Evening star., 1923-11-28

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candidate really is constitutes some
what disputed subject in editorial
circles today. This is due TO the
various recent addresses in Texas or
Senator Oscar W. Underwood. insist
ing that the democrats should name
him as their presidential candidate
because he is from the SOUTH coupled
with the contention that, after all
Underwood should not hold the center
| of the stage. For instance, there Is
the suggestion by certain editors that
William G.. McAdoo, who has been In
New York and Washington "on busl-
ness" rather fills the bill, while there
are others who feel Senator Joe
Robinson or pat" Harrison or Carter
Glass should be given at least look
in" However, the insistence of Mr..
Underwood on raising the issue OF
sectionalism once more has centered
attention on whether anything of that
sort really is good for the country.
Underwood says the south has not
| had a President In eighty years. says
the Detroit News Independently. Does
that mean that Mr.. Underwood doesn t
believe he can be elected before 1928?
Zachary Taylor. the last southern
President. was elected in 1S4S? We
now wait to hear from William q.
McAdoo of California. who can get
up and say that. while the south
hasn't had a President since the death
of President Taylor, California has
never had Il President at all. And
from Dearborn comes word that. since
Michigan has never had a President,
1t is high time that the popular light
ming strike In the vicinity of GER
tain tractor plant. For that matter.
Massachusetts has never had presi-
dent whose name began with q. q, SO
why not re-elect President Coolidge =?
The thing for Senator Underwood to
do is either to organize the repubii-
cans OF Alabama so as to make ii Il
doubtful state or else move to Ohio"
* x x X
'1t is not a question of section. but
of personality" insists the Baltimore
Sun (democratic), land Mr.. Under
woods candidacy must rest on his
own merits and not on sentimental
or historical considerations" If a
southerner. "why not Carter Glass?''
asks the Roanoke World-News Gnde-
pendent democratic), which proceeds
to point out, in detail. the various
qualifications of the senator from
Virginia. The Lynchburg News
(democratic), Mr.. Glass paper. how
ever, analyzing the problem of sec
tionaliSm insists it does not believe
that the situation can be hettered by
a policy of thruSting the south to the
center of the political stage, waving
the banner of sectionaliSm. trum-
peting sectional appeals and defiant
ly proclaiming that southerner
must be preferred at the hands of the
nation. by virtue of the fact that no
southerner since the civil war has
enjoyed that preference. Such 4
policy would do far more to stlmu,
late sectional animosities than tend
to hasten the growth or patriotic
Americanism throughout the nation,
and, in last analysis, inJure the inter-
ests of no class of people as much as
those living this side Of the Potomac.
"Mr Underwood is frank to the
border of rudeness," suggests the
Davenport Democrat GndependenD,
when he admits his candidacy and
his platform. This is embarraSslngiy
specified. What is any other candl-
date going TO do who would like to
be nominated. but who is SO accom-
,, modating that he cannot tell IN ad-
vance what he may think OF the cam
naign issues? There ought to be
some way of getting out an tnjunc-
tinn o against a candidate like Under
wood compelling him to limit his
speeches during 1928 to discussion n
Of foot ball and the Doll Weevll.
[[rsnrbiican1 ms agrees, "is straight and
candid: but it will not get as many
delegates as one of rBr BryanS mas cloud Htdr
qnion independent republican,,
however, feels the convention will
nive the contention a very respectful
Rearing. only if the. entire southern
deiegation agrees to stick for a
southern candidate.
X 4: X X
Senator Underwood's frank decla-
ration that he stand for rigid enforce
ment Of the prohibition law. etc. is
commended Rx the Memphis News