The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-24

THE Rev. Dr. Charles II. PaGShurst \C4 has returned from Europe and
 has immediately began to load up the columns of the New York papers with his views of politics and other mat ters that have not the slightest connec- ton with his duties as a minister of the gospel It would be a pity to style the doctors utterances as hot air. but they come perilously near to being in that category It is a queer custom we have nowadays of publishing what we think of this, that, and the other subject sim ply because we have attained to a more prominent position in the world than some of our fellows. It makes no differ ence what Dr. Parkhurst thinks of New York state campaign or the national campaign. Events are shaped according to the deeds of workers and what a well known man thinks of the situation is val uable only as coming from a public char acter and affordlng lesser lights the op- portunity of finding out if that particular | individual thinks as they do themselves. But the trouble with Dr. Parkhurst is that he is too fond of meddling in mat ters where the cloth is sadly out of place. There is a marked tendency among a cer- tain class of ministers of today to hold their congregations with long, -winded dis cussions of the tariff. the political out look and other subjects that are at- tracting public attention. The Bible has become back number and the parable of today is drawn from the trust barons or the politicians, who make very good publicans. The old deacons complaint aginst the fiddle in the choir has been for gotten now. The choir is a money making organization and the preacher is well read lecturer who draws his lessons from current events and closely resembles the college professor.
 The Washington Post has incurred the displeasure of school boys and girls by protesting against special holidays The Post points out that with the long sum- mer vacation, the Christmas holidays, and other occasions that are generally ob- served in the schools of this country, the time for study has already been suf- ficiently curtailed It is probable that in Washington there are more opportuni- l ties for school children to escape from their studies than in any other city in the United States. Public ceremonies are constantly being performed that would throw a quiet Alabama schoolroom into furor. One of the arguments advanced by the Post against giving any more holi- days than are absolutely necessary is the fact that our school curriculum has been greatly advanced during the past few years. as result of progress made in the arts and sciences. The youngster of today has to absorb far more knowledge than was the case twenty or thirty years ago. Now that President Eliot is talking of curtailing the college course still fur ther 1t is necessary that every day of the of the country.
 One of the many difficulties that beset the life of our firemen Is the ever-present wire-telegraph, trolley and telephone. In large city where the slender threads and great cables form g perfect network dangers In fighting big conflagration are multiplied. The deadly trolley is most to be feared. In running up the ladders if poor fellow happens to come in contact with one of these feed wires his death is certain. Even after the wires are passed the men are continually harrassed In their movements and are prevented from doing the effective service that would be pos sible If some way could be found to en- tirely eliminate overhead wires. In most of the larges cities efforts have been made to insulate feed wires but this pro- tection Is not general
 The new Philippine census brings the cheering assurance that Uncle Sam has not adopted quite so many wards as peo- pie have generally supposed. Heretofore no actual count has ever been made, the Spaniards contenting themselves with a rough estimate, and the figure has been placed as high as 100000. The count of the war department, which is in itself far