Evening star., 1925-07-13
Underwood Retirement Bic
Loss to the Conservatives

Oscar ". Underwood's announce
ment that he will not seek reelection
to the Senate has drawn countrywide
appreciations of the Alabama leader,
who, for a generation, has been an
outstanding figure in public life. His
ability as legislator and statesman,
his courage and patriotism are ac-
claimed, even by most of his critics
who believe, as the Roanoke World
News expresses it, that 'he fell out
of step" with the Democratic party.
The Birmingham News, in the Sen
ator's home State, laments the pass
ing of the day when the South sent
to Washington "the real brains and
courage and intellectual honesty" of
its manhood. THE spirits of those
giants of old still stalk about the
Capitol" says The News, "and their
ghostly voices can almost be heard at
times in protest against the lesser
ones who sit in the chairs they once
occupied and sound feeble messages
to a new generation. Alabama fur
nished more than it's quota to that
coterie of brilliant statesmen. Ala
bama sent its greatest sons to the
Senate, there to dignity and honor
the name of the State. The voice of
Alabama was heard in the land. and
men gave ear to that voice. With the
passes" Loss to the country is en-
phasized by the Utica Observer-Dis-
patch. mo member of Congress has
ever been more faithful or more de.
voted to the interest of the country
as whole than Oscar W. Under
wood the Utica paper declares
For 90 years he was a member of
the House, and he was never con-
nected with any legislation that was
not reasonable and honorable. Ten
years ago Mr.. Underwood was ele-
waited to the Senate, and in that
branch he has pursued the same even,
temperate, wise and far-reaching
course"
The Montgomery Advertiser pays
this tribute: He has won distinction
over continued opposition. He has
proved that opposition brings out the
best that is in a man. He never
flickered in the face of demands by
before the winds of changing political
sentiment"
The Springfield Republican thinks,
at has in reality been largely be-
cause of the prestige that he had al
ready gained before he entered the
Senate" that he has probably come
to be the leading figure on the Demo
cratic side, in public estimation" !"
The Republican adds: Conditions
which, for the most part, have been
beyond his control, have made it i'm
possible for him to duplicate in the
Senate the success of his leadership
in the House.
"It is safe to assume" according
to the Dayton News, that Mr., Under
wood left the lower branch of Con-
gress with regret, and that he was
never quite so happy in his new field
of endeavor. He is conservative,
but nevertheless he served a useful
purpose in the counsels of his party
and of the country. Too many con-
servatives would spoil the voyage,
but a sensible conservative of the
type of Underwood helps to keep the
ship of state on an even keel" The
New York Evening Worlds estimate
is that che has won a place in his
tory as the author of one of the
precious few tariff acts of more than
half century that represent an hon
est effort at a fair measure into which
privilege, bartering and corruption
did not enter"
Now It is explained is the title
of an editorial in the Wichita Beacon,
which remarks that Senator Under