The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-06-08

Tense thereof. While thus calling at
tention to some of the easily apparent
weaknesses of his candidacy, it is not
intended to obscure the much good he
has accomplished To him is due
much of the strength of progressivism
in the country today. He has followed
faithfully so far as he has known how,
the advanced teachings of William
Jennings Bryan, and has marked time
in the long and often hard march to
the much-sought goal. Give him all
the credit to which he is entitled and
a better fit for the Speakers chair
with its abridged dimensions, would
be hard to find.
Mr.. Underwood, of Alabama, is one
of the unforeseen, silent, excellent de-
velopments or inducements which
politics occasionally pushes forth as
surprise to the geenral public. Two
years ago he was unknown in any
broad sense. He wasn't even sus-
pected. Yet today by virtue of solid,
dominating, compelling merit, he is
admittedly one of the most forceful and
genuinely valuable parliamentary lead
ers that the country has ever known.
In the very prime of life, in the happy
occupancy of splendid physical health,
clean-cut in person as in mind, of ir-
reproachable habits, cool, deliberate,
his every plan developed and matured
| far in advance of it's exploitation.
Suave and courteous but firm and
dignified, unspoiled by flattery and ut.
terly impervious to criticism and the
assaults of the opposition's leaders,
he is, take him all in all, the best floor
leader that any political party has had
during the memory of any living man.
Randall, Morrison, Mills, Wilson,
Clark, Garfield, Blaine, Schenck, Ste
vens, Read, Mckinley, Cannon, Mann
pass them all along in stately re-
view, noting their frailties at the time
of commencing their excellencies and
not one of Them in type or methods
or mannerisms or positive accomplish
ments measures to the standard Sc,
for party leadership by the Alabama
statesman. 1t is very likely that in
his hard studies along other lines, he
has not given sufficient thought to one
/ w inh hac IN nj
proportions-the matter of more di
rect rather than so-called representa-
| tive government Were he fully in
sympathy with public sentiment along
such lines, he would be today the idol
of American voters, / do not hest
tate to predict that in few years he
will come within the light of this new
old radiance and eventually receive
at the hands of the people the politi.
cal promotion that his closest friends
fondly desire for him. During the ex.
ira session Of 1911 and the regular
session which followed 1.-THE has held
and is holding, his party strongly in
hand and has put over legislation
which has confused and is bound to
rout his political opponents. This will
hardly be the year of his great advance
ment but it is as sure to come as that
aggressive merit cannot be subdued
During the past week, and more
| Governor Wilson has shown marvel
ously increased strength, and is at
this writing the most likely of the
many contestants for Baltimore's big
distinction. Certainly, should Mr.
Roosevelt be the Chicago nominee
there is none other so courteously
equipped and fittingly constructed tc
meet him on the campaigns heated
firing line as the Governor of New
Jersey. He is a speaker of great force
81 IL 4