Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 182, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1911 — COLONEL BRYAN REBUKED BY DEMOCRATIC LEADER. [ARTICLE]

COLONEL BRYAN REBUKED BY DEMOCRATIC LEADER.

Denounces Commoner far Criticising . HR Pesfttea ea Extension *f Tariff Revision Program. Washington, Aug. 2.—Standing upon chairs, waving handkerchiefs and yelling at the tope of their voices, democratic representatives today acclaimed Representative Oscar W. 'Underwood/ of Alabama, democratic leader of the house, when he fired a verbal broadside at William Jennings Bryan for criticising his position on extension of the tariff revision program. It was the most remarkable scene in the house since the beginning of the extra session of congress.

Excoriating the three times candidate of the Democratic party for presidential honors, Leader Underwood denounced Mr. Bryan’s statements as false, defended his (Underwood’s) attitude as to revision of the iron and steel tariff schedules, and said Bryan had placed upon every democratic member implications unfounded in fact. He called on bis democratic collegues of the ways and means committee for corroboration of his attitude in committee and caucus. Mr. Underwood was backed up-in a similarly striking speech by Representative Kitchin, of North Carolina, long a devoted friend of Mr. Bryan. Mr. Kitchin expressed surprise that any democrat should so malign Mr. Underwood and the party. Through all this arraignment not a voice was raised in defense of Bryap.

It all came about from a published interview which purported to be “authorized” by Mr, Bryan, declaring it was time Democratic Leader Underwood was “unmasked.” “The action of Chairman Underwood in opposing an immediate effort to reduce the iron and steel schedule reveals the real Underwood,” - said the Bryan interview. “Speaker Clark and other tariff reformers tried to secure the passage of a resolution instructing the ways and means committee to take up other schedules, including the iron and steel schedule, but Underwood and Fitzgerald, tbe Fitzgerald who saved Cannon in the last congress, succeeded in defeating the resolution.”

The house listened intently as the entire interview was read from the clerk’s desk, Republicans applauded it. Word of the answer that Underwood was to make to Bryan has been passed Among democrats and almost a filll membership on the democratic side greeted the tariff leader. Cheers and applause greeted him as he arose to speak.

As the clerk finished reading the Bryan interview, Mr. Underwood in calm and even tones, opened the vials of his wrath. If Underwood’s attack was remarkable for its bitterness and vigor, it was not more so than the general applause which greeted his sarcastic references to the Nebraska leader, and his specific and complete denials of the charges made by Bryan.

Mr. Kitchin confirmed Mr. Underwood’s statements in every respect and declared that Mr. Bryan had launched his criticism without having any specific information as to what the caucus had done.

“Mr. Bryan is not responsible," said Mr. Kitchin, amid great laughter from the republicans, “for he was not in our caucus; he must have got his information from somebody, and he was the most badly Informed man in the world.”