davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
you must for all things aud all occa.
slons pay taxes or give backsheesh, and
generally you must do both
Effect Of the Present System.

While in all of our cities the value Of
land, which increases not merely with
their growth, but with the expectation
of growth, thus operates to check
building and improvement, its effect is
manifested through the country in
somewhat different way. Instead of
unduly crowding people together it un-
duly separates them. The expectation
of profit from the rise in the value of
land leads those who take up new land,
not to content themselves with what
they may most protitably use, but to
get all the land they can, even though.
they must let great part of it lie idle;
and large tracts are seized upon by
those who make no pretense of using
any part of it, but merely calculate to
make profit out of others who in time
will be driven to use it. Thus popula-
ton is scattered, not only to loss of all
the comforts, refinements, pleasures
and stimulations that come from neigh
borhood, but to the great loss of pro-
ductive power. The extra cost of con-
STRUGGLING and maintaining roads and
railways, the greater distances over
which produce and goods must
be transported, the difficulties
which separation interposes to
that commerce between men
which is necessary even to the ruder
forms of modern production, all retard
and lessen production. While just as
the high value of land in and about
great city makes more difficult the erec-
ton of buildings, so does the increase in
the value of agricultural land make i'm
provement difficult The higher the
value of land the more capital does the
farmer require if he buys outright; or,
if he buys on installments, or rents, the
more of his earnings must he give up
every year. Men who would eagerly
improve and cultivate land could it be
had for the using are thus turned
away-to wander long distances and
waste their means in looking for better
opportunities; to swell the ranks of
those seeking for employment as wage
workers; to go back to the cities or
manufacturing villages in the endeavor
to make living; or to remain idle, fire.
quently for long periods, and some
times until they become utterly demon
allied and worse than useless tramps.-
Social Problems.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
ONE CONSIDERABLE GIRL.
She Was Mad When She Saw What
Chance She Had Missed.

Sn0 WIS MAJ Wneu Sn0 saw Wn8C "A
Chance She Had Missed.
Says a clever woman: A maiden
whom / know was both Bohemian
and a conscientious creature, and she
felt annoyed when young man called
for her in carriage. She had met him
at a friends house, and for the sake of
the friend had accepted the invitation
to theater matinee; but she only knew
of him as a young lawyer, and they are
not rich as rule. The seats in the thea
ter were the best, and the carriage await
ed them at the close of the play. why
will men be so foolish?" she thought,
adding to herself that society girls
ought to be ashamed of themselves to
force men into habits of such extrava.
gance. The worst of it all was that
before he directed the driver he asked
the girl which of two costly restaurants
she would prefer. One was famous for
ices and the other for more substantial
refreshments. have said she was 30.
hemian-enough SO to be ready for
spring chicken or chops after the the
alter. If left to herself she would have
chosen some unpretentious place;
but no, it was either the most
expensive ice or the most
expensive supper. She gasped and he.
roically chose the cold alternative.
There she ate three frozen puddings, to
her escorts horror and her own. peril.
She didn't intend to have his whole
months earnings spent on that one
evening for her, though. Then she
found out, after it was all over, that he
was the son of the richest sort of a
bondholder, and that he just had an Of
flee and was a lawyer for amusement,
upon which she could have bitten of
her own tongue and lunched on that. "
Chicago Journal
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
1 DUNNO AND !. KNOWlT.

+ Dunno started out on memorable trip,
With a valiant companion, I. Knowit;
set Us feel our way slowly" says slow /.
Dunno.
7. Knowit says; Vet us just go it!'
And one would go fast and one would go slow,
In this trip OF !. Knowit and slow !. Dunno.
1 Dunno picked his way felt about with his
cane
And carefully tested the bridges;
7 Knowit rushed on, like a late express train
+. Over mountains and rivers and ridges;
He looked back and cried: Get a move on,
old siow"
.Oh, I'll go my own jog" said old slow l.
Dunno,
+ Knowit got tangled and lost In the swamp
And wcll.nigh submerged in the mire;
I Dunno he found out, in his leisurely romp,
That the ground was too soft, and went
higher:
sTll'poke with my cane wherever l go
And stub along easy" said slow 1. Dunno.
L Knowit crawled out all covered with mud,
And banged and battered with bruises;
Saws he: "a fellow with fire In his blood
Can duff la Just wherever he chooses"
nrTis better to go kinder mod'rate and slow,
And not get banged and battered" said slow
l. Dunno.
I. Dunno travelled slow, but he got far ahead
OF the rapid onrushcr, l. Knowit.
l. Dunno still said; Let us carefully tread"
/. Knowit still said: Let US 60 it,"
I. Knowit brought up in the swamp OF Don't.
care;
Dunno reached the beautiful land OF Get
there.
s. w. Foss, in Yankee Blade.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
Ahd Yet "Britons Never Shall be
Slaves"

This is clear-that in Great Britain
to-day the right OF the people as q
whole to the soil of their native country
is much less fully acknowledged than it
was in fendal times. A much smaller
proportion of the people own the soil,
and their ownership is much more abso-
Lutte. The commons, once so extensive
and SO largely contributing to the indie
pendence and support of the lower
classes, have, ali but small remnant
of yet worthless land, been appropriate
ed to individual ownership and enclosed;
the great estates OF .he church, which
were essentially COMMON property de-
voted to public purpose, have been d.
verted from that trust to enrich individ-
uals; the dues of the military tenants
have been shaken off, and the cost of
maintaining the military establishment
and paying the interest upon SD inn
mense debt accumulated by wara has
been saddled upon the whole people. in
taxes upon the necessaries and comforts
of life. The crown lands have mostly
passed into private possession, and for
the support of the royal family and all
the petty princelings who marry into it,
the British workman must pay in the
price Of his mug Of beer and pipe of to-
bacco. The English yeoman--the
sturdy breed who won Crecy, and
Poictiers, and Agincourt-is as extinct
as the mastodon The Scottish clans
man, whose right to the soil Of his ma
tive hills was then as undisputed as
that of his chieftain, has been driven
out to make room for the sheep ranges
and deer parks of that chieftain's de-
scendant the tribal right of the Irish
man has been turned into a tenancy-at-
| will. Thirty thousand men have legal
power to expel the whole population
from fve-sixths of the British Islands,
and the vast majority of the British
people have no right whatever to their
| native land save to walk the streets
or trudge the roads. To them may be
fittingly applied the words Of a Tribune
of the Roman People: Men of Rome,
said Tiberius Gracious linen of Rome,
you are called the lords of the world,
yet have no right to a square foot of its
soil! The wild beasts have their dens,
but the soldiers of Italy have only We
| ter and air.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
ENvIous OF AMERICAN GIRLS.
Some of the Things the Women Tut Up
With in Jauan.

During my recent visit to Japan, says
Henry T. Finck, several girls told me
how glad they would be if they had the
opportunity and means to go to Amer
lea. They had probably heard of the
United States as being the paradise Of
women, and felt that Japan was not
exactly an earthly Eden for them.
Americans call pretty girls angels,
and adore them as goddesses. The
Japanese, on the contrary, compare
men with Heaven and women with
earth. Probably no foreigner" knows
the Japanese as thoroughly as Mr.. Basil
Hall Chamberlain, who has been profess
sor OF philosophy at the university of
Toxic. "Most Japanese men," he says,
"even in this very year of grace 1890,
make no secret of their disdain for the
female sex. The way in which they are
treated by the men has hitherto been
such as might cause pang to any gen
erous European heart
This contempt for women is shown in
the minutest details of life, as for ex-
ample in mourning etiquette, which
prescribes that animal food should be
abstained from and mourning garments
worn for one hundred days in case of a
paternal grandfather, but only ninety
days in case of a maternal grandfather,
ninety days for paternal uncle, but
only thirty days for one on the mater
nal side, etc.
According to the Greater Learning
for Women" there are FIVE feminine
vices which four women of every five
ss-disobedience, malice, Islander,
jealousy and stupidity-whence arises
their inferiority to man. Every woman's
four possible virtues are such as chiefly
benefit man-gentle obedience, chastity,
mercy and quietness.
japanese Buddhist text says that
IA woman's exterior is that of saint,
but her heart is that of demon"
Every tourist who has visited Japan
will agree as to the malicious falseness
of these ungallant remarks on the gen.
tie, courteous, sweet and graceful lit
tie women of the island empire.
1t is not easy to observe these women
in their homes, because lis not the Gus
tom among the Japanese to invite
friends, least of all foreigners, to their
houses to dinner, tea-houses being al
ways chosen for such purpose; but in
these tea-houses tourists have opportu-
nifty abundant to discover and resent
the untruthfulness of the charge that
''these low and aggravating girls have
had no proper education; they are
stupid, obstinate and vulgar in their
Speech" which is brought against the
poor hand-maidens, whom he, on the
contrary, always finds ready to serve
him, ever smiling, and even willing to
fan him on sultry summer afternoon.
Imagine an American waiter girl do.
ing such thing.-N. Y. Continent.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
clearinghouse English.

l lived at a boarding house some
years ago and sat at the same table
with lady and gentleman whom the
world would term nouveau richie. The
gentleman was very fond of relating
the adventures of his youth, and would
do so in terms more picturesque than
grammatical. One day came a tale of
an orchard robbery.
81 clumb the tree" said he, ''and-"
"You mustn't say clumb, interrupted
his superior two quarters, 'syou should
say clamb." The story was never
finished. N. Y. Telegram.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
Taxation in Turkey.

Few people will wonder at the degra
dalton and poverty Of the Turkish PEG.
pie, and the provinces under Turkish
rule, when they understand the manner
in which the government and the sultan
derive their revenues. In an article en-.
titled, THE Druse War;" in the Even
ing Post of February 10, which describ-
ed the revolt Of a people in Palestine,
known by the name of Druse, against
the attempted Turkish domination, the
writer gives description Of the fiscal
policy of the sultan's government, that
is worth reading The Druse, who
have SO far managed to prevent the
Turks from subjecting them to their
expressions, are certainly to be con-
graduated The writer says:
SO far as / know, everything in Tur-
key is taxed as much as it will bear,
and most things have been taxed out of
existence. The land tax on public land
is SO per cent. of the crops raised, on
land held under private title 10 per cent,
and, l believe, in certain cases or GER
tain regions 20 per cent. There is tax
on every sheep, goat, camel, and, be-
lieve, on every domestic animal. So
high are these taxes that have known
the price paid for sleeps wool in
some regions to be less than the annual
tax chargeable on each sheep There is
tax on each palm tree, and, believe,
on other productive trees. There is a
heavy tax on each fish caught. There
is duty on all goods brought into any
city. There is duty Of per cent. on
all goods carried by water from one city
in the Turkish empire to another.
There is uniform export duty on all
goods of any sort sent out of the coun-
try, increased at some if not all ports
by arbitrary generalization, against
which there is no redress There is a
uniform import duty Of 8 per cent. on
all goods. There is a heavy road tax in
the form of toll on all of the few miser.
able roads existing in the empire, and
in many cities further tax on each
beast of burden arriving at that city.
Boats, houses, almost all objects of any
commercial value, also pay taxes. Min
ing, including salt fields, has been taxed
and bought into the hands Of the PRIV
purse and the government Tobacco il
monopoly, paying a large revenue t
the government, for which the people
receive very poor and dear cigarette
and cigarette tobacco Speaking gen
orally, it may be said that il Turke,
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17

Portable income and only needed wife
to complete his happiness.
Miss Nellie Hawthorne, only daugh-
ter Of Judge Hawthorne, was the belle
Of the village, and among her score of
admirers it was plain she preferred Col.
Ashley, who had been devoted to her
since her return from school.
Judge Hawthorne and Col. Ashley
were warm personal friends. They
agreed on politics, attended the races
together and backed the same horses,
the judge always placing implicit con-
fdence in the colonel's judgment. The
Judge loved his pretty daughter very
dearly and he was we'll pleased when
his dearest friend, Col. Ashley, asked
and obtained his consent to seek the
hand and heart of Nellie. But 1 can
not give her up for long time yet"
said the judge, land if you win her
love, Ashley, you must be content to
wait awhile before you ask for her
hand"
Col. Ashley pressed his suit at the
court Of Cupid and won it. Pretty Mel
lie Hawthorne blushingly acknowl-
edged that she loved him very dearly
and would become his wife whenever
her father gave his consent.
The colonel had promised to wait
awhile for the wedding, but in few
weeks the waiting seemed very long
and ne determined to see the judge and
lfpossible induce him to name the day.
A portion Of Col. Ashley's savings he
mad invested in race horses, and he
owned asmall string of very fine flyers.
ne hadpurchased most of his horses from
Vol Newton Harris, veteran breeder
OF thoroughbreds, who kept sale
stable in town, his farm being several
miles in the country. One day Col.
harris brought in from his farm very
promising young filly, and he de-
ermined to offer her first to his friend
ashley, who wanted to purchase two or
'nree more fast ones. Meeting Ashley
on the street Col. Harris told him about
'ae hlly. go down to the stable any
.me and tell the boys you want to see
,ne pay FLY, Nellie. You will buy
her as soon as you have seen her good
points"
vol Ashley promised to call at the
''a o., at the first opportunity.
Inc same evening the colonel called
W see Miss Hawthorne, and the happy
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
HE GOT THE JOB.
A Student of Human Nature Who Welted
Carpets for q Living.

A Student of Human Nature Who Welted
Carpets for q Living.
"Do you wish me to beat any carpets,
LADY," he asked of the woman who
came to the door. '"I'll guarantee to do
it thoroughly and at a moderate price.
A better day"
mo, DON'T" snapped the woman,
already out of patience by the visit OF
two peddlers and tramp, and she step
ped back to shut the door.
~ half expected you didn't" said the
unrutfled carpet-beater. II might have
believed what the woman across the
street told me-"
What did that lying Mrs Higgins
tell you?" queried the woman sharply,
opening the door which she had half
shut.
"She said it was no use for me to call
here; that you didn't have anything but
an old rag of carpet that would fall to
pieces if any one tried to beat it,
''She did, did she? The impudent
hussey!' said the woman, almost too
angry to speak. 'Come right in, my
man, and take up my heavy brussels.
Take it out in the front yard and beat
it as hard as you know how, until tell
you to STOP I'll pay you double price
and give you your dinner besides -
And. to herself, she said: "I'll let the
hateful thing see whether it's an old
rag or not"
And the diplomatic carpet beater
called to his assistant out on the side
walk, and remarked to him when they
had taken the carpet out where Mrs.
Higgins could see it that it was cold
day when he couldn't get carpet to
beat.-Boston Herald.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA WEDNESDAY. JUNE il, 1891
Der our future happiness depends on your IN.
sver. AS ever, your friend,

DbDfOhD ASHLEY.
The other note was to Col. Newton
Harris, and read as. follows:
Mr DEAR SIR-I called this morning to look
az your favorite fly Nelly and must say she
was disappointment Her legs are a trifle
neavy, she Is narrow chested and her neck ia
zoo short. With all these defects and tho
doubtful pedigree Of her sire 1T would be follv
10 expect much Of the FLY. do not care to
add her to my string. Thanking you for your
oner am your friend, BEDFORD ASHLEY
Two hours after sending these notes
Col. Ashley was in his office busy pre-
pairing brief. The door opened sud
denly and Judge Hawthorne's secretary
entered with letter in his hand. A
smile of pleasant anticipation was on
Col Ashley's face as he opened The let
ter, but as he glanced at it's contents
his countenance underwent great
change. The letter was from Judge
Hawthorne and read:
SIR shall not ask or accept any expls.
nation OF the outrageous insults contained in
your letter OF this date demand that you ut
once make full apology. both to my daughter
and myself"
For moment Col. Ashley was
speeches. with establishment and then
he quickly arrived at the conclusion
that his audacity in asking for the
hand of Miss Hawthorne was regarded
by her father as an insult. Col. Ashley
was gentleman, a Kentucky gentle
man, the social equal of Judge Haw-
thorne, and no man must so much as
intimate that he would insult a lady.
Judge Hawthorne's secretary soon
returned with the following letter
from Col. Ashley:
SIR-1n reply to your communication Of this
date, In which you state that / have insulted
your daughter and yourself, 1 have the honor to
inform you that o friend Of mine, empowered
to act for me, will call on you within an hour.
Respectfully, BEDFORD ASHLEY.
Within the hour Col. Ashley's friend
waited on Judge Hawthorne with a
challenge to mortal combat. The
judge in his note to Ashley had stated
that he would not accept any attempt
at an explanation, SO there was moth
ing left for him to do but to choose his
weapons and name the time and place
of meeting. He soon found friend
willing to act for him, and the two
seconds, without further consultation
with their principals, proceeded to ar
range all preliminaries for the meet
ing. Sunrise the following morning
was the time agreed upon and the
place was an opening in a beautiful
grove only five miles from town. All
narfies could take carrio 0ec in town ~
daylight and reach the ground in time.
Every effort was made to keep the
affair quiet, so there would be no inter-
ruption, but in some way it leaked out,
and before midnight half the men In
town knew that Judge Hawthorne and
Col Ashley would fight duel at sun.
rise, and no one knew the exact cause
of it. Among others who heard of the
affair was Col. Ashley's office boy, and
when he learned that the duel had been
brought about by letter he was very
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17
THE WoMAN's SPHERE.
The Latest Novelties in Dress and House
neutrality-suspicious. In Public.


Although pure white table linen
is considered in the best taste at pres
ent a novelty in tea and coffee cloths
is called the Dresden. The cloths are
embroidered on the finest satin-fnished
white linen in the rich colorings which
are seen on Dresden china
Gray seems to remain the favorite
color in the selection of the street and
visiting gowns for spring wear. The
shades are so numerous that both
blonde and brunette can make be-
coming selection, although sometimes
amistake is made and one sees dark
haired and dark-eyed woman attired in
gray gown of the pinkish tints, which
is decidedly trying.
The newest bouillon cups resemble
the chocolate cups in shape, being quite
high, with slightly tlaring edge. Of
course they have the double handles,
usually of gilt.
Dresses of light weight serge in dark
blue are very much liked for everyday
wear both by the business women and
many sensible women of leisure These
gowns are made in simple tailor style
and without trains as all gowns should
be which are intended for street wear
for women who haven't their own car
riage.
1t has long been an everyday sight to
see women use powder in public, and it
has even been considered fashionable
to carry a small silver powder box and
puff. AS l say, have been quite ac-
customed to seeing powder used pub
licly, but | was somewhat astonished a
few days ago to see two women use
rouge in the ladies' dressing room at
one of the railway stations in the city.
When thought the affair over I won
dered at my establishment, for I could
not see much, if any, difference be-
tween the use of powder and rouge.
Possibly it was because most women
have willingly acknowledged the use
of powder but are simply horror
stricken at the mere suggestion Of
painting.
A friend of mine has just copied in
plain and fancy striped surah an i'm
ported gown which had excited her ad.
miration and envy earlier in the season
She had straight skirt made of plain
black surah with a ruffle of the same
about the bottom narrower in the front
than at the sides. Then the coat is
made of the fancy striped black surah,
lined with peculiar shade of blue.
This isn't quite as elegant as the model
gown of faille and brocade, but it is
very effective, nevertheless and de-
cidedly better suited to a limited purse.
The wash silks are being utilized for
outing dresses, and will be pretty and
suitable for beach wear, but hardly
heavy enough for mountain climbing
and tramping Tennis costumes of
these silks are very pretty and comfort
able.-Marion NJ, in Chicago Herald
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17

"A recent invention promises to be
more far-reaching in its immediate
practical results than any which has
preceded it in the annals of mechanical
discovery. 1t consists in the use OF
hardened steel ball-bearings for all
wheels, pulleys, or revolving shafts,
with view to accelerated speed and
many other incidental advantages, by
reducing friction to q minimum and ri.
most inappreci.ble quantity
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-17

THERE is but one way to remove an
evil-and that is, TO remove its cause.
Poverty deepens as wealth increases,
and wages are forced down while pro-
ductive power grows, because land,
which is the source of all wealth and
the field Of all labor, is .monopolized.
To extirpate poverty, to make wages
what justice commands they should IKE,
the full earnings Of the labor, we. mist
therefore substitute for the individual
ownership of land common owner
ship. Nothing else will go to the cause
of the evil-in nothing else is there the
slightest hope.
This, then, is the remedy for the un.
Just and unequal distribution Of wealth
apparent in modern civilization, and for
all the evils which flow from it:
We must make land common prop
erty.-Progress and POVERTY.