Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-03-15
PLENTY OF
DEMOCRATS
ASPIRANTS
ALL THE POLITICS ARE NOT CON.
FINED TO THE REPUBLICAN
RANKS = HARMON AND UNDERs
MOOD LOOMING UP AGAINST
WILSON AND CLARK,

Washington, March 5.-For presi-
dent: Judson Harmon, of Ohio. For
vice president: Oscar w. Underwood,
Of Alabama.
This is the ticket that many Demo-
Gratis Of the house are talking of now.
There are some Underwood sup
porters so enthusiastic that they have
started an Underwood boom for the
presidency.
The Harmon Underwood idea is
gaining headway and there are many
house and senate Democrats who be-
lieve that this ticket would be irwin
chile.
The Underwood rebuke of William
Jennings Bryan in the last session of
congress went a long way toward
eliminating that three-times candi-
date from the field of possibilities
for the campaign of 1912. The man
ner in which the former idol of
democracy was dethroned in the
house by an Underwood speech is re-
garded as one of the most significant
political events of recent years.
The house membership has always
been divided as to Bryan. The Ne
braska leader has had his stanch
supporters, like Representative
James, of Kentucky, and Representa-
tive Kitchin, of North Carolina. On
the other hand he has had bitter DO
litical opponents in the house, nota-
bly, Representative Frank Clark, of
Florida, who has insisted all along
that 1t was time for Democracy to
tear itself loose from the influence
and the domination Of the oft-defeat-
ed leader.
A good portion of the house men,
bership stood by Bryan in the last
congress when he demanded that the
Ways and Means committee should
put raw wool on the free list in its
revision Of Schedule X. The Bryan
and anti-Bryan men went into the
Democratic caucus and the latter
won out. Representative Underwood
and his faction had their way and a
20 per cent ad valorem duty was lev
led on raw wool under the terms of
the house bill.
Bryan accepted this defeat grace
fully, although he came out in an
editorial in his paper declaring that
the Democratic party was marching
to defeat under the flag of protection
The split in the party at that time
was characterized as the initial step
taken by the Democrats to eliminate
Bryan as political factor.
Then came Bryans reDuke of I'm
derwood, which seemed to be the last
straw so far as the attitude of the
house was concerned. Because the
Ways and Means committee, under
the leadership of Representatives I'm
derwood, had not first undertaken 9
revision Of the iron and steel sched.
ules, Bryan charged in an authorized
interview that Underwood's persona
interests in the steel industry In hi
home town, Birmingham, Ala, hat
prompted the delay In revision. Dur
ing a debate on the free list bill
which put steel wire on the free list
Representative Underwood told tn,
house that a part of his fortune wal
invested In the iron industry. Al
that time the steel trust, at work OF
a plant in Birmingham threatened Il
shut down work unless Underwood
backed down in his stand that wir,
should be put on the free list. Mr.
Underwood stood firm and declared
that he would not be dictated to By
the trust.
The admission that Underwood haC
money invested in the iron and stee
industry prompted Mr.. Bryan +,
again make pertinent observations al
to how the Democrats of the housl
ought to go about the work on tariff
revision. He practically charged
that Underwood was standing in th
way Of a revision of the iron ant
steel schedules because such a re
vision might hit the Alabama leader
pocket.
In dramatic speech on the housl
floor the chairman of the Ways an,
Means committee declared that Bry
ans charges were absolutely falls
and he challenged any one of tn
house to stand up and say that he
Underwood, had not urged the Way
and Means committee to take up tn
iron and steel schedules
Underwood's speech resulted in al
ovation TO the young Alabama leade
and an overthrow Of the Nebraska
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