The Washington herald., 1914-03-08
flight FOR TOGA
ON in ALABAMA
Senatorial Contest Between
Underwood and Hobson
In Full Swing.
ABSENTEEISM AN ISSUE
Majority Leader Remains on Job
Here. While Foe of Demon Rum"
Is Seldom Seen.
ABSENTEEISM AN ISSUE

Because Of the prominence of the candi-
dates and the bitterness OF the cam
paign, the attention Of the entire country
will be centered upon Alabama when the
State, in April next. sets about the job
of selecting q new Senator. Representa-
tive Oscar W. Underwood, majority
leader of the House and author Of the
tariff law. and Representative Richmond
p. Hobson. hero Of the Merrimac' and
one of the forceful debaters in the
House, are the opposing candidates
Each candidate Is running for the
Democratic nomination in the primary
elections. The primary will settle the
Senatorstip. for there is no chance for a
Republican candidate In Alabama. The
man who wins viii get full term of six
years; the man who loses will retire. at
least temporarily. from public life. as It
In impossible for Underwood and Hobson
to be candidates for their seats in the
House while they seek q place In the
upper body.
Different I'm Mature.
The two candidates are radically Diff
ferent in nature. Mr.. Underwood is a
sauve. calm. conservative legislator.
skilled in handling men and Possessing
such ability that he was considered for
the Presidential nomination in 1912. As
leader OF the Democratic majority in the
House. Underwood has welded the party
organization together in most effective
fashion. and he is popular on both sides
Of the chamber.
Hobson. an effective campaigner, is Of
opposite type He is impetuous, q rough
and-tumble debater, and a believer In na-
tion-vide prohibition, and woman suf-
frage. Hobson has never posed as a
leader in the House: in fact. he has often
been almost alone in his fights. He has
contended year after year for three and
four battleships, predicting trouble with
Japan and voting as he saw fit. regard
less Of how his colleagues voted. Now
he Is making an issue of woman suf-
frage. which Underwood thinks is a State
issue. and is trying to convert Alabama
to the theory that the Constitution
should be amended to provide universal
suffrage for women.
Fights s.Demon Rum"
Hobson is also insistent upon driving
the demon rum" from the United States
He Is the author Of half a dozen reso!u-
tons providing that it shall be unlawful
to manufacture, sell, or handle intoxicat-
ing liquors in the United States. He
expectation Of intoxicants
In their campaigning methods the two
men are adopting dissimilar courses
Hobson for several months past has peen
on the stump in Alabama and drops in
but occasionally upon the House of Rep
resentatives. He contends that the cleo
ton Of the right kind of a Senator Is
just as important to Alabama as the
presence Of her representatives upon the
floor Of Congress.
While Hobson has been away from his
place in the House. Underwood has re-
mained 'on the job" He has waged a
campaign by correspondence, refusing to
leave Washington on the theory that he
Is on the government pay roll as a mem
Der of the House and has not the right
to absent himself for days at time from
his present position.
Underwood Sticks on Job.
The controversy over "absenteeism' has
reached such a stage that several of the
Underwood papers in Alabama carry no.
tices like this on the front page of every
edition:
Where the candidates are today: IN
derwood in Washington attending to his
duties, for which he receives S. a day.
Hobson on the stump in Alabama and
not attending to his duties in Washing
ton. for which he receives SIS a day
An Underwood supporter. without the
leader. recently filed with the Sergeant
alarms of the House a protest that
Hobson ought to be docked for every
day he is away from his legislative du-
ties here. Underwood is understood not
to approve of this protest.
The Underwood-Hobson contest has
flared up on the floor a couple of times
upon Hobson's periodical appearance
there. Hobson. during the course Of
speeches on the liquor question. charged
that Underwood was q tool of the uqu1r
interests, and he also accused him OF
TO Wall Street. Underwood
vigorously resented the charges and up
braided Hobson for dragging the Ala
bams Senatorial campaign upon the floor
Of the House. a body which had nothing
to do with il.
Conflicting reports have come from Ala
bama as to the strength of the rival can
didates. One report is that despite I'm
derwood's prominence as majority leader
and his nationwide popularity. Hobson
has natural advantage because of his
prohibition views in a dry
State. Another report is that Underwood
will win easily, and that Hobson has lost
ground because he has not remained in
at his post Of duty.
Alabama has now but one Senator In
the upper branch OF Congress.