing is true of
the Champ Clark men."-T. A. Jennings,
National Committeeman from Florida,
in the Pensacola Evening Meas, Friday
evening, January II, 1912.
The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1912-03-14
HEARS MUCH POLITICAL TALK

ain travelling through the country 1
hear no end of political talk" said
James A. Braun, sales manager of the
Wyeth Chemical Company of New
York.
During the past FIVE or six weeks /
have heard Underwood very much dis
cussed as a presidential proposition. 1
found in the Carolinas a great deal of
Underwood sentiment l have been
keeping up with Underwood's record
in Congress, and / believe that his
commanding position in the Democratic
party will be appreciated by the rank
and file of the Democracy."-Age-
Herald, Birmingham, Ala, Jan. 7, 1912.