davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
War Taxes Repealed.

On July 1, now near at hand, the last of the taxes laid on account of the war with Spain will be repealed. The stamp taxes on brokers con tracts, custom house papers, drafts. bills of exchange, sleeping car tickets and the like will then disappear. The tax on beer will be reduced to one dollar a barrel, which was the rate before the war with Spain. Like re- auctions occur In regard to cigars and tobacco.
 The tax on tea, however, stands un- til January l next, when 1t too will ex- pire. This tax is ten cents pound, and 1t should have been the first, in- stead of the last, of the war taxes to be repealed, because it is felt in more homes than is the sleeping car stamp tax, or the beer tax The tax on tea is a very onerous one in many hum ble homes, 1t being ten cents a pound, and every bit of this tax Is taken out of consumers. And yet the bucket shops are to be relieved of all federal taxation on July 1, while the tax on tea Is to stand until January l.
 These reductions will not greatly affect the revenue of the government, chiefly because the country Is increas- ing in every respect, and trade is very prosperous. The surplus of the fiscal year that will be ended at the end of the present month will be about ESQ., 100000, balance much too large for the good of the country, involving as it does unnecessary taxation, and in viting as it does extravagant appro- priations.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
Tobacco Habit.

''The bishop of an Episcopal diocese in the northwest who issued pronuncia- mento against the use of tobacco the other day was probably intent on mak- ing a sensation" said a religious man who smokes a pipe.
 ''The right reverend ecclesiastic referred to tobacco as curse and inveighed against 1t as if 1t had been in the same class with whisky. Tobacco Is no more of curse than tea or coffee. The ex- cessive use of coffee is injurious, and so is the excessive use of tobacco and the excessive use of everything else. But thousands of people find in coffee a harm less stimulant, and I believe that to- bacco helps more people than it injures Perhaps the anti-tobacco bishop Is a dyspeptic and cannot indulge in the weed with impunity If that is so, he should not begrudge those who derive benefit from it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
Id lands irrinatlnn.

The arid lands bill promises to be- come law, and very important and far-reaching law it will be. The bill was passed by the Senate several weeks ago, and it went through the House by vote of 146 to 55y A few amendments were adopted by the House, but there is little doubt of an agreement between the houses. The President favors the bill, and 1t is as good as law today.
 The bill in short creates reclama- tion fund from the sale of public lanas in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kan. as, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, washington and Wyoming. This fund is to be used for the con- st. uction and maintenance of irriga- tion works in the States and territo- ries named. There Is no appropria- tion whatever, but when the sales of public lands, which now amount to about s3,OO0,OOO a year, will permit the construction of irrigation works they shall be constructed.
 For example, reservoir to cost $10,00J,00 is to be constructed. It will reclaim by the moisture route
 ,J0U acres of land. These acres are to be sold to actual settlers and home steaders at the bare cost of reclama- rion, or s10 an acre. Only settlers can buy such lands, and one man can buy but 160 acres. Inis would put the cost of retaining the desert back into the reclamation fund to be reapplied in other places, and so on until per haps 74,0O0,000 acres of our vast arid wastes are reclaimed-an empire in itself.
 The importance of this measure cannot well be overestimated. It is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
rUCIEN JULIEN WALKER.
THE CANAL VOTE.

Washington Cor. Chicago Record Herald.
 Another dramatic element was obvious enough. white-haired, wrinkle browed old man sat in a front seat. He was bowed and broken in defeat, but brave to the last. Half his life had been spent In labor for the Nicaragua canal. For years he had been the leader whom men of both parties, of both houses, were glad to follow. A veritable giant he had been in other days Now he was shrunk- en and shriveled. The scepter had passed from 1is hands. Across the aisle, sml- ing. radiant, surrounded by his brisk lieutenarts giving his orders and know ing that they would be obeyed. sat the new leader. with his eighty majority be- hind him.
 The poor old Morgan, the victorious Hanna, were incarnations of the differ- ence between the old South and the North. Morgan. studious, dreamy, wordy, unadaptable. courageous but unbusiness- like. welded to an old idol. Hanna, alert. practical, masterful man of business. every great competition superiority must win in the end. Morgan's idea was of the old South. Hanna's idea was essentially that of the shrewd pushing North. The men of the new South stood loyalty by Morgan, many of them against their judgment But the North prevailed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
What Would Democrats Do if They Captured Congressl

standing committees of the house on ex- pendltures of the various departments of the government. So obscure are they that the public doesn' know they exist and scarcely one of them has been heard of for nearly thirty years, except when clerk would read them out as having been named by the speaker in the first month of the first session of each succeed ing congress Yet these little committees. which have nothing to do in these days of never hold meetings, do exist and given certain conditions are capable of doing great work
 It Is something like thirty years ago since the country heard much of any one of these so-called smelling committees. Then the world rung with the doings of one of them. It was that one officially known as the committee on expenditures of the war department Joe Blackburn. then new and obscure member was made chairman of the committee, the house at that time being Democratic and the senate and President Republican, conditions which may exist after the 4th of next March.
 Ambitious and zealous, Blackburn argued that the business of an investigat ing committee was to investigate, a proposition in effect long afterwards made famous by Lord Randolph Church. ills dictum that 1t was the duty of the opposition to oppose. And so the Ken tuckian set to work Investigating the expenditures in the War Department The official corruption he discovered and exposed proved disastrous to the Repub- lican party, and It still smells to heaven.
 Let us assume therefore that the next House will be Democratic, and that the speaker. whoever he may be, will have the good sense to make the right man chairman of the committee on Expendi- lures in the War Department. The prob able result may be left to the imagfna- ton, for it quite takes ones breath away.
 Why, there is more damned villainy and criminal folly concealed under our military occupation of Cuba than ever begotten of the Whisky Ring and Star Route frauds of Grants tune. And the Philippines? The commissary and trans port services? When all the facts are laid bare they will appall the American peo- pie.
 YNrR
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
HIS PUSH FOR RECIPROCITY.

Washington Dispatch to the New York
 Herald
 In conversation one of the President s close friends in Congress stated that the finishing blow has been dealt to this bill by:
 Three members of the cabinet.
 The Republican national committee. through almost all It's members.
 Secret opposition of pretended friends of the President In the Senate.
 Disclosure by F. B. Thurber.
 Early hostility by Speaker Henderson and Representatives Payne Dalzell and Grosvenor.
 This is a combination that no President, however great and persistent, could beat. and 1t was only after q thorough realiza- ton by the President and his real friends that defeat and disaster were admitted. The admission came from the White House in a semi-official announcement this afternoon in these words:
 Tt Is now pretty clearly understood that the President has done all he Is go- ing to do as to reciprocity legislation. He is through with conferences, and does not intend to follow his recent special message with further action of any kind. He does not feel that the defeat of reciprocity would be a defeat of his own proposition. and therefore he has no particular pride or ambition. Cuban reef procity was advocated by President Mo Kiniey and others, and was one of the problems inherited by President Roose- welt. He believes 1t to be a right and just policy, but he is not to be held re- sponsible for Its defeat. and would prob ably not use all his powers to secure it's adoption"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT

From the Bessemer Workman.
 It Is announced that Hon. Chapel Cory of Montgomery will be a candidate for State superintendent of education and he will be a formidable candidate. Gifted. progressive, wide awake, thoroughly cog nizant of the needs of the State in an educational line. he Is well fitted in every way for the office he seeks and If elected to the position he will make a most wor- thy and efficient officer. There Is no man In Alabama better known nor one who Is more popular with all classes of men than Chapel Cory and his brethren of the press will doubtless rally to his support.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
IN HOTEL BILOBES
 AND ELSEWHERE

Women Can't Witness In Louisiana.
 'Tt will be rather disappointing for the Alabama women in charge of the Jeffer- son Davis relics at Montgomery to learn they have made an error." said visitor yesterday.
 A few weeks ago, at their convention, if I remember correctly, 1t was an- nounced that Mrs. Davis had conveyed these relics of her illustrious husband by will to the organization. The docu- ment as printed in full showed that 1t was executed in New Orleans, duly sign ed by Mrs. Davis and two women of the committee appointed to attend to the matter Apparently the document fills all legal requirements. and in most states 1t would be so, but not In Louisiana. Law in that state was fashioned on the old French model, which subordinated woman very much in a legal way. AS result a woman cannot be a witness In the signature of a legal document. Such being the case, the will made by Mrs. Davis is void.
 This fact that women cannot witness legal documents was brought out strong ly few years ago. Women who are tax payers can vote or bond propositions In Louisiana. Also. if woman does not de- sire to go to the polls personally she can issue proxy signed by herself and two witnesses and the holder thereof can vote In her stead
 When I was in New Orleans they were voting on the proposition to issue bonds fer an extensive sewer system. Miss Cor don undertook the work of collecting proxies to vote In favor of the bonds. For a while she paid no special atten- tion to the persons who signed as wit nesses. but her attention was called to the fact that while a woman could sign proxy as principal, she could not sign as a witness. Consequently a good many proxies had to be made out over again. Its the same way with this will made by Mrs. Davis. Two women signed as witnesses but their attestation will not be considered in a Louisiana court, ac- ording to the way I understand things legal document must conform to the laws O.. the locality in which 1t is made hence it will be necessary for the Ala bama women, If they want to be sure of the will, Co have 1t made cut once more and in strict conformity with local law"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
THE EXILE OF ERIN.

By Thomas Campbell. There came to the beach a poor exile of
 Erin, The dew on his thin robe was heavy and
 chill; For his country he sigh'd when at
 twilight repairing To wander alone by the wind-beaten hill But the day-star attT acted his eyes sad Fer 1t rose OCT his own native isle of the
 ocean, Where once In the fervor of youths
 warm emotion, He sung the bold anthem of Erin go
 bragh.'
 stranger. The wild deer and wolf to a covert can
 flee; But I have no refuge from famine and
 danger. A home and country remain not to me. Never again, in the green sunny bowers. Where my forefathers lived, shall I spend
 the sweet hours. Or cover my harp with the wild woven And strike to the numbers of Erin so
 bragh." Erin my country though sad and for
 5aken, In dreams I revisit thy sea-beaten shore, But, alas! In a far foreign land awaken. And sigh for the friends who can meet
 me no more, Oh, cruel Fate! wilt thou never replace
 me In mansion of peace. where no perils
 can chase me? Never again shall my brothers embrace
 mo? They died to defend me. or live to de-
 plore! Where Is my cabin-door, fast by the wild
 wood? Sisters and sire did ye weep for its fall7 Where is the mother. that look'd on my
 childhood, And where Is the bosom-friend, dearer
 than all? Oh! my sad heart. long abardon'd by
 pic asure, Why did it dote on fast.fading treas-
 ure? Tears. like the raindrops may fall with
 out measure, But rapture and beauty they cannot re-
 call. Yet, all its sad rtcollections suppress
 ing, One dying wish my lc ne bosom can draw; Erin an exile bequeaths thee his blessing, Land of my forefathers! Erin go bragn! Buried and cold, wher my heart stills her
 motion. Green be thy fields. sweetest isle of the
 ocean! And thy haIp-striking bards sing aloud
 with devotion, Erin mavourninl Erin go brashr'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
CIeveland's Speech.

"I have been reading the comments of some of the leading papers of the country north and south--on Cleveland's Tilden Club speech and all save one or two of them discuss it in friendly tone, most of the editorials being strong in commen- dation of the ex-President," said an old Democrat.
 "A conservative Republican journal says of the distinguished Democrat: MT. Cleveland occupies position of unusual strength in his role of counselor for two reasons. In the first place he Is not open to the suspicion of desiring further per sonal honors. He would rather fish the brooks of Princeton than receive any nomination, however complimentary, from tho party that twice elevated him to the presidency. He Is merely a spectator of events, a man who during the period of his own leadership saw Democracy win great successes and who wishes that the party might emerge once more from It's slough of despond. MT. Cleveland second source of strength consists in the lack of success that has attended the Democracy since the Young Lochnvar came out of the west and captured the Chicago con- vention in 1S96
 The only paper I have come across that discusses the ex-President in an un- friendly spirit Is the Louisville Courier Journal. but Editor watterson has never, I am told, said anything good of MT. Cleveland In ten years. I have read two or three cutting articles on Cleveland by
 
 was keyed up to Watterson's most pas sionate pitch.
 Cleveland will always have a host of ardent admirers and the faith of the con- servative,Democrats in Cleveland's states manship and force of character can never be shaken"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

From the Huntsville Herald.
 The newspapers of North Alabama that are advocating a state convention in- stead of a state primary are not true to their own people. They are in fact ad- vocating the doctrine that one white man from another section of the state should have as much voice in the government as five or six of their own people. They are endeavoring to put the people who support their papers, men whose money keeps the papers going. to the great po- litical odds of to 1. This looks ungrate- ful to say the least of 1t. that they should seek to put in this unfair position men whose patronage makes their papers sue cessful,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
A TROUBLE-HUNTER.

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
 Miss Rebecca Taylor. who was dis missed from a position in one of the de- partmcnts in Washington the other day for a too free and frequent use of her pen in berating the President for the in- iquities she imputed to him in connec- known in St. Paul, where some years ago she was a school teacher. She then disclosed an extraordinary faculty for raising a rumpus on small provocation. Tfat she has managed to live at Wash ington for several years without getting into a row with somebody about some- thing before this is rather surprising to ner old friends in St. Paul.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

rranch road to the Illinois Central. This important railroad connection is almost sure to materialize.
 Meridian has a solid commercial busi- ress and many fiourishing industries. The Virginia Carolina Chemical Company has bought site of S2O acres just outside of sne city and will begin at once the con- struction of a $500, 900 fertilizer factory and oil mill plant. understand that this com pany will erect other plants in Missis- sippi and that it will make Meridian its headquarters for the state.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
STRONG FOR JAKEY.

From the Manila American.
 General Smith more than realized the expectations of his friends. Everyone who knows the intrepid little general and his splendid record has felt sure, ever since the news that he was to be tried was published, that 'Jakey'' Smith, who in all his long and glorions career, never yet shirked ac risis. would prove himself equal to the emergency when the crucial moment should come. and acquit himself like a man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

not a political measure, and party lines were not drawn upon it. It Is simply a great effort to enlarge the field of the homee-sader and to bring 10 use vast tracts that are now worthless. In every respect the bill is one of great merit, and the fact that 1t was passed in the House against the wishes of the House lead CTS does not lessen it's value.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
VALUABLE MANUSCRIPT.

From Public Opinion
 The two greatest manuscripts in Amer lea, according to the Bookman. are the manuscript of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, which Is in the government archives. and which has become H. legible. and the life of Benjamin Frank lin. written by himself (the only manu- script entirely in his own handwriting). which changed hands a few weeks ago and was added to a private collection In New York City. The Franklin manuscript was discovered In France some years ago. in the possession of the descendants of M. de Vaillard, to whom 1t had been given by William Temple Franklin, Franklin's grandson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
SAGE STILL AN FARMER.

New York Letter in the Pittsburg Dis
 patch.
 On August 1 next Russell Sage will be s6 years old. He has now entirely recov- cred from his recent illness. and today attended the meeting of four boards of directors to which he belongs. MT Sage gets an income of about $15,O00 a year from the fees paid to him as a director. He Is a member of boards of twenty-six companies and institutions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
Lands of the Friars.

The cable brings intelligence that the Vatican will not oppose the sale of the lands of the friars In the Philip pines to the United States. The sub feet was referred to a committee con- sisting of five cardinals, and four of them favor a sale of the lands, only Cardinal Steinhuber, a Jesuit, oppos- ing the sale. Governor Taft will be undoubtedly therefore successful in his mission. and thus one troublesome question in the endless Philippine se- ries will be settled. The Taft proposi- tions are briefly these:
 friars, the price to be fixed by arbitra- tion.
 Second-The arbiters to fix the in- demnity which the Americans shall pay for occupying ecclesiastical buildings.
 Third-The above propositions ab- solutely conditional on the withdrawal of the friars.
 Fourth-If the other propositions are accepted the Americans propose to give deed or by law to grant patent to ecclesiastical buildings on public lands.
 Fifth-To settle by compromise or arbitration the several trusts for schools. hospitals, etc., claimed on the one hand by the civil and on the other hand by the church authorities.
 The one proposition sternly insist ed on by Governor Taft is the with drawal of the friars from the islands, undemocratic as that proposition may be. They are unpopular among the Filipinos, for they represent in Luxor the old Spanish rule and Spanish methods. They came originally iron Spain, and Spain took good care tc protect them in the treaty of Paris As a matter of fact nearly all the friars have left the Philippines, going largely to South American countries, but their lands remain, and 1t is thes. the United States desires to buy, the price to be named by arbitration.
 It is said very keen controversy will arise over the disposition of the money to be paid by the United States, which may be about s5,O00 900 The Propaganda having the care ant oversight of foreign missions wil claim 1t. and so will the religious or ders in the Philippines This is, how ever, a piece of business that does no concern the American government and the Vatican will settle the ques tion in its own way. The dispositicI of the purchased lands Will become al American question, and as these lands are the pick of fertile and populous Luzon no little trouble and some scan dal will perhaps alise over them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
MoNARcHIAL CONVENTIONS.

From the Enterprise Enterprise.
 Now we defy the Clipper to show an in- stance In the history of politics anywhere and at any time when the weakest man. the dark horse or the unknown candidate was nominat ted in a primary. This is the peoples plan and the bedrock of personal liberty, and whenever you leave it you are YnisrllIe
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
A Growing City.

Tn 1900 the census gave Vicksburg a few hundred more population than Merid- ian, but today Meridian has larger pop u,ation by probably 15Oo than the older city," said Mir R. H. Walker. managing editor of the Meridian Press at the Flor ence.
 "our city has now population of about ls,ooo and 1t Is growing steadily. With the suburbs included Meridian has fully 10000. The Board of Trade is strongly organised ard it is back of the movement to build .
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

In spite of the snowdrifts the Boer army Is coming in and surrendering promptly. Peace that people really want cannot be blocked by mere snow storms.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

King Edward had the old familiar stomach ache, but IL was necessary to give the complaint a bigger name in order to make it correspond to the victims condition in life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

General Gomez drew pensions from two countries, and as he was born in San Domingo he may yet collar a third one.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

The Kansas City platform has been repudiated by Senator Jones of Ar. kansas and 1t may now be considered a back number.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

Grover Cleveland Is doctor of so many things the list of them is kept as the umpire keeps account of balls and strikes in a ball game.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
From the Montevallo Sentinel.

Governor Jelks says he is in favor of state primary. It Is only question of very short time when all the state of- fcers will be on that platform. It re- mains to be seen whether the state com mittee will go to the back yard all by Its lone self and dec.ae to turn down the people Such an action we believe would injure the party.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

Billy NLason went over to the rail- road side after all, as did all others who have lost out"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23

The Chicago's men in Venice were promptly whitewashed. Wine first and whltewash afterwards.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-23
From the Greenville Living Truth

From the Greenville Living Truth.
 Candidates for state offices are fairly falling over each other in trying to get on the primary band wagon. The pri- mary is the popular thing just now, and the astute politician realizes it and is getting on the popular side.