davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1899-07-16
Hoe Cake and Corn Pone.

(From the Baltimore SUM
The Richmond Dispatch votes a general ten
der OF congratulation TO the Washington author-
ties their purpose to make "a grand
hht OF American corn and corn breads at the
Paris Exposition. and adds: That's all right
1t shows good business sense. Our exports of
corn are steadily increasing, though the demand
for it is chiefly for food for stock. Corn is not
making much headway as 4 table food The
European practice OF cooking bread only once
week is against corn bread, since il is not as
appetizing when cold as when warm. 1t seems
to US. too. that our own people not the grest
eorn-bread eaters they used to be. Batter OF egg
bread and certain cakes still in vogue, but
the honest and homely corn pone, the dOdger
and the koecake not popular as they used
TO be. As for the ashcake. the cooking of it
has become lost art. almost. We charge this
change, in part at least, to the introduction,
even in most country homes, Of the modern
cooking stove and range. 1t takes great big
open fireplace and Southern negress, with
red bandana on her head. to make prime corn
bread Nor will any meal but water ground
meal Serve the best purpose Steam power meal
is tabooed Let the Washington officials see what
can be done TO restore bread to the tables
of the American people,
The times., 1899-07-16
An Unsatisfactory Condition.
From the Roston Ueraldl


General Miles is known to be an able general
in the field and more than this. he is presumed
to be of those military with a genius
for military operations 1t is impossible to
count for his astonishing rise in the Army, and
to explain the fame he had in a varied
military service up to two years ago, on any
other hypothesis. He is doing no service now.
when there is need for the best military capacity
in the nation. Ii the War Department is respon-
sble for this it is not the least Of the sins that
have been brought TO the door of that branch
of the Government. II 4 military clique at
the National Capital has preiudiced the President
against General Miles, it is also something TO
be deplored. Ii General Miles himself, by his
indiscretion, has had an agency in producing
this alienation in departments which should
act together. there is still cause for regret.
The case is summed up in the statement that
the nation is in war, and that the is being
conducted without the aid of the man OF all
others who would naturally be regarded the
most competent for service in it. 1t is an
anomalous condition. and which the coun-
try cannot regard with satisfaction.
The times., 1899-07-16
National Guard Affairs.

The long list of designations of officers
of the National Guard ought to suggest to
our military authorities what everybody
else knows, namely, that the District mill
tia is going TO the dogs for want of COM
mander in whom the line and the rank and
file can have confidence
The Times has called attention to this
matter before. Considering the cares and
anxieties which press upon the President
he is perhaps excusable for neglecting a
duty which the people of the Capital COM
munity are inclined to regard as an urgent
one. They have learned to look upon the
citizen soldiery of Washington with pride.
They do not like to see brigade which
once ranked among similar organizations
in the Union as a corps delite wrecked
merely because its existence is considered
secondary to the interests of a single per-
son who seems TO be running it. AS We
have urged hitherto, the military spirit is
rife among our young men. They would
I'LL the ranks of the District National
Guard under proper organization and
auspices. AS matters stand, there are few
things more unpopular than service In con-
nection with il. II Mr.. Mckinley cannot
find time TO give his personal attention to
the subject, why cannot he ask the Major
General Commanding the Army, or some
other competent military officer, to inves-
tigate the conditions of the Guard and sug-
gest some measure of relief? Nothing
could be more obvious than that 1t needs
a new and competent head, or that the
change should be made at once
The times., 1899-07-16
The Dreyfus Letters.

From the Philadelphia North American)
No one can read the letters of Alfred Dreyfus
to his wife without feeling renewed horror at
the torture which inflicted upon an inno-
cent man to serve the ends OF rotten bureau
craey. These letters breathe in every line the
agony of an honorable soldier charged with one
of the foulest crimes OF man in arms. Their
sincerity, their resouteness, in the face of an
apparently inescapable doom. acquit the man as
clearly as any evidence that can be produced
before the court which is to retry him. They are
an indictment of the who made Dreyfus
the soapegoat for their treason, an indictment
Of all France. which France must answer. And
the answer will not be complete until every
man who played part in Dreytus condemnation,
or who strove to keep him in his living tomb
when the proofs of his innocence were at hand,
has received punishment.
The times., 1899-07-16
Pension shark Raids.
fFrom the Philadelnhia Ledrer. ]


Every administration OF the Pension Bureau has
been obliged to disquaify pension attorneys who
attempt to fleece complainants or involve them
selves in conspiraces to defraud the Government
Agents of this ilk scatter broadcast among vet
Grams circulars TO the effect that almost every
surviving soldier is entitled. for one reason or
another. to a pension. This brings grist to the
attorneys mill, but much of the demand for
pensions is necessarily refused by the bureau and
the contagion OF discomfort is spread among the
veterans. The laws do not entitle every veteran
to pension, but unscrupuous attorneys have
fostered the impression that practically every
applicant has valid claim. Commissioner Evans
is only being subjected to the same malicious
criticism that has been directed against every
Commissioner. with the possible exception of
Corporal Tanner, whose administration was motor
ious. 1t is improbable that the Grand Army
Committee will make any condemnation Of the
Pension Bureau, although it may object to some
of the rulings of the Interior Department or de-
mapd broadening. by legislation, of the pen
sionable status. The public favors generous and
liberal treatment OF worthy and deserving vet
Grams, whose necessities or disabilities call for
relief but it does not want safeguards against
fraud removed. 1t is willing that millions shall
be appropriated for bonaf fde cases, but not one
dollar for imposters- The United States is the
most liberal provider in the world for its de
serving veterans, but it can never coneedc that
applicants or their attorneys shall be the Judges
Of the validity OF claims
The times., 1899-07-16
bribery of Bidders for 1t.
(From the Brooklyn Eagle.l


II is hoped that the rumor Of payment by the
American authorities to Filipinos to desert Agui-
naldo is founded on fiction. The end might seem
to justify the means, accounts, for it
would shorten the and leave Aguinaldo help
less. But these Spanish methods, and in the
case of Spain they were found to be worthless.
The payment OF brides and persuasions to the
Filipinos made them eager to be bought as often
possible. and they would sell their services
on one day TO the Spanish and on the next to
the insurgents, Aguinaldo himself setting the
most conspicuous example OF treachery and greed.
The fact is, while of these people are
civilized great majority of them have no sense
of national honor nor personal, either Those
who are really fighting for what they conceive
to be independence are entitled to respect but
those who willing TO sell their fealty for
five dollar bill more plenty than the soldiers
and, if four or five ciphers put behind that
figure. Aguinaldo himself would come into the
American camp in a hurry 1t is bad precedent
to bribe enemy who makes war principally
to be bribed He will keep it up. We want to
impress him rather with the idea that with
the United States is useless.
The times., 1899-07-16
The Virginia senatorship.


In announcing his candidacy for the Demo
cratic nomination for United States Senator, Gov
ernor Tyler has created an interest in the Vir-
ginia elections OF this year which would have
been lacking else 1T takes two to make a
mateh.' and it takes at least that number to
make any political canvass attractive to the
public. This competition means also, that the
attention of the Democrats of this State will be
called TO the desirability of having Senator's
nominated and elected by popular methods. The
May meeting did not originate, but it widely
disseminated, the doctrine that the people may as
well be trusted to choose their Senators as to
choose their Representatives in Congress- Gov
ernor Tyler's candidacy, necessarily, will have
further educational effect in that direction; that
is to say, it will furnish an opportunity for
practical test to be made wherever public opn-
ion demands that it shall he made.
The times., 1899-07-16
PoeticaI Aguinaldo.
lFron the Chicago rribune.l

tFrOIp the Chicago Iribune-)
AguinaIdo himself would not deny that as far
as the so-called Filipino republic goes he is the
..whoIe thing" For this reason his recent poetic
rhapsody over the republic is himself
is quite touching The Tacals Of Boston should
be moved TO tears when they read the address
beginning: ''Filipinos! Delicate flower of the
East scarcely eight months weaned from the
breast OF thy mother" etc. delicate flower,
and especially one shat has been weaned is al
ways an affecting sight. Evidently the weaning
process is not complete in this case, for Aguin-
aldo has suddenly discovered that Spain i
gentle and loving mother. willing to buy him of
when he raised a revolt, while the United States
refuses 10 be mulcted of 4 dollar Perhaps he
will shortly have i chance TO visit his loving
mother country and stay there. In the mean time
his rhapsodies over Spain and over his own
feeble attempt to initiate Spanish methods of gov
ernment will not arouse any great amount Of
enthusiasm in the nine-tenths Of Luzon's nhabi-
tants who have no Use for him.
The times., 1899-07-16
A Long Accentnnce.

The American people are having their
usual experience with the Administration
of Mr.. Mckinley. Having insisted, in
every way possible, that Russell A. Alger
should be removed from his office as Secre-
tary of War, they are now treated to the
announcement, which we have every rea-
son to credit, that the obnoxious officer
has been allowed TO compromise with fate
and that his resignation has been ten
dered and accepted to take effect January
1, 1900.
1t is hardly worth while to discuss such
a situation. If Alger is the kind of man
he is almost universally held to be, his
continuance in the Cabinet for even a
week is an insult to the country If he
is as innocent and virtuous a character
as he represents himself, it is an outrage
to ask him to resign.
Mr.. Mckinley will take grave risk IL
he allows Alger to remain in the Cabinet
until next year. or at all. He will be in
danger of a suspicion that he Is COM
placent 70 the peculiar franchise deals
that Alger's friends are getting ready
to float in Cuba and Porto Rico, and
he certainly will not be able to escape
blame for the use of War Office patronage
in promoting Alger's ambition for Michi-
gan Senatorship.
Beyond this, 1t is to be apprehended that
the President will lay himself open to the
charge of being afraid to evict Cabinet
officer thoroughly and notoriously abhor-
rent to the masses. Mr.. Mckinley patron
ICES the leading press and the clipping bu-
reaus. He, therefore, knows that promi-
nent paper in his own State has declared
that he would not dare to remove Alger
for reasons known TO that official and to
Senator Hanna.
II is not our purpose TO make the ex-
ecutive yoke heavier than 1t is necessarily,
but We must remind our friend in the
White House that he will not be meeting
public expectations, nor will he be doing
anything TO regain national confidence, in
allowing Russell A. Alger TO remain at
the head of the War Department another
day. On the contrary, he will, thereby, ap-
pear to excuse the worst things his enc
mises can say concerning such course.
The times., 1899-07-16
AboIi.hing "Mother Goo.eu
There is war against Mother Goose.
and the mothers clubs" OF all orga-,

There is war against Mother Goose"
and the mothers clubs of all orea-
tions have been the or
They want "'-o.her figinators tbareo,
AL. MotTo Goose" sba,,,
aoolished' prohibi,ec by law ~ 'oneo' na.'.
IN the place of it they pronos. :,
MI. i'''en called Mother Trut,e,s ., i
"n'eh iacts OF nature shaIlabe. ana ALI the
81 oeriec' and pisfi the ballads shall be good
The trouble with the nursery classic, ac-
cording to these gentle women is that It is
utterly unfit for children to read This a
sweeping indictment. They say that it is
brutal. and coarse, and violent; that the
poetry is not poetry; that the natural his
tory is not correct the morals are not
proper, and, lastly and most emphatically,
it is not TRUE. Hence they wish to cast
down Mother Goose" and set up Mother
Truth" In her stead
OF course, If they want to do ANYTHING
OF that kind, they are at perfect liberty to
do tiff they can. But such a reform will
be slow in coming, and there will be many
devotees of the old-fashioned nursery lin
giles who will refuse to give up their allie
glance. The conscientious reformers viii
have to begin with the grandmothers.
Ninety-nine grandmothers in a hundred
rocked their babies to the tune of Hey,
Diddle. Diddle." and Baby Bunting" and
trotted them to "Banbury Cross" and they
will be obdurate when told that they must
not do anything OF the sort with their
grandchildren. Then. there will be the
children themselves. 1t is all very well to
talk about bringing up children. but any
one who has had much experience with
them knows that a two-year- old baby is
The times., 1899-07-16
CONDITIONS IN GUATEMALA.
The Country on the Verge of Col
lapsc-A Financial Crisis.


New. York. July l5.-fn private letter
just received in this city, the cause for the
despatch of German and British warships
to Guatemala and the need for a demon
stration in behalf of the foreign creditors
OF that Republic are somewhat explained
This country" the letter declares, lis on
the verge OF complete collapse. Ex-
change on the United States is at 500 per
cent, and will go higher yet. | wouldn't
De surprised to see 1t go up to 1000 per
cent and over in the next six months.
The Government has no money to pay Of
hceholders. and is grabbing what II can
get out OF the banks and private indi-
viduals. 1t pays nobody anything. not
even interest, because there is little or no
revenue, and everything available is stolen
by the high officials. Foreigners are being
driven out of the country because they
won't give money to the Government and
refuse to accept paper money just issued
at par value. AS a great amount OF money
Is owed by the Government to the very
foreigners who are being kicked out, there
Is talk OF foreign Intervention OF the
allied European powers and the United
states on behalf of their subjects and
citizens.
They say several English, French, Ger
man, Italian, and American warshipS are
on their way to Puerto Banios and San
Jose on the Pacific. In case the foreign
ers are not paid they say they will land
troops and hold the custom house until
they collect what they want Others ex-
pect that the country will be occupied and
managed for while until II is on good
financial footing again. giving. in the
mean while, a certain amount to the Gov
ernment for expenses. After that, annex
alton may come.
"All sensible people here. native and for
eign, are wishing for all this to come and
at once, even annexation, which would be
the best and quickest way to settle this
question, and to do away with the him-fam
Government and hades of a financial con-
dition. Nobody wants to work; those who
do work lose, and il you have money here
on investments or otherwise you are likely
to lose 100 per cent every month. as ex-
change often goes up to that amount in a
few days. If We don't have foreign inter-
vention or annexation soon we will be
ruined and have to start life over in some
other country.
For the present 1t is impossible to get
out OF this hole. because nobody will pay
you what they owe, and the exchange rate
is ruinous IL you want to take funds out.
For Gods sake. do what you can up there
to favor United States intervention, or,
better still, annexation, as soon as possible
before we are eaten up"
The times., 1899-07-16
Fighting n Bugahoo.

The State committee Of the Chicago
platform Democrats of New York is start
ing out early on hunt for trouble. 1t has
voted to hold "a great silver mass meet
ing" in New York city on Labor Day.
which interesting date is more than seven
weeks of. We are told that the State COM
mitteemen expect that it will attract such
a tremendous audience that the largest
auditorium in the city will be too small to
This expectation is very encouraging
sign of the times, and we hope it will be
more than realized. The Committeeman
express themselves as very well pleased
with the record they have made this year."
That ought to be extremely gratifying TO
every Democrat. They say. too, that 1.-The
work OF organizing in all parts of the
State is progressing satisfactorily, and
that the formation of Assembly district or
ganizations in New York and Kings couu-
ty has been found to be remarkably easy"
This is an excellent indication OF the
growth of Democratic sentiment and the
Strengthening Of Democratic courage
party everywhere.
If the committee had contented itself
with the announcement OF such favorable
reports as we have indicated IL would have
displayed very good judgment -;as;5,d end n, ~.
same time shown that it was NOT ,pcI,ros
to hunt trouble, knowing that both,
some busybodies will find the comm,,,a,
and everybody else soon enough ANYWAY
But the New Workers had to adopt a rc~,-
luton which they are going to send TO
Chicago by a picked delegation to force
upon the attention OF the national commit
tee when 1t meets there next Thursday.
This is the resolution:
That all delegates admitted to the next ma
tional conyentien must be who in 1896 not
only endorsed and supported the Chicago plat
form and the said Presidential nominee, but they
must be men who have ever since, and who do
now, endorse and affirm such platform as the
platform of the Democratic party.
The only effect such a resolution could
have. If pressed upon the attention of the
national committee, would be to confuse
and hamper the work which the commit
tee has been summoned to Chicago to do
In the call for the meeting the committee
is restricted TO its legitimate functions,
which al this time do not embrace the duty
or the privilege of apportioning the repre-
sentation to the next national convention.
The committee has been called together
solely for the purpose of deyising some
comprehensive and effective scheme OF
party organization. This does not mean
reorganization. 1t means simply to take
stock of the party Just as 1t stands and
systematizing and disciplining its forces
early. so that when the campaign of 1900
opens the Democratic lines will be dressed,
The times., 1899-07-16
Redcap Rule Vanishing.

tFrom the Boston tiobe.)
Paris is no longer France, in the sense of
swaying the destnes of the nation. She has lost
her home rule and is now governed by the
provinces. President Loubet is provincial him
self and SO many of the highest officials OF
the country. No opportunity is lost to lessen
Partisan influence and send army officers threat
cned with too much and influence along
the boulevards to far-distant posts in Africa or
elsewhere France is now on her good behavior.
Every days new revelation of the tortures and
indignites heaped upon Captain Dreyfus serves
to popularize his cause among all right-thinking
men. 1t is too late for the sansculottsm of Paris
TO do much TO overturn things in these days
it did in the days OF the revolution and the
commune.
The times., 1899-07-16

bottles of cinnamon and four bottles of
Sunday morning he was sober, but he was
dead.
The only shining truth which one can
extract from this tale is that it was
lucky escape for the girl whom the youth
was TO have married. When man
has the whisky habit SO badly that he has
to spend twelve solid hours dosing him.
self with cinnamon and peppermint in Or
der to become sober life in his immediate
neighborhood is not likely to be pleasant
The whisky habit by itself is bad enough.
but the combination is something weird
and terrible
The times., 1899-07-16

equal totheftask of bringing up a whole
family, and generally does it, with varia-
tions. When that baby cuddles seraphi-
cally down. to sleep to the sound Of
'Mother Go4se and sits up and squalls
In rage q tAe mere suggestion of Mother
Truth, how long will it take TO bring the
household ~ fferms? And that is what will
happen. There is an ingrained. inborn
love Of E1hses foolish little folk-songs in
the bresst 6f every English-born child.
They appeal somehow to the imagination
of the Attie people, which is not alto
gether Ike Dur own-let us be thankful
for that. When one is only three feet
high, and the garden is a jungle, and the
turkey cock ferocious monster, one natu-
rally does not see things in just the same
light as person of six feet odd and
college education. At that tender age one
is willing to leave Omar Khayyam' alone
and listen to the tale Of the reprehensible
Tom, the piper's son, or Of "Old King
Cole" who is sort of a children's edi-
tion of Omar
OF course, some of the folklore Of the
nursery is barbarous, but it is a sad fact
that barbarity appeals to children as strict
ly moral tales do not Their imagination
is sort of alchemy which transforms the
story of the Forty Thieves into mild and
innocent if spicy dream. As between the
story of David and Goliath and that of
Little Samuel, on Sunday afternoon, they
will take the story of the fight every time.
A ehild's Imagination is thing which it
is rather unwise to attempt to train. OF
course, it is not well that ghost and muir
der stories with horrible pictures should
be left about where children can see them,
or that they should be left to learn the
facts of life from vulgar people; but for
some reason or other the old-fashioned
nursery jingles and fairy tales are not apt
to stimulate the baby mind beyond its en-
durance, or put notions of mischief into
the active little brain. 1t is generally safe
to let them revel in all the quaint, gro
tesque, and beautiful fairy-world which
other children have enjoyed, and let them
select for themselves what they like best
of the new devices offered for their enter
tainment.
The times., 1899-07-16
A story without "a Moral.

A case of death from a peculiar COM
bination of causes is reported from Lin
coin county, West Virginia, and those who
are disposed TO violent mental exertion
may find some sort of moral lesson In
it. A citizen OF that county was about to
marry, and started out TO prepare for the
occasion in what he thought fitting man
ner. II appears that he carried his prep
arations too far. He came to town to
buy his wedding garments and to work on
some Of his hilarity or his apprehension
- is not certain which. He went on a
spree which lasted for several days.
Finally, in lucid interval. 1t occurred
10 him that he would have TO get himself
into condition suitable to attend his own
wedding. 1t being then Friday, and the
date OF the marriage set for Sunday. So
he began drinking things calculated to
counteract the liquor. He drank fourteen
The times., 1899-07-16
Small Change.

(From the Atlanta JouTnal)
The French. who beat the world in saving
money and living within their means, have
coin which is worth less than one-hith OF
cent, and it is used very largely. We look upon
a copper with contempt aud only few years
ago the cent-piece was rarely seen in the South
Persons who had cent or two cents coming to
them in change would walk away without it,
We have learned better sense and now the mer.
chants who advertise an article at 90 cents which
his competitor sells for a dollar, will attract
customers who would not otherwise buy Of him
IL is good thing TO consider the humble penny
One cent often can he made to do much good.
The Government should provide an abundance of
small change