The age-herald., 1898-10-21
NED BRACE ON
 CURRENT EVENTS

Birmingham is looking up. The old First National bank building is getting new coat of paint It has needed it for several years. Everybody was congratulating everybody else on it yesterday. But Pres!- dent Barker of this bank is progressive man. He believes in paint. As a matter of fact paint goes long way toward mak- ing a town I never saw a prosperous man who didn't keep his house well paint ed. You can usually tell prosperous busi- ness man by the appearance of his office.
 Nowf everybody is talking about pros perity in Birmingham but half the people who come here don't believe it. Old scaly-looking buildings are no evidence of prosperity. Look at the old building the Solomon & Levi corner, for Instance, and the Newman drug store corner-both across from the First National bank They look as if they have been there a thous- and years, and they are certainly strangers to paint. Paint costs very little, but it adds wonderfully to the appearance of things in an alleged up-to-date city. think there ought to be city ordinance in Birmingham requiring business houses and residences both to present neat and freshly painted appearance always. A few hundred dollars invested in paint in Bir- mingham will change the entire face of the city.
 1 was talking to a gentleman from St. Louis yesterday. He was here looking af- ter his investments and figuring on making more investments. I told him Birmingham was forging ahead. He said he didn't be- iieVe 1t. He saw no indication of it about the business centers of the city. He talked at length about the ugly appearance of some of the First avenue business houses, particularly about the two west corners of Twentieth street and First avenue.
 am sorry Dr. Broughton has allowed himself to get angry with The Age-Herald because 1t has not printed all of his ser mons pr. Broughton must remember that he has preached great many sermons in Birmingham. When he first came his ser mons were well reported, but the good man began to repeat himself somewhat and his sermons were no longer news, and The Age-Herald is strict in confihing itself to the publication of actual news.
 Dr. Broughton made a great mistake when in one of his sermons he accused The Age-Herald of ceasing to report his sermons because he criticised the board of aldermen for voting an appropriation to the charity hospital. Dr. Broughton did this on the ground that the charity hospital was Catholic institution. So far as I know there is not a Catholic connected with The Age-Herald, but for the Catholics I have the greatest respect and love. They are people who devote their time and their money to alleviating the sufferngs of their fellowmen. They are generous to all alike. I have never heard of an instance where the doors of Catholic hospital, or of any other institution presided over by Catholics, were closed to any class of peo- pie or any religious denomination. The Catholics have their belief. They live up to it and they never interfere with any other religious sect. I admire them for it.
 If Dr. Broughton wants to fight the Catholics it is his fight. I suppose the Catholics are amply able to take care of themselves. Dr. Broughton makes great mistake in attacking newspapers because reporters are not continually trotting at his heels and writing of his doings and say ings. If Dr. Broughton were as odd, as brilliant and as queer as Sam Jones it might be different. Reporters don't usual
 
 pr. Broughton seems to have failed to make a great impression upon them. hope that hereafter Dr. Broughton will confine himself to preaching sermons which will convert many, and make all who hear him better men and women. He does no good to any one by abusing newspapers and ascribing impure motives to them be- cause they don't print verbatim reports of his sermons.
 once had member of the United States senate to ask me why the Associated Press did not quote his speech in full when it quoted a speech delivered by Senator Ar thur P. German on the same subject in full and sent it over the wires to the news papers throughout the country. In reply, suggested that he take the Congressional Record and read the verbatim reports in that of the two speeches-his own and Senator Germans. He did 1t. He never said anything more about it.