Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-25

in 1911. Prior to his recognition as
the floor chief, leadership had been
dictatorship under Reed, Henderson
and Cannon. A small group had
reigned supreme and those who
failed to do their bidding quickly
felt the lash.
Commanding an almosy unwieicy
majority, Underwood found himself
faced with q difficult task. His first
concern was the writing Of a new
tariff act, a subject to which he
had devoted years Of study. He
wrote a measure which he declared
was true to the principles Of
democracy"
President Taft vetoed that bill in
the late summer Of 1911 and when
the democrats were returned to full
control Of all functions OF the gov
eminent in 1918. the bill was re-
written and signed BIZ President
Wilson.
Under the Underwood leadership
were enacted also the Federal Re-
serve Act. the Farm Loan Act, the
clayton Antitrust Act and all the
otners IN the long list OF legislation
that went to the statute books dur
ing the first four, or peace years"
OF the Wilson administration.
Held Forces in Line
Despite the tremendous drive that
was made against the federal re-
serve act, Underwood kept mis- forces
solidly In line on that issue, n feat
which up TO that time had been al
most without precedent
his service in the senate was lit
tie less conspicuous. He had early
appointment 10 the appropriations
committee, and, owing to the illness
Of Senator Martin, he had charge OF
many OF the enormous war appro-
priation bills. Tax legislation also
felt the influence OF his guiding
hand in the days when the nation
was bearing an unheard Of burden
IN order to defray much Of the war
cost in q single generation.
In the period Immediately follow
ing the war the democrats lost con
troll Of congress and Senator Unde--
woods opportunity for the directing
or constructive work came 70 an
end. Always fair ever to the Bit
terest Of his political opponents, his
friends declared that he had a nat
ural distaste for holding continuous
ly a critical attitude toward all the
works and ways Of the opposing
party, which is an essential part OF
minority leadership.
This was one Of the reasons why
he did not offer for reelection as
minority leader in 1922. II, perhaps,
also was due to this recognized trait
that President Harding turned 70
him in seeking a democratic mem
Der Of the Washington arms con-
ference. The president and Mr.
Underwood had been close personal
friends in the senate and in 1921
Mr.. Harding made a trip to Alabama
TO speak in praise of the -nator be-
fore the "home folks"
Mr.. Harding and the senator had
differed directly, however, on the
league of nations issue. The Ala
bama senator consistently opposed
reservations 10 the Treaty of Yer
sailles and just before the final vote
by which the treaty was rejected he
proposed that the issue be left 10
the voters in 1920. Senator Harding
accepted that challenge and the
league became one Of the chief is
sues in the campaign in which
Harding was sent to the White
House.
Remains a Power
AS q member Of the arms confer
ence. Senator Underwood sat on the
committee on far eastern affairs and
his assistance proved Of enormous
value in the working out Of the
Chinese customs question.
Naturally, he found himself in
ate colleagues on the democratic side
when the treaties which grew out
Of the conference came up for ratifi-
cation.
After relinquishing his party lead
ership, Senator Underwood remained
a power in the party councils. He
was a leader in the fight against
the Fordney-McCumber tariff act,
which in 1922 supplanted the law
bearing his own name. lie was
prominent also in the opposition TO
the soldiers bonus and conducted n
long fight for the leasing Of Muscle
Shoals.
While he had refrained from
seeking the presidential nomination
in 1920. the Alabama senator was
one of those early in the field in
1924. Although he had assisted in
the work of the arms conference, he
freely assaulted what he termed the
lack of a foreign policy by the re-
publican administration. He de-
clared that it was o necessary for
the United States to become part
ners in either peace or war in Eur
ope in order 10 have a policy look
ing 10 the ultimate peace of the
world.
Denied Nomination
The Ku Klux Khan, which had