The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-02
President Is to Give Dinner in Homer of the Great
 House Leader
HOBSON'S CHARGES
 AGAIN FALL FLAT
Has Been Calling Underwood Reac.
 tiOnary Who Was Not in Sym pathy With President Wilson's Policies
BY HUGH W. ROBERTS

become the fastidious pastime of the gal lant captain.
 Industriously he has disseminated poison to the effect that Mir Underwood, his opponent, was not in accord with the pol icies of the present administration, that
 his opponent was a reactionary. while MT. Wilson was a progressive. And now 1t comes to pass that MT. Will son in recognition of the magnificent eff forts made by MT. Underwood in behalf of progressive legislation, and in appre- l ciation of the faithfulness to duty and benefcent accomplishments of the great
 Alabamiant is preparing to spread a feast in his honor.
 It is evident that if Mr. Underwood is reactionary, MT. Wilson is a reaction ary for it unquestionably follows that MT. Underwood and Mir. Wilson are in
 accord. Another deduction is equally as
 patent If the captain does not appre- l ciate the work of MT. Underwood-if he attributes sinister motive to MT. Un- derwood-the captain does not appreciate the work of MT. Wilson, and attributes
 sinister motive to MT. Wilson. If uobson does not stand with Under
 wood on public questions of the day, he does not stand with Wilson.
 As matter of fact, MT Underwood and MT. Wilson are in accord on practically every public question.
 They believe that woman suffrage is a
 subject for the states to contend with. Neither has marched down Pennsyl-
 vania avenue with vote seeking women-
 and women among whom were some with
 African ancestors.
 They believe that prohibition is a
 problem for the states to settle, and that 1t is entirely out of place as a football
 for the sport of politicians. Neither has schemed to ride into fat office so pal
 pablo a band wagon"
 They believe that the government or
 the fathers in providing for representa-
 ton of states in national convention on
 basis of population was a wise govern
 ment. Neither has urged the direct cleo ton of Presidents and vice presidents carrying with it the loss of power on the part of southern states. or the distasteful alternative of permitting women-of all colors, to vote, and negroes. They believe In tariff for revenue only. Neither has professed to be a moderate protectionist," and neither has voted with Payne. and Dalzell and Can non to maintain republican tariff on lumber. They both believe and practice the principles of democracy. Neither has professed in general terms principles of
 democracy and exploited federalistic ideas.
 From standpoint of practical politics if from no other standpoint-the captain erred when he endeavored to make the people of Alabama believe that the Presi- dent of the United States looked with sus- picion on the greatest son of Alabama For in the beginning, the people had reasonable ground to doubt and there was every indication that before the end they would either inform themselves or be
 informed. beyond peradventure. The people of Alabama love man who fights hard. But they do not readily em- brace a politician, who while seeking of flee, endeavors to tear down the charac- ter and destroy the good name of the man
 who stands in the pathway of his ambi- ton.
 So the captain erred. In the beginning
 he was doomed, but there were many who
 believed that he would eventually "come back" Those are now beginning to
 doubt.
 The desperation of the captains strug-
 gle is excellently exemplified in his effort
 to call to his assistance the amiable sen | hope of creating thunder" for his own
 campaign, introduced a demagogic bin in the Senate, wiping out the cotton ex- changes good and bad within the bor- ders of the United States; MT. Clark, that remarkably astute statesman who in an effort to kill the rat, would burn down the barn.
 It happened that MT. Underwood intro duced a substitute to the Clark bill which resulted in the failure of that bill. Whereupon Mr. Clark went home and told the people that but for the "trickery of MT Underwood. their cotton would be worth more today than yesterday, and MT. Hobson. came to Alabama, fervently breathing direct quotations from the lips of the aforementioned senator. hoping thereby to insinuate himself into com fortable chair of the Senate chamber. And then the truth came out. In the first place, 1t is generally recog-
 nized in Washington that Senator Clark was endeavoring to build political fence for himself-that he had little hope of put ting his bill of expediency through the Congress.
 In the second place, it became known that Senator Clark is one of those reac- tionaries concerning whom with terrible frown and half-closed eye, the captain Is fond of consigning to regions of the tepid zone. For Senator Clark was the only democrat in the upper house who opposed that progressive conservative measure providing for the election of senators by the sovereign people of the states. And in the third place, it became known that that little substitute which Un- derwood introduced came cut of the hands not of the sinister interests. not of Wall street. not of predatory wealth, not of the liquor forces-but of the President of the United States!