davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
CONNECTING AND THEN TRYING.

There has been too much disposition on the part of some of the press and public in the North and West to first convict and then try the whole State of Alabama on the charge of peonage. Information not accessible to the local press has been freely given out from Washington, de- tailing the most horrible treatment of me- groes on certain farms and by certain persons, and 1t has been sought to ere ate the impression by that testimony of wholesale criminality. The fact of all this testimony. evidently obtained in Wash ington from reports given out by attaches of the Department of Justice. being scat tered in the North and West, has created the impression that the Alabama matter cal factor in coming elections. Why was all this testimony kept from the local press and the State press, if not for the purpose of getting it where it would likely be used for political interests?
 It is easy to say that the crime of peonage is extensive in Alabama, but facts do not warrant any such assertion. The cases are exceptional and the locali- ties few No matter where may be found, the men guilty of it should be punished to the full limit of the law. and ever good citizen will say amen to this sentiment. There is no opposition to the Federal Court handling the matter. Un- der the circumstances we believe that in strumentality is the best, because of the fact that witnesses do not have to appear in local courts and jurors do not have to be summoned from the immediate vi- cinity. Let no guilty man escape" is the sentiment of all true Alabamians. We are firmly persuaded that the prosecu- tions now going on will have a powerful effect on those who may in any way have desired to secure the services of men otherwise than in strict accord with the laws of the State, and with the dictates of humanity.
 These prosecutions have been initiated by Southern men. The Grand Jury find ing the indictments is composed of rep resentative citizens from all over this judicial district. Most of them are native Alabamians, some of them were Confed- crate soldiers, and, with only few ex- captions, all are Democrats. To use these cases, therefore, for political purposes is nothing short of infamous.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
WILKES BOOTH MYTH.
Like the Monmouth and Marshal Ney
 Myths, It Will Not Down.

Boston Transcript.
 The story which comes from the West that J. Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln. died lately as January last self slain. in a little town in Oklahoma is in- teresting only showing that a historical myth, familiar to all readers of the history of older nations is making its appearance in this new land. Otherwise 1t might be dismissed as smply the advance story of the silly sea- son"
 If ever a man was killed in the manner described by history that man was J. Wilkes Booth. Not only was his identity proved by the incidents of the pursuit. by the papers taken from his body at the time of his death but the Government took every precaution against any possibility of mistake When Booths body was brought to Washington fl was identified by many who had known him well. among thems his physician. who found the scar of peculiar surgical operation he had performed in the removal of a tunor Again, when some years later the body was disinterred and given to the Booth family for final interment Edwin Booth took measures which placed its identity beyond all possible question. J. Wilkes Booths body was de- posted In the family lot in Green Mount Gem etery, Baltimore. more than thirty-four years ago. and its interment there has been off cially certified.
 Yet such is the force of myth and the popu- lar love for the mysterious that there are persons in Washington itself who seriously maintain that Booths body sunk in the Potomac by order of the Government. and that President Johnson. when he armed Ed win Booth with authority to make the trans fer to the Baltimore cemetery, was either the victim of an imposition himself or knowingly participated in deception.
 Myths of this nature almost naturally spring up out of the graves of men who have played a great tragic part in a striking historic drama. Thus. although the Duke of Monmouth was publicly executed in the presence of thou sands, though among those who accompanied him to the scaffold were some who had been in happier days his intimate friends, there was large element, with whom he had been
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
Some Small People.
Livingston Southern Home.
 A Methodist nreacher rode Si

Livingston Southern Homs.
 A Methodist preacher rode six miles through the cold and rain to marry couple. and after the knot was tied the newly married groom in a yery diinifed manner handed the minister 10 cents. re- marking that he guessed that would pay him for his trouble. Another groom asked the minister how nuch the law allowed him for such services, and the dear minister told him "50 cents," then the proud fellow handed him a quarter, saying take this, 1t makes 75 cents.' If you want to see fellow get so small that he can crawl into a woodpecker's hole just ask him for a dollar for the preacher or some other good cause and you will see this sleight of hand trick. These kind will'' people have to get some good out of their money when 1t goes. Then comes the dwarf who says the preachers children had as well be :gnor- ant as his. No wonder a large ps: cent of the people are in the same fix as old man Nose. who said he was 'out of meat, lard, corn, flour, sugar, Coffee, tobacco, clothes, money, friends and out of h-liy d-d tight squeeze"
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26

an idol. who insisted that another than Mon | mouth was decapitated. It was gravely main tained by these deniers of all probability thai follower of Monmouth who greatly resem bied him had died in his place.
 still another theory was that James IT must at the last moment have arranged a pio, by which Monmouth escaped the ax and be. came the Man in the Iron Mesk"~1yb,ct mask. by the way. not iron-Iouis XIV Rindly consentfng to take upon hinosaK tbs cnarRe and care of the Duke Long year. stterward historians took the trouble to dem- onstrate that. whoever the Iron Masl'' was ne could not have been Monmouth, So strong was the popular belief that Mornouth es- caped the ax that at least two men appeared in England. claiming to he Monmouth. and ture
 The belief that Marshal Ney was not shot in the Luxembourg Garden. but escaped either oy collusion with those appointed to be his eAecuIioners or by the devotion of one who resembled him and died for him. still has strength enough to survive to this day Only few years ago bulky volume in support or the theory that Marshal Ney escaped and came to this country was published Yet If any historical fact has been established beyond peradventure 1t Is that Marshal Ney was executed in pursuance of his sentence To break the force of evidence the believers In the Ney myth have set up various the ories' one that the firing party used only oidik cartridges, and another that officer devoted to him and resembling him Kindly consented" to take his piece before the sol diers appointed to fire "the braveSt of the brave"
 There is a strong family resemblance in all these myths that Is found even in the lat est man named Buddy substitutes himself for Wilkes Booth and dies for him. shot down fin the burning barn. a role which in volved his having his leg broken in order to complete the resemblance.
 There Is this great difference however be- tween the Monmouth myth. the Ney myth and the' Booth myth-that Monmouth and Ney were immensely popular men. who had long been idoized in their respective countries and who in their last moments were regarded as martyrs for great causes, whereas Booth was held. North and South. to be a criminal of the most detestabe character and was to all Americans a hunted murderer shot by the pre- cipitate action of one of his pursuers Thou sands had risked their lives with Monmouth and Ney. and in the heroic devotion which they inspired is found the origin of the myth that some 4Englshman died to save Monmouth and some Frenchman to Ney. Booth had no such followers before he made his leap into infamy; very few had knowledge of his guilty intentions. and his sole associate in his flight deserted him when they were brought to bay.
 Still. such is the popular love of the mi racuous that some American historian of the future may be compelled to demonstrate to the contemporary public by examination of dates and documents. that 1t really was Wilkes Booth who was shot in the burning barn by Sergeant Corbett.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
All Look Alike.

Chattanooga Times.
 The New York Evening Post was in eXpressibly shocked by the murder of McFarlane the agent of she New York anti-policy society, by the negro Speucer. and approves of the steps ilKen ny the district attorney to secure an immediate trial of the murderer. The Post does not mention Spencer's color-all negroes look like white men to The Post but it lght be reminded that this brutal, shocking and cowardly crime is typical of the kind committed by negroes in the South Of this special case The Post says: For the sake of the example, if for no other reason, it Is of the utmost importance that justice shall be swift and sure" In the sparsely officered sections of the South the same sentiment for swift nd sure punishment finds expr slon In the lynching party. While We do not apologize at all for the latter meth od, We trust the analogy is sufficient apparent to The Post to give it at least a clearer understand ing of the provoking cause for the con duct of the mob.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
The Negro in the North.

New York Tribune.
 Some of our Southern friends take a quick, and. 1t must De confessed. Ieglti- mate advantage or the recent outbreaks against negroes Tn Illinois and other Northern States to warn their neighbors against following a bad Northern exam pie. The Montgomery Advertiser solemn ly urges upon its readers the lesson that the lynching of negroes in Illinois and other Northern States Is no Justification Of like acts here at home. It notes that imitation is the sincerest fiattery, but says. we should restrain our desire to please so far as to efrain from negro lynching just because UT brethren up North indulge in that oastime."
 The sarcasm is not undeserved, and the serious reflection that while the North loves the negro-at a distance-the South, notwithstanding it's political discrimina- ton against him, really understands him and offers him his best opportunities is not without truth. Lynching, wherever 1t ocurs is mark of barbarism, and the communities which are disgraced by 1t should be made to feel the weight of the nations censure.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
AFRAID oF puRLIc1rY.

President RooseVeit," we@are told, is reported to be of the opinion that too much publicity has been given the in- vestigations in the postal department" and th.s leads The Manchester (N. H) Union to remark that from "a Republi- can party standpoint there certainly has been too much publicity. and, it might be added, from the same standpoint, there has been too mulch irregularity.'
 -' We can easily understand that there has been too much publicity to please the {. party in power. They kept everything covered up as long as it was possible. and doubtless would be glad to continue their nest- hiding tactics, but it is a hard matter to keep matters of this kind hid den from the keen-nosed reporters for any length of time. Some of these re- portcrs are like beagles on the scent, and arc pretty sure to get track of any erookedness going on. As to that matter very little keenness of scent was needed to smell out the postoffice rottenness, for, as Jack Falstaff expressed it, there was tine rankcst compound of villainous srsh that ever offended nostril," and the deeper they dig into it the louder it smells The Union well remarks:
 RcpubIIcan officials were responsible for the Irregularities and they deserve the publ city. 1t is no more than just that the party which appears to consider the public treasury legitimate spoils should be called to account for acting upon this mistaken notion, and the public made aware of the extent of it's misdoings as wei as Of it's punishment. The more pub hcity the better, no matter how painful to Colonel Roosevelt or how dangerous to his party prospects The President and Mr. Payne profess to be determined to bring every guilty one to punishment. and the rest of us would like to be kept in- formed to how they are doing it and to what extent they are succeeding.
 It is not hard to see and understand how these scandals and the comments on them emharrass the administration. If it really desires a full. complete and fearless investiga tion, and punishment for the guilty, parties, il should welcome anything that will be of assistance in se- curing those ends but what the admins tration and the Republican party most dread is the political effect that these revelations will have. That party must bear the odium of all the wrong that has been done in the department, and it will be a powerful weapon for use next year by the Democrats
 After all. the President and the Post master-General, if they are really in earnest, ought to welcome publicity We have not forgotten how very lately Roose- welt orated in favor of the widest pub ucity as one way of breaking the power
 
 back on his declarations. But whatever he may say or wish. the whole matter is going to be ventilated. If the administra- ton refuses to do it. the press will do the job to a turn.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
"our Plain Duty"
Philadelphia Ledger

FMIIdueIphla Ledger.
 For the failure of Congress to do the countrys plain duty to Cuba we have paid rather dearly. Our Governments in- trade relations, have diverted a large proportion of Cuban trade, all of which should be ours. to Europe. and the trafic with her which our producers should now be enjoying has gone largely to England, Germany and France. Their trade with Cuba since she became independent has steadily increased; ours has as steadily decreased.
 The President cannot be too warmly commended for his persistent efforts te induce Congress to correct the wrong which that body has done to both Cuba and the United States in Its neglect of a reciprocity treaty. The President should persevere in his letermination to secure commercial relations, which will be hon. orable and profitable to both. between this country and Cuba.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
HIS LITTLE BOOM.

. Our somewhat stridulous young friend, Albert James Beveridge, he who was go- ing to make a vigorous campaign against nomination for the Vice-Presldency, really has boom coming towards him. It is small and rather wobbly as yet, but time will remedy that if the Indiana statesman doesn't do some hustling to ward off the threatened aff1ction.
 In this connection. we note that one Col. William M. Roberts of Indiana, who is now holding down Government job. and who has been travelling extensively in the interest of rural free delivery has been interviewed on the Beveridge boom, and he declares that he hears great deal about it wherever he goes. Tn Alabama both the lily whites and the backand- tans are for him." says the Colonel, which Is news to some of us. Not being in the confidence of Alabama Republicans-not even Joe Manning-we are not in position to say whether they would center on Rev. edidge or not, neither do we care. but this addition to Roberts's deliverance is rather amusing:
 There is feeling among leading Repub cans of several Southern States like Ala bama and Tennessee, where there already is a strong protection sentiment on ac- count of their iron industries, that If Senator Beveridge were nominated and sent into those States to make speeches, it would be possible to carry them.
 The intimation that Beveridge or any other spell-binder could carry Alabama for Roosevelt is so absurd as to be al- most funny. MT. Roberts must be thinking of Alabama as 1t was during reconstruc- tion days, when the polling places were enveloped by a black cloud, literally and figuratively, and when the intelligence of the State was powerless to save Ala bama's good name or to protect the State and the people from the grasp of the spoiler. If such conditions were to pre- vail next year, no speeches would be re- quired to carry the State for the Republi- can ticket but all political power is now in the hands of white men and they are not for Roosevelt.
 We admit that there are numbers of men in Alabama, and not all of them are Republicans. who are believers in a pro- tective tariff. because their interest lies that way. but there are few Democrats who would vote the Republican ticket solely because of their tariff sentiments, The Democratic party will nominate good man on a good platform and Ala bama Democrats will vote for him. If Roosevelts friends are building any hopes of success on the possibility of get ting electoral votes from the South. they are running on a very cold trail
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
A DANGEROUS HABIT.


 sicians of Donaldsonville, La, that CO., caine dissolved in claret is the latest freak of the negroes, and that to the drink can be traced the startling increase in crime, insanity and general deteriora- ton for which the negroes of this com munity have lately become famous" 1t is certainly a matter which should demand and receive prompt attention. Cheap and mean whiskey is one of the causes Of much of the crime and worthlessness among negroes. and if cocaine is becoming a common drink among them, it is difh- cult to underestimate the evil that will follow. A special from Donaldsonville to The Memphis News declares that the cocaine-claret drink Is sold in the low saloons and dives of that town and that "a history of the frequenters of these places is a history of four-fifths of the crime and insanity that has come to light here''
 This is not by any means the first or only reference we have seen to the in- creasing prevalence of the drug habit, as it is called, and 1t Is not entirely con- fined to the colored population by any means. Various drugs are used, some times in lieu of, and as a substitute for, strong liquors, but by many they are used by the drinkers for the additional ef- feet they have on the user Cocaine has stimulant qualities and is not hurtful when administered under direction of physician, but like many other medicinal drugs it is dangerous when used freely and indiscriminately.
 Cocaine is an alkaloid obtained from the cuca or coca plant which grows plen- tifully in South America. The leaves are dried in the sun and chewed by the na- tives, much as many people chew tobac- co, though the juice of the coca is swal- lowed. It is said to be powerful stimu- lant, and we are told that 1t enables fa- tigue to be borne with less nourishment and greater ease than ordinarily, and dfminishes the difficulty of breathing in ascending mountains. One estimate shows that at least eight million people in South America use it, and, although some doc tors declare that the habit is as danger ous to the health as opium eating, and in the highest degree pernicious. there are others who have travelled in the regions where it's use Is most common and have not noticed any evil effects. The cocaine, we are assured by good authority, lis highly poisonous" As before stated, 1t may be a good drug when administered by a physician, but a very dangerous one when used freely, just as can be said of opium, strychnine and various other prep arations common in the medical practice of the country.
 But whatever merits cocaine may have as medicinal preparation, there can be no doubt as to its ill effects when used as indicated in the dispatch from which We have quoted, and which further states that about three-fourths of the crimi- nals of the place are well-known charac- ters proved by the investigation to have been addicted to the claret-cocaine habit" How extensive this habit is in other places is not known, but if 1t is likely to become general, there should be means adopted to check 1t. The liquor habit is responsible for enough trouble and crime, without the aid of drugs.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
Eddy Has outgrown Chicago. Chica Rn Talanra m fn Tha Mnr,r Va,

World.
 fame here. will turn his back on Chicago tomorrow after a stay of twenty four hours, perhaps never to return again. murky atmosphere outside of his room and said:
 Chicago is distressingly dirty, smoky and noisy. Its streets are in wretched condition. Great volumes of smoke befog the air. There is a great deal of noise Chicago Is not an art center. New York Is. In fact. 1t is next to Paris. which Is turn to this country to i've after may .ew years. If I do I shall probably make New York my home.
 'I suppose I ought not to say it. but really l have outgrown Chicago America is not my only field TOW"
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
Color Line North and South. New York Telegram to The Cleveland


 A reader of a New York newspaper con- tributes a card in which he declares 1us belief that there are some forms of race prejudice ranker in the North than in the South. and relates this incident: Re car rose instantly and gave her seat to an old colored woman, who entered the car carrying two large bundles. Relat- ing the incident afterward the girl said understood in New York. but I did not know what else to do. The writer saw daughter of an ex-Confederate Cabinet woman, a stranger, on a street in Balti. more, and carry a heavy basket for her for a full block. till she deposited her charge and her basket on a street car.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
A Good Thing.
Mohile Item

Mobile Item.
 The greatest curiosity in this section is Think of huge vats holding hundreds of bushels of cucumbers Tassing through the salting process. and soon to be placed in vinegar, is enough to put the teeth of the nation on edge. But all the same these same cucumbers have brought hun dreds of dollars to the farmers of that that have heretofore been entirely profit less.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26

In spite of its occasional vagaries and sometimes bitter expressions, The New York Sun occasionally says a sensible thing. as when it declares that "the un- qualified power to determine this ques- ton of suffrage should be restored to the States. where it properly belongs" That is a solemn truth which all sections and all parties will eventually subscribe to, in our opinion.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
To Save the Alpine Flowers.

Geneva Cablegram to The London Ex-
 press.
 Alpine flowers and plants are so quickly becoming extinct that strong measures are to be taken in future for their pressr- vation. The Prefect of the Alps (Savoy) has now issued a decree forbiddng the uprooting of the edelweiss. the bee orchis the blue thistle. the .--pine clematis, sill ver geranium, mountain rhodendron, gen. The sale or transport of these plants is also forbidden.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26

A Michigan editor gives this example of confused English in speaking of a re- cent marriage: Their friends were not aware that they were to be married only for short time" thus intimating that limited marriages are not uncommon.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26

Under the heading, Stand by Your Colors.' The Guntersville Democrat says:
 We usually stand at attention when The Montgomery Advertiser speaks The grand old sheet. by reason of age and character, is well nigh the mentor of the State press. But The Advertiser conn mitted a political blunder when 1t spoke
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-26
Where Financial Plan Fails

Boston Commercial bulletin.
 What we need is lot l3fger supply of money, but more nIghIy developed forms of credit
 That's just 1t, but do you know that sort of thing woudn go with my tailor.