Show Presidential Possibilities 1 I By Frederic J. J Haskin It took a Democrat to say of Oscar W. W Underwood that he is the best Republican in the Democratic party and make a political bon mot that will be q quoted as long as Underwood is a presidential t ty In vaudeville they would class that as a dirty dig and it is that and more It is clever and it is just enough of a a truth near-truth almost to accomplish accomplish accomplish ac ac- its twofold purpose purpose to to tomake make the Alabama statesman writhe and to eliminate him from consideration consideration consideration consider consider- In connection with the C cy It happens however that Senator Underwood is not one of the writhing writhing writh writh- ing Ins kind C Cool ol deliberate able as he lie always is there is about as much chance of getting a rise out of him with that sort of thing as there is of oJ annoying old King Tut with present-day present Egyptian problems It happens also that it would take more than gibes at his conservatism conservatism conservatism to eliminate the senator from the list oC of presidential possibilities He must be reckoned with because he is one of the r really ally big men in his party and because of the record he has made during his long service in the house and sen sen- ate When he lie is out of the running it t will be because he has taken himself himself him- him seU self out or because another candidate candidate candidate candi candi- date has received the vote necessary to nominate the 1924 standard- standard bearer of the embattled hosts of ot Democracy Senator Underwood is not coy or flirtatious a about bou t the idea of seeking the presidential nomination When the subject was broached to him on the eve of his sailing salling for a three months' months sojourn abroad he said frankly that he had the matter under under under un un- der consideration He did not at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt to be evasive or ponderously humorous nor did he lie convey the impression impression impression im im- im- im that he lie wanted to be coaxed coaxed coaxed coax coax- ed into getting into the race His course will be determined upon after after after af af- ter mature deliberation and his decision decision decision de de- de- de will wilt be made known in ample time for his friends and supporters to get busy in ill an effective way That he will be an active aggressive aggressive- candidate candidate candidate can can- Is rather taken for granted by well-informed well political observers in Washington Handicapped as a n Southerner Like Republicans who hail halt from states west of the Mississippi l river Senator Underwood enters the contest contest contest con con- test for the presidency with a geo- geo handicap Precedents are against his party's going to the south for a man to head its national ticket The electoral votes of the states below the Mason l and Dixon line will go to the Democratic candidate candidate candidate candi candi- date no matter where he comes from and the party must have a nominee who will be strong in the debatable states of the north and east Hence the practice of giving the nomination to a man from one of those states Had Underwood but picked a northern city as the place to hang hangout hangout hangout out his shingle when he began the practice of law it is a fair fall assumption assumption assumption tion that he lie would have been president president president dent or at least his party's nominee for te to presidency before this year of grace The same ability the same personality and the same application application application ap ap- ap- ap and hard work that have carried him to eminence in Birmingham Birmingham ham would have taken him to the top tov anywhere and the north has produced comparatively few Democrats Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- in his time who could have really contested the party leadership with him matters of geography being being be be- ing equal But the senator Is southern absolutely absolutely ab ab- ab- ab and positively as Gallagher and Shean would say He was born in Kentucky and educated In Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia and Alabama is the state of his adoption In the time circumstances he might very well have developed Into the kind of southerner of whom it has been so often orten t told ld that he was old enough to vote before he knew that dam Yankee was more than one word That he J is not that kind is one of the reasons why he has hass hasso hasso s so many admirers and supporters outside the south and why his friends maintain so stoutly that he lie Is the man to knock precedents into a cocked hat and carry oil off the Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic presidential prize Just now they are saying that being being being be be- ing from Cram Alabama will be more than ever a hardship to Underwood because because because be be- cause of the Klan issue This is the answer to the contention that the religious issue eliminates Governor Al Smith or New York from serious consideration as the Democratic candidate It being argued that the Catholic democracy of New York Massachusetts and other northern and eastern states will not stand for fora a candidate who is even under suspicion of at having any sympathy with the klansmen It is not suggested that Senator Underwood Underwood Underwood Under Under- wood would be in any sense a Ku Ku- klux can candidate but the Ule point Is mode that it is his misfortune to come from the section where the klan flourishes Texas Contest Raises Issue This issue has been stirred up by the contest over the Texas which must be fought out in the next congress Sen Senator Senator- tor- tor elect Mayfield will wilt not be secure in his seat until the whole bitter controversy controversy controversy con con- has been aired and until the time Democratic senators most of whom are from the the- the south south have been forced to a vote which may label them as for or against the J klan lan The possibilities in such a situation situation situation situa situa- tion are almost unlimited and to say the least the prospect is neither an Inviting nor a pleasant one for fora a southerner who entertains White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House aspirations Indeed the case may maywell maywell maywell well prove to be as embarrassing emb to the the Democrats as the Newberry case was to the Republicans The latter have not forgotten that the Democrats Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- took ever every advantage of their opportunity to make capital out of the Newberry case ease and it goes without without without with with- out saying that they will not overlook overlook overlook over over- look U the e chance to turn t the tables One thing might happen that Senator Underwood s 's opponents are not counting on He might take a stand and make a fight in the Mayfield Mayfield Mayfield May- May field case that would add to his strength as a presidential candidate instead of weakening him The Am American rican people react favorably to courage and honesty of purpose in men in public life and Underwood has only to make sure that he is on the right side in the Texas contest and then fight for his Ills convictions with every ounce of strength there is in him to be reasonably certain of emerging from the affair with flying colors Of course the whole thing is very much up in the air at the present time and it Is impossible to say what will come of it Some way may be found to delay action in the Mayfield case until it Is too late to tomake tomake tomake make it an issue in the next presidential presidential presidential campaign and if U that could be done there are Republicans as aswell aswell well as Democrats who would sigh with relief Everybody is agreed that th this m matter of making the Ku Ku- klux x a political issue Is loaded with dynamite and every other known l kind of high explosive as well welt as some kinds that are not known To revert to Senator Underwood's I Democracy and th imputations upon It by the taunt about his being the best Republican in his party it is patent of course that it was a Democratic radical who said that The Alabama senator is a conserva conserva- tive Naturally the extremists do donot donot donot not like him Underwood's friends say they are quite satisfied with that alignment and they ask Who thinks a Democratic radical can carry carry carry car car- ry New York Massachusetts New Jersey Ohio Indiana Illinois and th the other pivotal states in the next election And anyone who speaks up and says he lee thinks so Is likely to be asked asked asked ask ask- ed forthwith to name the radical |