Arizona republican., 1913-10-27
Congressman from Alabama Is Asked to Withdraw from Senatorial Race In Opposition to Underwood, Whom President Needs.
EXECUTIVE IS
 UNDER OBLIGATION
Feels That In Working On Preparation of Under wood-Simmons Measure He Has Found at Least One Staunch Supporter.
Especial to The Republican, )

Especial to The Republican,
 WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 26.-By his request to Representative Clayton to keep out of the senatorial race Tn Alabama, President Wilson has shown that consistency is not always para mount consideration with him and that he will not permit it to be invoked to prevent him from action which he con siders necessary. The presidents in reference in the Alabama case pre- sents a number of interesting phases. Mr Clayton was the chief opponent of Representative Underwood, chairman of the ways and means committee in the house. MT. Underwood has worked in close harmony with the president in the preparation and passage of the Wilson Underwood tariff bill. It is natural that the president should feel under substantial obligation to MT. Underwood for the great service rend- cred in the house on the tariff It was MT. UnderWood's personal strength among his colleagues which on one or two occasions prevented the more rad ical democrats from amending the tar if bill in caucus in way that would have been decidedly displeasing to the president MT. Underwood has an nounced his candidacy for the senate and his presence in the upper house would undoubtedly be of material as sistance to the president. The fight over the currency bill has already dem onstrated that the presidents control in the senate is dangerously narrow. The addition of a strong man like Un- derwood to the democratic group in the
 
 heartedly in accord with the president will be of material assistance to the White House in pushing it's legislative program.
 In interfering thus in the Alabama situation, the president takes a course directly opposite to that he has fol- lowed in New Jersey. The complica tions of the New Jersey situation have resulted in numerous appeals to the White House for active assistance. It has been announced formally from the White House, however, on two or three occasions that both the president and his secretary would adhere strictly to a policy of hands off in the contest in their own state. The appeals to them for help have been based upon the ground that their position in the na- tionaI administration did not alter their status as citizens of New Jersey or deprive them of their right to take part in the politics of their own state. Other presidents have acted upon this but MT. Wilson has chosen in this case to take the ground that in his position as president of the whole country it is improper for him to in terfere in any one state.
 Consistent adhesion to this principle would. of course, have prevented the president from his interference in Ala bama. But the president has openly shown that he does not regard this kind of consistency as obligatory. There are not wanting suggestions in Washington that there is still an element of con sistency in the presidents action. but it is consistency to his own interest rather than to the principle of non-in reference in state politics.
 The New Jersey situation is so com plicated as to present a very puzzling proposition to the president and to make interference by him dangerous. MT. Wilson strongly supported Cover nor Fielder in his canvass for the dem Ccratic nomination. But once nomin- ated. Governor Fielder has given sev- eral indications of a Willingess to deal with the Smith Nugent faction, the bitterest enemies of the president. It was MT Wilson's fight against Smith and Nugent, the Old-lin bosses of the democratic machine in New Jersey, which gave him his chief prominence a candidate for the democratic pres idential nomination. Now, with Fiel- der. his nominee for the governorship, going back on him and trafficking with Smith and Nugent, the president is put in an extremely awkward position in his own state. This aWkWardness was emphasized by the overwhelming de- feat of the presidents candidate for the chairmanship of the democratic state committee of New Jersey and the election of the Smith Nugent can didate.
 The president faces a three angled problem. He can continue to support Fielder and thus be brought into work ing cooperation with his old antagon ists, the Smith-Nugent crowd, with it's obviously damaging results. Or he can repudiate Fielder, which would be the sincere and ghtforWard course, all though also involving him in very great difficulty. Or he can keep out aito (Continued on Page Six.)