The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-26

N HE man of the hour in Germany VY Is August Bebel. who recently led
 the socialists to their overwhelm- ing victory against the kaiser. The so- eialists cast 100000 ballots. representing one-third of the entire vote of the em- plre.
 Bebel was born. at Cologne in the year 184O. His father was an infantry sergeant in one of the German regiments. At an early age he learned the trade of tur- ner and tramped through his native land In search of work. He joined the social democratic party which was founded by William Liebknecht about forty years ago. Both he and Liebknecht have served many terms of imprisonment for their po- litical beliefs. Altogether Rebel has spent fifty-seven months behind prison bars. While thus confined he spent his time in reading and study.
 Bebers first and most successful book was Die Frau" which was planned in prison. This Is the most popular of his publications although he has written many other works. Die Frau has run through twenty-five editions in Germany and has been translated into fifteen for eign languages. It treats of the indus trial conditions under which women have to live and was written as result of Bebel's strong championship of woman's rights at the ballot box. Rebel has for many years been a courageous fighter for political reforms in Germany, and has bearded the kaiser unflinchingly. It looks now as if he has won a remarkable vic- tory in the last reichstag elections.
 The one hundredth anniversary of the battle of Waterloo has just passed, and this mile post in the worlds history was scarcely mentioned. so much are people absorbed in matters of the present. No nation and no people observed the day which marked the overthrow or the great Napoleon. Germany and England passed over the event without any remark. al- though Waterloo was pernaps the most significant struggle for these two na- tions that was ever fought. A year or two ago the magazines and papers were food ed with articles about Napoleon, and in view of this so recent revival of Ma poleonia," it Is remarkable that the am niversary of Waterloo passed by un- noticed and forgotten.
 America is the home of the candy eat CTS. The sweetmeats of various kinds sold in this country every year amount to $100, 100000 Of this sum New York con- tributes $200Oo,oO0 or one-fifth. Pennsyl- vania, Massachusetts and Illinois come next in order. The candy-making center of the United States Is in New York, where there are 300 factories. It is re- markable that less sweetmeats and con factions are consumed in those localities where there are foreign residents than where the people are. native-born Ameri- cans.
 Alpine plants and flowers are said to be rapidly becoming extinct, and steps have been taken to preserve them from the hand of the despoiler The prefect of the Alps in Savoy has issued an edict forbid ding the uprooting of the edelwess, the orchis, the blue thistle. the Alpine cle- matis, silver geranium, mountain rhodo~ dendron, gentian, arnica and many other plants. The search for the edelweiss has been the theme of many pretty love stories of the Alps, but the ingenious nc- ton weayers will now have to turn their attention to new fields However, the beautiful poem of the "Fringed Gentian" will not be effected.
 From Kansas comes the call for labor CTS in the wheat fields. It is reported that 2S,OOo extra men are needed to harvest the crop, and unless they are found within