The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-22
THE LOGIC OF IT.

THE LOGIC OF 1T.
 Our contemporary, the Evening News, is of the opinion that "the morale of a force can be shattered by constant insinuations that they are outnumbered;l that the antagonists are strongly entrenched," the Evening News giving expression to this senti- ment in connection with the candidacy of Senator Underwood for the presi- dential nomination, and at the same time alleging that the opinions of those who conceive it to be the best policy not to antagonize the sup porters of other Democratic candi- dates is indication of lack of loyalty to the cause of Senator Underwood.
 On that hypothesis, and in accord with the opinion of the Evening News, that newspaper injured Senator un- derwood in Alabama when in it's edi- ton of last Sunday it gave space to three or four-column article by one of the famous political writers of America, an article forming the basis of The Age-Herald comment which the News now editorially seeks to resent. This writer was MT. Mark Sullivan who, among other things, said in the News that, with the exception of Ala bama, Mississippi, Florida and possibly Kentucky and Tennessee. "In practi- oally all other Southern and border states the friends of McAdoo seem more intrenched in power and more capable of naming McAdoo delegates than the friends of Underworld" that "at the present writing MT. McAdoo seems destined to get the bulk of the delegates from west of the Mississippi river;" that flor the present it is a case of McAdoo against the field" that "the present struggle between Underwood and McAdoo is being car ried on chiefly in the Southern states. This being so, it will follow almost in- evitably that the Underwood delegates, after they have stood by their candi- date as long as he seems to have any reasonable chance to win, will tend to turn to McAdoo, and vice versa if the situation should be turned around" With the view last ex- pressed The Age-Herald voiced agree ment.
 But we disagree with the News that the article they published harms MT. Underwood. We believe quite the contrary, if the logic of MT. Sullivan's article as published in the News is fol lowed. Logic would clearly seem 70 favor effort on the part of Senator Underwood's friends to conciliate, not alienate, the large number of dele gates which MT. Sullivan's article in the News credits to MT. McAdoo.
 The national convention will have 1904 votes. Under the two-thirds rule it only takes one more than one third of the votes to block the nomina- tion of any candidate. Therefore, 365 votes are potentially enough to do this. The article published in the Evening News credits MT. McAdoo with having assured to him at that writing 450 votes, or eighty-five more than the number necessary to block the nomination of any candidate to whom the McAdoo supporters are hostile.
 Which is the better policy then to serve the cause of Mir. Underwood? To antagonize enough votes to block his nomination, or to conciliate those who, if the News article is true, will hold the balance of power through veto? Yet with these facts, obvious and easily discernible, Aend with an authority the News recognizes as be- ing authentic through the very fact that it published it, our evening con temporary is insistent that those who do not agree with it's conclusions are in fact possessed of motives much be- low those high ideals which the News modestly admits possess it.
 Perhaps the old familiar expression, "Save us from our loving friends" might we'll be the sentiment reposing in the breast of the one whose politi- cal interests the News pretends to serve. For MT. Underwood is run ming for the nomination and not for newspaper soft soap.
 
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