The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-18
GORDON SPEAKS
 FOR UNDERWOOD

He lolioWlnS communication to the editor of the Atlanta Consti- tuition by R. c. Gordon, promi nent citizen of Savannah, Ga. and recently published in that news paper, will be of interest to Sena- tor Underwood's friends and ad mirers in Alabama and elsewhere:
 had just been elected a mem Der Of the Jeffersonian Society at the University of Virginia. and my friends assembled at West Range to escort me to the hall to be introduced to the members. We arrived little late and in the chair was Bill Trent, now Profes sor William Trent of Columbia. and on the floor was Oscar Under wood of Kentucky, engaged in running debate on parlia- mentary law with Randolph An derson of Georgia. We entered quietly and in a few minutes the chair announced that the debate on the tariff would be taken up. Wilson of West Virginia had just introduced a new tariff bill in the house of representatives at Wash ington. Carlisle was speaker and crowd of high tariff men. led by Randall of Pennsylvania, were endeavoring to defeat the bill or emasculate 1t to degree that no sort of lower revision in rates would prevail
 Oscar Underwood, a slim. pale faced young man, arose to speak In favor of the Wilson bill.
 For over half hour he held us spell bound with his clear and pointed elucidations of the merits of the new tariff measure. It was the best speech on the tariff I have ever heard and proved to us that this young man had studied his subject thoroughly and knew what he was talking about. As he sat down l asked to be intro- duced to him, and told him that no better speech had been made in congress than the one he had just delivered.
 Later in life, when I heard that Underwood was writing a tariff Dlli, l was not at all surprised, for from a boy he had mastered the subject and when he talked he knew what he was talking about, and always felt sure of himself. Then running debate occurred regarding the advisa- bility of nominating Tilden for the presidency in 1884. The vast majority were opposed to such an action, and in order to try out the new member, l was asked to express my views. l had been a guest of boy friend at Gov ernors Island in 1880 when Cen eral Hancock was nominated and was present at his house on the night of the election. l loved the good, handsome, lovable general. but had always believed that Til den should have been given an- other chance in 1880.
 He might not have been elected over Garfield, but it was only right that his party should have stood by him and attempted to give him his chance after the steal of 1876.
 I thereupon arose and made an impassioned speech favoring the recognition of the only Democrat who had been elected president since the war between the states. When l sat down, heated and nervous. Underwood crossed the aisle and said to me, "Gordon, you made a nice speech, but I am afraid that personal questions and feelings are thing of the past now. Industrial questions are up- permost at the moment and we must have issues now, not men. Those events happened over thirty years ago. and today this big thinker Is still trying to make practical living plan of taxation for the people of the nation. Un- derwood has given his all to the nation.
 He is a seasoned statesman of ability and stability. You never hear of his running about muck raking or posing as the dema- gogue.
 We people of the South have had many most eloquent orators ! and statesmen. but we have never had a more practical and sensible