The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-08
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Munsey's Tribute


 This is what Munsey says:
 Tn the mention of Oscar w. Under wood of Alabama for the democratic pres- idertial nomination resides a good deal more than a suggestion that we have got too far away from the Civil war era to regard a statesman as necessarily 'un- available' because he comes from a com monweath that was member of the Southern Confectionery.
 ,"Of the men now before the country as possible or probable democratic can didates for the presidency, Underwood is certainly one of the strongest. He has had a fine training in Congress, and is in himself a man of natural force and large capacity for work-and workers are what we want in executive positions. He has been member of the House of Repre- sentatives for some b years, and has risen by force of merit, and nothing but merit, to a position which made inevitable that he should be chairman of the com mittee on ways and means when the dem ocrats came into control of the popular branch of the government. He has the youth, the environment, the enthusiasm the courage, the political sagaeity, and the statesmanly qualities fully to justify his consideration in connection with the presidential nomination.
 MT. Underwood is a conservative man, who is capable of entertaining progress sive ideals and at the same time of real izing fully the duty and the necessity for conserving substantial interests of the community. The democratic party might fa, 12 ct1xr flT,, it should nominate him as it's standard bearer in 1912"
 The attention of your readers is respect. fully directed to the above editorial ap- bearing in January Munsey with this com ment Munsey is one of the successful magazines whose circulation is confined to the area of the earth In which the English language is spoken and read. It's readers are interested in no particular person or locality, its purpose Is to print as near as human wisdom can divine matter that will be of special interest to the largest percentage of its readers, of which 1t is safe to assert small part dwell in the south. In fact, it will prob ably be found that it's patronage in the southern states does not equal in num- 
 ern states, say New York, Pennsylvania or Ohio. The same can be said of many other we'll known periodicals of wide cir culation devoting columns of space to ar ticles prepared by staff correspondents and writers or national reputation giv- ing character sketches of Oscar Under- wood in public and private life. The question is, therefore. pertinent why this voluntary concentration of editorial at tention upon the unheralded simple man. nered southern gentleman who in the, nat ural order of things has become the head ol the most important committee in Con gress, where he is more deeply engrossed in important work than is perhaps any other member of the House?
 Certain it is that there are no more alert or astute sign readers in the bus fness world than the men who by great ability and genius have achieved success in the editorial field. Flashlght photog- raphy is scarcely quicker in action than are they to discern afar off good and true news item, nor quicker to drop the subject if perchance they find themselves mistaken. It is, therefore, plain that these experienced opponents of Journalistic wis dom think they have a live wire or they would not be devoting more space to Os- car Underwood as factor in national politics than to any man who has not occupied the presidential chair
 If the southern press would catch the spirit of the movement and with quiet dignity and one accord stand with solid front for the nomination of Oscar w Underwood as first choice and all the time and let the platform be "the man." the people would quickly recognize the opportunity and demand the nomination Of him who stands for the things the country most needs. and his election would follow as reward for services as did his entry into leadership in the coun- ciIs of his party and upon the floor of Congress. A. R. DEARBORN.
 Birmingham, January [, 1912.