The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-16
ADDRESS IS ISSUED !. ON MR. UNDERWOOD State Committees Words to
 People of State GIVES THE REASONS Why Voters Should Rally Unanimous ly Around States Favorite
 Son and Aid in Achiey-
 ing Victory

The Underwood state executive commit-
 tee yesterday issued formal address
 to the people of Alabama setting forth in detail the reasons why the voters of
 the state should rally unanimously around | the Underwood standard and help to achieve the great victory which is in
 sight Tine address reads as follows:
 ITO the People of Alabama:
 The name of Oscar w Underwood
 national democratic convention for the
 nomination for President. The right of
 state to present to the conventio on
 the name of one of it's distinguished
 sons is not and cannot be questioned,
 but in some quarters 1t seems to be
 a matter of surprise that a southern state should exercise this right which | is so freely accorded to every state
 outside of the south. We must admit | that the proposed action is departure
 from the course which has been pur
 sued for 50 years and if it be a con- dition that no one from Alabama Is
 ever to be nominated and that. because
 he is from the south, then and in that
 event only should the suggestion of MT Underwood for the presidency be
 withheld
 If. on the other hand. each state | in the south has equal right to | the fair consideration accorded every other state in other sections, there is no reason why Alabama may not in- sist upon fair consideration and this right is not denied by the states out side of the south. Whatever of objec ] tion obtains is found among the peo- pie of the south and not elsewhere. For nearly 50 years the democracy of the south has been in condition of political exile from national affairs and has stood aloof from any demand for recognition of the abilities and sim cerity of it's sons as though abjectly afraid to insist on the equality of manhood, unity of patriotism and of sincerity of purpose, and devotion to principle. The spirit thus manifested Is not the spirit which gave our an cestors their influence in our govern Eent, and if it can be called the spirit of the now south we have not pro- gressed but retrograded as people.
 Put Aside Fetich
 And though we believe that MT. Un- derwood can and should be nominated we insist that whether he can be nom- mated or not the south owes 1t to its past and to it's future to put aside for all time the fetich that our po- litical allies look with disfavor upon our statesmen or our people. We can not expect the people of any section to respect us more than we respect ourselves. 'Noblesse oblige' is a po- litical as well as social maxim.
 'In calling upon the people of Ala bama to sustain the efforts to secure the nomination of Mir. Underwood we wish to assure them that efforts are not confined to this state. Strong or ga ganizations and aggressive campaigns | in his interest are being formed and waged in other states.
 Nor are we insisting that his nom
 nation should be made because he Is an Ala bamian and southern man: We do insist that he should not be debarred from or defeated for the nomination because of the locality of his residence.
 And whilst we may, with pardonable pride, ask our neighboring states to aid us because being our next door neighbors, so to speak, we may hope they will do what they would expect Alabama to do 1T one of their sons was being urged for the position, We put our advocacy of MT Underwood upon the higher and broader ground that he is an American who belongs to no section, whose statesmanship is no. sectional, and whose purposes and aims are to advance the general good.
 His Environment
 | His position of itself eXplodes the theory that the tariff is a local is sue and his leadership has made it plain that the protective tariff is wrong in principle, wrong in practice. wcrng in results. Representing the largest manufacturing district in the south and one of the largest in the country, he has not hestated to ap- ,>t,- tI i'm k n "a p steel schedule and has thereby demon stra ted that the wishes and advantages of some of his strongest constituents must, in his estimation. be made to yield to the general good. When the people tired of the pretense and un- kept promises of the republican party, delivered the control of the lower House of Congress to the national dem ocracy, the democratic majority, by common consent. selected MT. Under wood to fill the commanding position of chairman of the ways and means committee. which is the most powerful committee in the House and thereby he became the leader of the party in Con cress Thus he became officially a most powerful political personality and he was chosen to this high office be- cause of his long and distinguished service in Congress and by democrats from the north. south. east and west. regardless of sectional consideration. Through that selection he became national character and he has main tained himself in that position with conspicuously brilliant success When, ! therefore, the national democracy has seen fit to place upon his head the emblem of nationality when he has served and Is serving in that high na- tional office by the consent of the peo- pie. speaking through their chosen rep resentatives: when he has demonstrated