The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-31
WHAT THEY THINK OF HIM

WHAT THEY THINK OF HIM
 From the Mobile Register.
 Underwood is the only man in either branch of Congress- Senator Bailey once remarked "who can be shut up in a | dramatically sealed room and emerge with a complete tariff bill."-Burton J. I Hendrick, in McClures for February. 1 This extract from considerable article in McClure's Magazine telling of MT. Oscar w. Underwood's character train ing and public life reflects the general opinion of the young Alabamian's special gift that of experiencing and eueidat- ing abstruse problems of the fiscal de- partment of government. To many minds, however. there is even g. finer phase of MT. Underwood's makeup, and this Is his absolute integrity and his immovable pur- pose to fulfill what duty requires of him. This is illustrated by his conduct at the time he introduced the steel sched- | ue In the first session of the present i Congress. The Registers readers will recall the story: but it is well retold | by McClure's in the article from which the above quotation is taken:
 Hardly had MT. Underwood introduced this new schedule when the Steel cor poration stopped work upon it's Birming- ham wire mill. At the same time the newspapers asserted that the northern manufacturers had done this as a pro- test against Underwood's bill This at the time placed Underwood before his constituents as man who had destroyed new industry in his home town, and deprived 5000 men of employment.
 For time there was considerable ex- citement. Public opinion was much "ac- celerated" against MT Underwood. Tele- grams and letters were deposited on his desk in huge piles-all appeals from peo- pie in his district to stay his hand and not destroy the new wire mill.
 This proceeding, of course. practically amounted to demand that Chairman Underwood should keep his hands off the steel schedule-that he should transform himself into a democratic Dalzel. If Underwood had given way under this pressure, his whole party would have been dissipated and destroyed. However, he did not show the slightest sign of yielding. He said on the floor of Con-
 
 the ways and means committee will be passed without much as the crossing of one or the dotting of an l." MT. Un- derwood also produced statistics which showed the absurdity of the claim that Germany and England could successfully compete with Birmingham in the man.
 ufacture of steel wire. As result of his strong stand the episode ended hap billy. The Steel corporation ordered work resumed upon the Birmingham mill, and | at the same time issued a statement that the closing down had had no con nection with Underwood's tariff policy Golfers Weekly also prints special article upon Underwood, with direct bear
 ing upon the fact that he is a southern man with national fame, well earned. by his "acuteness as well as his broad
 mlndedness." MT. Underwood is recog-
 nized as abreast of modern thought as progressive without being a redlcal The New York Evening Post said of him
 last week: "The public record of MT. Underwood places him beyond perad- venture of a doubt in the class of conservative democratic candidate While progressive in his legislative tendencies, he consistently adheres to the tenets of | the old democratic faith and brides him. self on this fact He has never been 1 the particular idol of the more radical democrats in the House. but at the same time has moved forward enough to meet with their approval" The Washington | Herald makes practically the same obser- vation, saying that Representative Un- derwood of Alabama. comes as near the ideal of conservative democracy as any
 man mentioned In connection with the nomination for the presidency at Balti- more in the month of June."
 | No question that MT. Underwood has come well to the front, to the surprise and delight of observers north as well as south It is perfectly true what the Richmond Times-Dispatch says of him.
 MT. Underwood is making widespread and distinctive impression, not only as | the honest, bold, sagacious leader of the House majority. and not only as a mas l terful southern democrat, but as an American publcst and statesman-a man of affairs and broad concept of his l responsibility to the whole people, | -o.