The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-29
SCATTERING OPINIONS
BY THE OPTIMIST


This is a queer world, and there are
lots of queer people right here in Alabama
You have no idea how many people
there are in the state who think they are
ordained by God to edit the Age Herald.
Whey, there is a little lawyer down in
Montgomery who thinks he is the spon-
sor. owner and keeper of the democratic
party. He has written cards for the
Age-Herald on such a good quality of
paper that the office goat would not con-
sent to their publication. This animal
has found them sweet morsels and has
consumed them with a ravenous appe-
tite l am told that this fellow got so
mad over it that he sent up another card
the other day in which he said: I re-
quest of you to send me your bill for
subscription due the Age-Herald and no.
tify you that I do not wish to continue
my subscription. l am constrained to
take this action because your paper has
ceased to represent the democracy of
Alabama, and has begun tampering with
its worst nemies, viz: the mutineers who
bolted our last national platform and
candidate"
what he thinks and to tell the editor of
the Age-Herald how to edit his paper.
Don't get mad. young man. The Age
Herald knows Something about sdemoc-
racy itself. Its editor has definedlhis po-
sition and the public knows his views.
Some Alabama editors cannot get off
politics. What is the use of rehearsing
and attepontipg r. rex-i,-a ola .o1;+;oo1
shreds at this time? Let us get down to
business for while and later on we can
adopt politics and make it red hot, when
the time comes. Anybody can write an
editorial abusing somebody, especially a
public officer. Anybody can pull down.
few people can build up. Why not Let
us get together in business way and
make something to fight over and then
there will be some reason for fighting.
Alabama is On the verge of an era Of
progress, prosperity and plenty. Let us
grasp these things and hold them Then
those who want to fight can get into
the gladiatorial ring and furnish amuse-
ment to more sensible people.
Robert Jemison, of Birmingham, is one
who sets a good example. He is a man
at the head of the street railway system
in Birmingham, who, instead of trying to
find somebody to fight with all the time,
has built up for Birmingham the finest
street railway system in the world. He
is a worker and he always works with
purpose, and that purpose is to build
up something.
Atlanta was kicking the other day
about the appointment of a negro as in
ternal revnue collector. The white peo-
pie were kicking about it then, but sea
that not less than two hundred white
men have already applied to this negro
for jobs under him. These Georgia peo-
pl. are out of jobs They want jobs with
salaries, and they don't care who they
come from.
We have not commenced to feel the
effects of the new tariff bill yet, but we
will as soon as We go to housekeeping in
the fall. The new tariff increases china
ware from II to 20 per cent A $25 set of
dishes will cost us $50 this year. That
is, after the retail merchants have sold
out their present holdings. Yet crops
are good-were going to have plenty of
money this fall and we won't feel 1t so
much to spend little more probably.
I saw letter yesterday from a Bir-
minghem expert on steel making. He
says the new steel plant has already
been able to make steel for less than $12
PER ton. He thinks it will be gotten
down 20 $40 per ton or evsn lower. But
these facts will all come out later. How
ever if this be true, the future of Bir-
mingham as the greatest of Southern
citiss is assured.
Georgia is very much stirred up over
tine convict question. Her state officials
haven't done their duty. In Alabama
we have a similar convict system. We
lease our convicts out to the mine own
ers and farmers. Yet W. have super
Visors who see that they are properly
cared for and properly worked In many
Instances they are probably too well
treated in Alabama.
THE OPTIMIST.
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