Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-26
Oscar w. Underwood.

Oscar w. Underwood is dead ana the
country mourns. A great American of
great attachments, the former Senator
American life in the legislation which
he helped to frame. The country will
remember him as a statesman. To his
friends he has left the memory of n
kindly, courageous. dignifed gentleman.
It was with keen regret that his COL
leagues saw Senator Underwood retire
from active public life two years ago, at
the expiration of his second term in the
Senate. For twenty years in the House
of Representatives and for twelve years
in the Senate Mr.. Underwood had been
in the service of the country. He was
called to leadership by the Democrats
of the House when control of that body
passed during the Taft administration
from Republican hands to Democratic.
AS chairman of the House ways and
means committee he had charge Of the
Underwood-Sim tariff bill, which
was written into law after President
Wilson had entered the White House in
1918. Soon after Mr.. Underwood en-
tered the Senate the Democratic leader
Of that body, Senator Martin of
Virginia, died Notwithstanding the
fact that the Senator from Alabama
was a newcomer, his Democratic COL
leagues, recognizing his qualities of
leadership, picked him to succeed Sena-
tor Martin. To have held his party
leadership in both House and Senate is
q unique honor.
On three occasions Senator Under
wood was made a candidate by his
friends for the presidential nomination,
the first time in 1912, when he had be-
come leader Of the House Democrats.
The Underwood delegates stood with
their candidate for many ballots at the
Baltimore convention, in fact until the
nomination of Woodrow Wilson was
practically determined upon. In 1920.
and still again in 1924, Mr.. Underwoods
name was put forward for the presiden-
tial nomination. Rarely has any man
been as well qualified to hold the Office
of Chief Executive of the United States
But no Southern Democrat has been
nominated for President by his party
since the Civil War, owing to feeling
upon the part of Southern Democrats
themselves that there was little chance
Of his election. Had Mr. Underwood
been the choice of his party in 1912,
when the split came among the Repub-
licans supporting Taft on the one hand
and Roosevelt on the other, this belief
that a Southerner could not be elected
President might well have been dis
Sipated.
Kentucky was the State of Mr. I'm
derwoods birth. He was graduate of
the University of Virginia. But Ala
bama was his choice as residence
until after he had completed his public
service. In his retirement he chose to
live on an estate which he had pur-
chased in Virginia not far from Wash
ington. His retirement from the Sem
ate was voluntary, although it was
recognized by Mr.. Underwood that
there would have been a severe fight to
unhorse him had he sought election
again to the Senate because of his open
opposition to the Ku Klux Khan, which
had grown strong in his State, and be-
cause of his opposition to prohibition
A notable service by Mr.. Underwood
was his membership in the American
delegation to the Washington Confer
ence on Problems of the Pacific and the
Limitation of Armament. He was Sc
lected to serve his country at the con-
ference by the late President Harding,
although Mr.. Underwood was a Demo-
crat.
Mr.. Underwood was a Democrat of
the old school. He believed in the prin-
ciples of his party as enunciated by
Thomas Jefferson. Indeed, he was a
man Of principle rather than of poll
tics. America has lost a statesman.