The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-22
His Speech Tonight Looked
Forward to by Leaders.
new YORK TO SUPPORT HIM
His Mastery of Men to Offset
State of Birth.
Majority Leader One of Party's
Popular Workers.

| NHich is 10 be delivered by oscar w.
! Underwood, leader of the majority in
! the house of representatives at Wash
| lngton. at the annual banquet of the
State Society of the Cincinnati to be
held at Philadelphia on Washington's
birthday is certain to arouse national
! interest Mr.. Underwood has given
much care to the preparation of the
address. He finished the revision of it
| a Few days ago and for that reason IT
| mas been possible to get an idea of the
general character of this speech.
| There are several features of the
Philadelphia banquet which, in addition
| to Mr.. Underwood's address, are certain
/ to focus popular attention upon the
event In the first place the Pennsyl-
wanna State Society of the Cincinnati
has for some years made the Wash
| ington's birthday gathering an oppor-
| tunity for the delivering of addresses
! dealing with public questions that oc-
| cupy the minds of the people and de-
| l1vered, too, in some cases by men Of
| distinction who We're not members of
| the Society of the Cincinnati.
In that respect the Pennsylvania so
| ciety differs from the parent society,
| which is that of New York state. Here
! it has been the undertaking policy of the
Society of the Cincinnati to invite none
but a member of the society to address
it at any of its ceremonies. Further
more, no one except members of the
New York society are permitted to at
tend these gatherings. This rule is very
rigidly enforced. In fact, the New
York State society was anxious that
former Senator Depew should address
it on the occasion of the Washington's
birthday banquet of this year. Depew
is himself a member of the society.
And yet he found that he could not
without breaking all presidents bring
his son to the banquet, although this
son will after Senator Depew's death
be available for membership in this
society.
The Pennsylvania State Society of
the Cincinnati has, by reason of more
liberal disposition with respect to ad-
dresses and guests not confined to mem
1uence which the New York State So
ciety has not secured. In other words,
the Pennsylvania society has been able
to secure speakers who have so spoken
as to give the public reason for thought.
His Only Address.
In the next place, Mr.. Underwood de-
cided that, with the exception of the
address he delivers to the Pennsylvania
Society of the Cincinnati he would
make no other speeches until after the
national Democratic convention meets
excepting, of course, such as he may
make in the house of representatives.
He will, therefore. not be heard again
at any public gathering until after the
Democracy has nominated its candi-
dates for president and vice president.
This fact being known, it has been sur
missed that Mr.. Underwood would so
address the Pennsylvania society as to
inform that society, and through it
the general public, what his views are
upon the fundamental or more import
ant political questions of the day. In
that sense, Mr.. UnderWoOdS address,
it has been supposed, would be a po-
litical one. And unless he at the mo-
ment of delivery greatly changes the
prepared address that surmise will be
found to have been correct.
Especial Significance will certainly be
given to this address in view of the
fact that Mr.. Underwood has attain
ed, within the past two months, con-
siderable prominence as a possible
nominee for president by the Demo-
cratic national convention. Reports
received from many parts of the coun-
viction, that a considerable number OF
the members of the Democratic party
who are in their vocation plain bust
ness men, not affiliated with any of
now wondering whether, after all, it
would not be the wiser part for the
Democracy to nominate Mr.. Underwood
for president.
In this city that feeling. is quite no
ticeable. 1t has been observed that
objections many have made to Mr..
Underwood's northumberland that
he is from Alabama-are thought to be
vital. And yet it sometimes seems as
though these objections were voiced
chiefly by Republicans, and especially
veteran Republicans, who still remenl-
Der the days of the war.
For instance. when mention was made
to General Horace Porter of the prorni-
hence Mr.. Underwood has gained
possible nominee of the Democratic
national convention, General Porter in
stantly said that Mr.. Underwood could
not be nominated, since he is from Ala
bama- But the great body of the
younger generation does not look upon
the locality question as of any import
-{.,s-- hot
derwood. if he were the candidate,
would receive as strong support from
the regular Democrats of New York
state as any other candidate would
get.
His Mastery of Men.
One of the reasons which have COM
PEELED a good deal of serious discus
sion about the availability of Mr. I'm
handle with tact and yet with frmnesS
great bodies of men. For some days
there has been in circulation in TINS
city a report telling of a recent incl
dent in Mr.. Underwood's leadership ca
reer. At the time ten days ago when
Mr.. Underwood earnestly opposed the
proposed resolution creating a special
committee of the house of representa-
tives to Investigate the so-called money
trust, the speaker, Mr.. Clark, thought
it courteous and necessary that he
should explain his own attitude in this
matter to Mr. Underwood
He therefore called Mr.. Underwood
aside at L convenient time and then
said to him that although they had
worked with perfect harmony togeth-
er, both when the party was minOrlI y
and since it las been majority II
the house of representatives neverthe-
less upon this matter of the money
trust investigation it would be neces-
sary to part company The speaker,
with great frankness and with equal
kindness informed Mr.. Underwood that
he was against him. The message was