The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-28
THE BIRMINGHAM AGEsIERAID WEDNESDAY, APRn. 28 1920

left Washington without having officially indicated his choice between the candi4 dates. This was followed by the action of senator Owen of Oklahoma, support ing Hitchcock, in refusing to abide by the unsportslnanlike instructions of his chief He paired himself with Senator Smith of Arizona the absent supporter of Under wood
 These facts were known in the Under wood camp. but unknown in the Hitch cock camp. The Underwood followers had still another play to counteract the Hitchcock advantage in the event Sena- tor Smith of Georgia should cast his ballot for the Nebraskan. They intended to present Senator-elect Glass of Virginia. who at that time had been appointed to the Senate but had not taken the oath of office. Senator Glass agreed to re- port and vote, provided he was invited.
 All precedents gave him the right to participate in a party caucus. The eau GUS the following morning, by formal vote in majority of one Senator Hitch- cock again proving unable to hold his men in linel invited Senator Glass to participate. But following that vote there was more or less grumbling on the part of Hitchcock's men, and Senator Under wood announced that for fear of party uiSNVAu ut WOulu nOt HlSlSL Jf1at CeHdiOT Glass participate, although the causus had agreed that he should. By that speech, |NSenator Underwood, it was known in ad- vance. had voluntarily yielded the leader ship and throw the caucus into dead lock
 The vote was ordered. Every man voted as it was known he would vote until the name of Senator Smith of Georgia was reached. That senator declined to answer to his name. It was called again. Again he declined to answer The roll call pro- ceeded. The result was a tie-2S to 23.
 Between the first and second roll calls, the late Senator Bankhead of Alabama, reminded Senator Smith of Georgia that Senator Underwood was his neighbor, that he was a southerner. that Hitchcock had based his fight on the contention that the south should not be put in the saddle on the eve of an election, and that 1t was unquestionably true that Georgia, the state, preferred Underwood to Hitch- cock or any other man. But smith of Georgia couldn't make up his mind. On the second roll call he refused to an- swer, and the great mystery, even unto this day, is why be refused. 1t is known that both candidates had been under the impression that Smith was ''all right although it is not said that he had for mally and unequivocally pledged himself to either.
 Fellow ing the second roll call, Senator Mcl<ellar of Tennessee. supporting Sena- tor Underwood, approached Senator Smith of Georgia. He asked Senator Smith of Georgia if it would be offensive to him were the caucus to be requested forn ally to call on Senator Smith of Georgia to vote and break the tie Sen ator Smith of Georgia replied that il would be offensive, and Senator Nickel lar abandoned his plan as fruttless. Following the caucus, it was agreed that another caucus should not be called until both Senator Underwood and Sena- tor Hitchcock agreed, The race depended on which man could hold his line in- tact, and win Smith of Georgia. Senator Johnson of South Dakota returned and declared that he would attend the next caucus and support Senator Hitchcock But Senator Glass had taken the oath and he was a supporter of Underwood Thus the deadlock was unchanged.
 Under the pressure. the Underwood column stood steadfast. The Hitchcock column repeatedly trembled. then cracked then broke. The great break occurred when the Anti-Saloon League of America issued formal statement that Senator Hitchcock should be beaten for President and for minority leader because he ad vocated amendments to the prohibition cooe legalizing the sale of beer and wine Senator Sheppard of Texas, author ot the eighteenth amendment to the consti sution, immediately declared that he could not longer support Hitchcock because ir his attitude he was an opponent of the constitution of the United States. He did not promise to support Underwood but hts alienation from Hitchcock was sufficient to make Underwood's eiectior certain.
 And tfere came rumor that Senator Owen could no longer support Hitch cock. For William Jennings Bryan had indorsed Owen for the presidency, and William Jennings Bryan's arch enemy was Hitchcock. There is no question but that Owen would not have supported Hitchcock. It happened therefore, that MT. Bryan and the Anti-Saloon League the tool of either of whom Senator Un- derwood had refused to become, and both of whom regarded Senator Underwood as ar enemy, SO conducted themselves in the crisis as to play the part of sincere friends.
 It was. in consequence of the foregoing, certain that Underwood would be elected It was reported that Hitchcock would retire from the race This, on Friday afternoon, he did and so announced, ask ing in lieu of the leadership the reten- ton of his present rank as vice chairman of the caucus. And this morning the long fight came to an end-the long and sensational fight in which the south was pitted against the west, and in which both struggled for the east and the vacillating members of the opposing fol- lowing.
 Senator Smith of Georgia, in the orig inal caucus, 8 monument Of vacillation and indecision. United States senator unable to speak his mind, played that role to the end. His reason, and the object he sought to conserve, constitute an interesting but not mystery of vital