Gov. Wilson Pleased With Underwood.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 17, 1912:
And the House Leader Is the Governor's Friend at Sight— Great Man, He Says.
LUNCH LIKE COLLEGE CHUMS
They Meet In Trenton and Motor Out to the Country to Discuss a Plan of Campaign.
Special to The New York Times.
    SEA GIRT, N. J., July 16.— Gov. Woodrow Wilson met Oscar W. Underwood at Trenton this morning, and was entirely captivated by him. The two grasped hands with a cordiality that neither tried to hold in reserve. Then they patted each other on the back and held each other off at arm's length while they looked each other over for fully a minute.
    The two met without an introduction, and after first greetings they walked away arm in arm for a long and confidential talk. They had an automobile ride, a luncheon for two at a country club near Trenton, and a spin back to the State House, where Gov. Wilson bade his recent rival for the Democratic Presidential nomination a reluctant farewell.
    When he was asked later what the conversation with Mr. Underwood was all about Gov. Wilson replied that it was all about nothing in particular, and was, in fact, just such a conversation as old friends who had known each other for a great many years might indulge in. Actually Gov. Wilson and Mr. Underwood had never met until they shook hands in the Governor's room at the New Jersey State House. But Mr. Underwood had been viewing recent political problems as a live young man. He had gone to the University of Virginia less than a year after Gov. Wilson had completed his law course there, and he had followed closely along the path of Gov. Wilson in his treatment of public questions.
    The meeting came about as the result of an invitation written by Gov. Wilson by hand one night after all of his secretaries had retired and the clock was pointing well along toward morning. It was on a night when thousands of congratulatory messages were coming in.
    The meeting happened to be in Trenton instead of at Sea Girt, because Tuesday is
State Day in Jersey in the Summer time, and the Governor's associates in the Government expect him to be at the Capitol.
    Gov. Wilson went to Trenton from Sea Girt by automobile. On Sunday he had enjoyed a day of complete rest, he had slept late On Monday and had seen few visitors, and so this morning he was in the most buoyant mood he has shown since the flood of correspondence and political visitors bore down upon him at the close of the Baltimore Convention.
    Lieut. Gov. Thomas P. Conway of New York, an original Wilson man, was waiting to see Gov. Wilson in Trenton to talk over the New York State situation. After Mr. Conway departed, Hope H. Barroll of Maryland brought in his son to be introduced, explaining as he did so that the son, Wethrod, was President of the Woodrow Wilson Club of Johns Hopkins University. Two old-time political bosses of Pennsylvania followed the Maryland visitors. They were Thomas J. Ryan and Charles F. Donnelly of Philadelphia. Gov. Wilson was listening to them when Walter Measday, one of the private secretaries, walked in to say that a visitor was in the next room waiting to see him.
    Through an open door Gov. Wilson looked up and caught sight of Oscar Underwood.
    When the Governor turned to conclude his interrupted conference with the men from Pennsylvania preparatory to going to luncheon, there was a general rush of State officials for Underwood. They shook his hand, slapped him on the back, and told him he was the finest man they had seen in Jersey in many a day.
    Cheers followed Underwood and the Governor as they walked out of the State House and drove away toward the Mercer County Country Club. There was no private dining room, but by common consent club members refrained from entering the dining room while the Governor and his guest were there.
    The two men supped like old college chums. They laughed every little while with a heartiness that suggested that Governor Wilson was reciting limericks. The list of States specifically considered with regard to local conditions and set down as good campaigning grounds included Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North and South Dakota, Maryland, and practically all the New England States.
    On their return to the capital Mr. Underwood immediately surrendered to a group of reporters.
    "As to what occurred at the luncheon," he said, "you will have to ask Gov. Wilson. You see, we have a rule in Washington that any one who interviews the President must never tell what occurs— leaving all public reference to the matter to the President. I consider that I have been interviewing the next President and that our rule holds for him as strongly as for the present incumbent of the White House."
    "What do you think of Wilson as a leader?" some one asked, and Mr. Underwood immediately began.
    "I think he is a great leader of men," he replied. "I do not have any doubt in my mind that he is going to be elected President. I believe that his administration will live up to every promise of the platform and the party. I don't think I ever saw the Democratic Party so united and in so good a position to win as it is to-day. On the other hand, I never saw the Republican Party so demoralized."
    "I think if the public is taken into the confidence of the committee," said Mr. Underwood, when asked about publicity of campaign contributions, "and they know of the sources from which contributions come, that there can be no criticism. It is not a question as to how much each individual contributes, because what may be a large contribution from one man may be a very small one from another, but if the public knows the source I do not see that there can be any trouble."
    "What do you consider the chief campaign issue, and how do you look upon the platform as a campaign document?"
    "As to the platform, that is a clear, forceful, and strong expression of Democratic principles. I think the principal, issue in the campaign is bound to be the tariff. Of course, there are other issues of more or less importance, but the leading issue before the people is the question as to whether they want to maintain the tariff, the present system of tariff taxation, or whether they want to revise the tariff downward. I believe most of the evils that exist in the country to-day that are being complained of grow out of the protective tariff system, and that the prohibitive duties must be removed before we can get any real relief, both from the high cost of living and from many other evils that are complained of today?"
    Alter adjournment of Congress Mr. Underwood said he would want a couple of weeks' rest. Then he would offer his services to the Democratic National Committee and go wherever it wanted him to go.
    Mr. Underwood took a train for Philadelphia at 4:15 o'clock.
    Gov. Wilson returned by automobile to Sea Girt. This evening, while a lightning storm raged the rifle pits near the Little White House, Gov. Wilson entertained a rocking chair porch party with tales of Underwood.
    "I don't know of any man I have met in a long time to whom I have taken such a fancy," he confided. "That was a characteristically courteous act by which he left me to give out the subject of our conversation. We talked a great deal on subjects that merely made us acquainted with each other's minds."
    To-morrow Gov. Wilson will have an entire day for his correspondence, as he has no political appointments at Sea Girt.  Col. McCombs sent a telegram to the effect that he could not reach Sea Girt from Chicago until Thursday, and the men invited to come here to meet him were notified to come Thursday instead of Wednesday.