The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-22

about what was about to happen, "and I hope it is true"
 And" added Senator Underwood
 they had better hurry up with that letter, for the bonus bill is on third base, Babe Ruth is at the bat, and there are no outs"
 An hour later Senator Frelinghuy- sen read the letter that was the. be-
 ginning of the end of the bonus bill
 The next day President Harding, realizing the seriousness of the sit uation came to the Senate himself and conferred with senators in the Pres idents room in the Senate wing.
 sustains President on Bonus
 One of the first senators the Pres ident sent for was MT. Underwood
 For long time they were in earnest conver sation. What was said neither subsequently, disclosed. But when the President a few days later ap- peared in person before the Senate and urged deferment. Senator Under wood led the minority that voted with a majority of the republicans to sus- tam the position of the President and send the bill back to the commit tee on finance. where the indica- tions are it will remain for a long time to come
 Another instance that is recalled of the friendship of these two leaders of opposite political affiliations is that. after MT. Harding was electe u the presidency, 1t became necessary for the President-elect to protect his vote in the Senate. At that time the
 republican majority was only two votes, and MT Harding either had to occupy his seat or else find some democrat who would pair with him. and in that way maintain the slender republican margin or votes. Early in December MT. Harding came to Washington, and one of hiS first acts was to visit his old pair and friend, Senator Underwood and the latter promptly agreed to protect the then
 next President until his successor was named by the governor of Ohio.
 That same day the President deliv- cred his farewell address to his col leagues in the Senate, and subse. quently visited the Senate press gal lery to pay a similar honor to thu correspondents who had been hiA friends during his active membership of the Senate.
 T want you boys to do something for me-" said MT. Harding to the newspaper men who were crowded about him. and I will appreciate it very much. I forgot to say some thing in my speech in the Senate this afternoon that I greatly regret l intended to express my gratitude to Senator Underwood for his gracious ness in agreeing to protect my vote until my successor is named some weeks hence. It was fine thing on the part of Underwood, and 1t was my intention to express my thanks in public before the Senate. But there were a great many things l wanted osay and did not, and this was one. So, will you please say 1t in your pa. pers tomorrow?"
 Of course. the correspondents did as Mir. Harding requested. It was just another little proof of the friendship of the two men.
 The fact that Senator Underwood is the warm friend of President Hard ing does not mean that Mr. Under wood is a Harding democrat, or that he has recanted one iota in his in tense loyalty to the democratic party. The President and MT. Underwood are as far apart as two men could well be on many great questions, among them the tariff and the manner of making peace with the former cen tral powers. Underwood has. no faith in the so-called emergency tariff which he considers class legislation that will get nowhere and which is intended, In his opinion, to fool tho farmers of the country And he will oppose to the last the new permanent tariff that is coming from the com mittee on finance to supplant the tar if law that bears his own name. Underwood as Critic
 Senator Underwood was unalter- ably opposed to making a separate peace with Germany. and the most | scathing arraignment of the Knox resolution that was delivered in the | Senate was the, utterance of MT. Un- 1 derwood. That resolution, he held, was an insult to the memory of every | American boy who died in France, | and he said so not once, but many times, upon the floor of the Senate. l. But Underwood fights fair. The writer in conversation with republic an senators has always been i'm pressed with the unanimity of the for the leader of the democratic mi- nority.
 Underwood. these republican sena- tors will tell you, is one of the ablest men in public life, and generally the senator who is talking to you about Underwood will add that he is the fairest fighter in Congress, and for that reason the hardest to defeat. And because he does flight fair' is another of the many reasons for President Harding's warm friendship for Senator Underwood
 Senator Underwood has stated many times since the election in pub 1 lie speeches and in private converse Al titled to a fair chance to put it's pol 1 icies into effect. In his opinion, and he has so expressed himself In his home state of Alabama, the demo cratic minority should not indulge in