The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-08
"A Combination of BIunders"


 In the forty-eight states that compose this commonwealth, the Democrats have less than dozen men who have been nationally mem tioned as presidential timber. Of this num- Der, Alabama has an outstanding son. A man recognized as Ia statesman oH the old school. There is no doubt but what Under wood would have been given a solid tlelega- elon to the national convention. Civic pride for the state would have caused his enemies to have allowed him this delegation. There would have been no serious opposition to the election of Underwood delegates in the coming primary Tn May. There are a num- per or men who do not admire Underwood personally. They would have laid aside this and voted for Underwood delegates from the simple fact 1t would have, in all probabilitv gwen Alabama its first President Under woods friends blundered. His friends in the legislature should have endorsed him as their choice for Alabama's candidate and ealIed if day. In the place of doing this sensible thing, they call freak primary and. barred everything out that was not an Alabamian. < The state executive committee---larsely Underwood-also blundered. They made the chairman of their committee vice chairman oI the Underwood campaign committee; a tnlng so foreign to Democratic principles that oid-time Democrats began to wonder what was next. As each step taken by Underwood's s friends was in the direction of usurping the power ef the ballot box, men who had fought Tor Democrattc principles all their lives and who would not have opposed Underwood dele gates m the regular primray, rose up and called a halt.
 Mpsgrove--seeihg an opening-put in an entering wedge. The majority of Alabama's Democrats, were up in arms. Civic pride said that Alabama should not be robbed of her opportunity to have the first southern man TOT Fresldent since sherman went through Georgia with a chunk of fire They had been robbed of their time-honored privilege of se lecting their delegates by the ballot box. in consequence of which, they began to 20 over to Musgrove. e0 O'e' s.
 This was hastened by Dinsmore's entrance lnto the race Dinsmore said he was for McAdOo. This caused many AIcAdoo friands to look with favor on Dinsmore They Ji5 not want either Underwood or NIusgrove McAdoo threw a monkey-wrench into Dins- mores stearing gear by wiring him that he could prove his friendship better by with drawing from the race Dinsmore did not withdraw He said AIcAdoO was ignorant of the true conditions in Alabama.
 McAdoo's friends began to see something and they sent out their labor leader friends to. tell the eock-eyed world that vote for D1nsmOre was vote for Underwood This caused stampede from Dinsmore to Mus grove 1t was here that the Musgrove parti- sans pulled their blunder. They had been sitting tight and taking every advantage of the other fellows blunders and bowling alone at winning clip. The AIusgrove adherents sent for that champion meddler-Bryan-an he came with his knife sharpened for Under- wood. Alabama has q pen filled with wild and woody politicians, statesmen and near statesmen. They do not need any outside in terference. The coming of Bryan began to prove boomerang to the AIusgr0ye interests Civic pride began wakeEinS up. Alabama was able to fight out her own family rows and needed no man from FlOrida-with a half dozen men heiwas booSting-io hdpsi and tell the Democrats where to head in.
 Underwoods colors began to rise. Ala bama had the opportunity to place man in nomination that would win both the nomi- nation and the presidency. Old grudges were laid aside. The greatest good for the