The Brunswick news., 1912-05-07
ASSUMING REAL PROPORTIONS.

The candidacy of Representative Underwood o. Ala
bama, for the democratic nomination for the pres-
dency has ed reality that it did not seem it
would reach when suggestion made that
the southerner be PIT forward for leadership of the
party The Underwood victory in Georgia, in hard
fought hattie h the well-organzed Wilson forces and
also in Florida, against strongly supported Wilson
candidacy, to which Mr. Bryan his strength has
given substance and stability to the Alabama mans
presidential prospect The chief weakness of the I'm
deryood candidacy thus been the belief that
only sentimental The South in which his strength
would naturally ie been disposed believe that
Southern man could not be nominated, and that if he
nominated, he could be elected The South is
more obsessed with the idea that prejudice against
southern is fatal to such candidacy before the
nation than is the North Southern candidate of the
right sort would probably surprisingly small per-
centage of Northern support because sectional
sideration. There is every to believe
ple that Underwood with his principles of gov
ernment his record constructive craftsmanship the
handling of the tariff question: and his broad view of
business conditions would carry New York state and
have the support of the business ele
men of the East generally, against Roosevelt with al
his crazy ideas of absolute government
If the republican party is captured by Roosevelt a
contingency that is still remote, despite the terrific
saughts the colonel has made upon the Taft citadel
the democrats could scarcely hope match the
in the field of radicalismexcept perhaps with Bryan
and the business element of the country would probably
prefer to take its chances with absoutist like Roose
welt, trusting to win his favors after the the
Morgan interests won them than with stubborn
deast like Bryan-and consideration availability
only. they should seriously turn the issue Of
stutonalism and the fundamentals of the government
as the paramount issue" of the campaign leaving the
refnements of administrative policy future conten
ton The republicans shifted the whole ground of their
campaign in 1896 almost overnight the tariff to
the currency issue it appeared that the dem
ocrats making straight for free silver faacy
and they brought the business element OF the country
sondy to their support and won the election
issue, The democrats could do the same thing the
face of a Roosevelt candidacy, representing Caasarism
and the overthrow of constitutional government But
they would have to do under conservative leadership
Underwood would give such a leadership He might
have the opposition Bryan-though it is questionable
if Bryan would bolt the nomination of aly democrat
but large proportion of the Bryan following would vote
for Roosevelt in the radical states anyway against
candidate other ta&a Bryan himself and conservetea
gains that would be made from the republican ranks
would probably than Offset this loss and they
would be made chiefly in the states which hare large
electoral votes.
The Wilson candidacy has sagged wofuy, and its
gng is doubtless due in large to the ove~shad
owing radicalsm of Roosevelt and the feeling that the
colonel the first foremost in that department and
none others need be considered as competitors Tha
Roosevelt candidacy has confused the whole political
situation aad combina ions must be considered by
the democrats well as by the IepubcN s and Of
csc is strictly conservative candidacy in which de
velopment lies the possibility of Oscar Underwood