The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-30
ROBSON VOTED FOR
 TOLL EXEMPTION
Attacks on Underwood Are
 Inconsistent
LETTER FROM HARMON
House Leader Takes Present Stand on Party PlatfOrm-1ncident Is Not Worth Much Political
 Thunder" He Thinks

1uptdiu ilouSun S iudndEe1H are dlAdCk-
 ing Mir. Underwood for his position re-
 garding free tolls. Captain Hobson, when the matter of exemption for American vessels was up before, voted for exemption as did MT. Underwood, W. J Harmon, a local business man.
 writes the following letter to the editor
 of The Age Herald:
 T am sure that you have been read. ing the paid political advertisements in one of the evening papers of Bir-
 mingham, and have seen the many
 harsh things some warm hearted
 democrats have published regarding
 the House leader of the first demo-
 cratic House we have had In many years, who, as a man, and a democrat,
 has stood by the Wilson administra-
 tion and fought for party principles
 and party pledges.
 Tor the past few issues there have
 appeared publications which any fair
 minded man will brand as the most
 unfair accusations, and will decide as I have-that politicians who are so in- l considerate of a worthy man, should be rebuked by the true democrats, who
 are members of the same party. that they claim to be members of. In
 Saturdays issue of the paper referred
 to, which paper has no Sunday edition.
 MT. Underwood Is attacked by these democrats. who are apparently very
 much interested in the success of one
 MT. Hobson. They have assailed MT 1 Underwood for the stand he has taken on the 'Panam toll bill and try to make it appear that MT. Underwood is not
 in favor of MT. Wilson's policies. I am exceedingly anxious to know-from the publishers of these artieles-how their
 candidate voted on this question when il came up-in the last Congress.
 HObsOn Votes With Underwood "If they do not know, l can tell them that he voted as MT. Underwood did--furthermore, MT. Underwood's po- sition is indorsed by the democratic party at its national convention at Bal l timore, and is one of the leading blanks in our platform. It is also in- dorsed by the republican and progress l sive parties-so if MT Hobson Is q ldemocrat-how does he stand? If he | Is in sympathy with either of the three parties he Is bound by his oath to sustain the platform The
 fight to come up as regards the | toll bill is just difference of opin-
 ion--for there are democrats. progress sives and republicans fighting with
 MT. Underwood to let the toll bill stand | as 1t Is written. Because two great
 men differ In opinion on one issue. | which is very broad. is by no means Q | sign that they are at outs" Con | sidering the experience that the House l leader has had. and his knowledge of l laws. treaties. etc, why should it not | be taken for granted that his judg ment, and opinion is just as good, just as clear and sympathetic to the admin istration as the Presidents are, and in- | asmuch the speaker of the House, who Is another man of experience and knowledge, and a genuine democrat | Is in favor of the bill standing. why not measure these two men with our able President? MT. Underwood has his reasons which are by no means selfish. for sustaining the platform of his party. He could not afford to play false to his supporters and admirers on l the eve of an election which will send
 him to a higher place in the legisla- tive halls at Washington MT. Wilson, a few weeks ago, dined Mir. Under wood. showing his appreciation for MT. Underwoods good work done Tn | Congress. which has aided MT. Wilson | very materially in furthering his sue cessful administration--then why | jump on MT. Underwood because he | is sustaining his oath to support his
 party's platform, while the President. deesires to repeal the action of the
 democratic national convention at Bal | timore? It is purely matter of diff ference of opinion. and 1t not worth much for political thunder.
 Question of Qualifications
 | Mir. Underwood believes that if We | concede that we cannot give our ships | free tolls in passing through the car nal, we must concedo under the same arguments that we cannot fortify the canal in time of war If this be true. and we are bound to believe it Is l true, then why censure our great Ala I bamian for his conscientious stand? !? We all know that free commerce Is a | democratic principle. We have va rious waterways open for which no charges are made for boats passing lthrough-so why charge in the Panama
 waterway case? The Panama canal be . longs to us. The land surrounding it l belongs to us. We acquired sovereign | ty of the soil--it is ours Why not 1 be the ones to say, Who's Who, and why?" in this great ditch" of ours ? Should farmer build a private high
 way through his own land would he l not have a right to tax others, who /, did not contribute one cent toward the | cost of building the highway, and should they want to go through free? i Would this same farmer tax his own conveyances for the use of his high way? Regardless of the close feeling | he might have for his neighbor. and regardless of other transactions he may have had with them. he. as owner of his own highway. has a right to charge ] tolls or keep them off. unless 1t was