davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
NEW OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
 H T was happy coincidence that MT
 Straus, the new minister of com a merce, should be enabled in the sec ond day of his term to hand down an official decision that may prove of very great importance to the southern states of the Union, and indirectly to the whole country. It was a decision in the case of a steamer which arrived in the port of Charleston. s. C., on the 4th of No vember last with 475 alien passengers whose passage had been paid by the state of South Carolina, and who were destined 300 of them, Germans. to become farm laborers and 175 of them, Belgians, in- tended for employment in the cotton fac tories of the state. Objection to the landing of these aliens was made on the ground that the contract labor law had been violated. Unquestionably the "lm- portation" of these aliens had been "as- sisted and encouraged" and their pas sage had been paid, which the law says cannot be done under contract or agree ment, parol or special express or implied, to perform labor or service of any kind in the United States" The solici- tor of the department holds, and tho secretary indorses that view, that the law does not apply to states which may encourage immigration and assure i'm migrants of employment and good homes, though they cannot make definite con tracts on the subject.
 The decision has been made deliber- ately, and the language of the statute in dlcates plainly enough that 1t was in- tended to apply only to persons. com panies, partnerships, and corporations" not to a state of the Union. It is to be assumed, moreover. that aid to imm- grafton extended by a state government would not have the motive of crowding the labor market or reducing the rate of wages, which was the thing the law was meant to prevent. Undoubtedly the ex- ample of South Carolina will be followed by other southern states. The labor ques- ton in the south has two phases In the first place there is not nearly enough labor to meet the growing demands of it's rapidly developing industries, and in the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
Our Fellow Filipinos.

The San Francisco school incident goes deep. If Japanese children pos
 sessing a yellow skin are to stand condemned what is the standing of our fellow citizens in the Philippines? They are Malays; they are small In stature, and they are brown when they are not yellow. It Is difficult to say whether they are brown or yellow. No one claims that they are as intelligent as the Japanese who have fought their way to the first rank among nations.
 What our chief city on the Pacific does will despite all explanations be counted as national sentiment and na- tional practice, and neither San Fran cisco nor California show any signs of retreating from their position. When Oriental children are condemned to separate schools the declaration real ly reads that they are members of inferior races. Our Filip1nos are not only Orientalits but they are not white folks, and we, therefore, condemn them. We shut the Door of Hope to them so far as citizenship is concerned. We really pnouonce them unfit for citizenship, for statehood, for anything but subjects in province of an i'm peiral government. San Francisco seals policy preeipitated on a morn ing in May by George Dewey, U. s. N.
 Soon or late some way will be found out of the Philippine trouble, and the sooner It comes and the smaller the amount of friction that attends it, the better 1t will be for all of us. A Eli pino could not now move to San Fran cisco and send his children to the pub lie schools. They must go to the Oriental school-the one school of that sort in a broad city. Such a situation cannot last, and after while projects will be brought forward for getting rid of the Philippines. It is inevitable. We do not want them, and the sole trouble consists in finding a way to unload them without a loss of pres uge or lack of duty and honor.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
D0lIar-M ark as an Issue.

There is opposition among the faith full in Colorado to dollar-mark politics. The Colorado Springs Gazette, one of the oldest republican papers of that state, is leading the opposition to Gug- genheim, and the chances are that something lively will be developed be- 1 fore the master of the shelter trust secures a title to seat in the Senate. The Gazette has long been a power in republican politics in Colorado, and his articles must create some squirm- ing at least in republican circles. In a recent article he spoke among other things, as follows:
 Simon Guggenheim in the United States Senate would be joke, but a most dis- creditable joke on Colorado. He would be to this state what William A. Clark is to Montana, and what J. Edward Ad- dicks tried to be to Delaware-simply a dollar mark placed there to show that another state has sold out.
 MT. Guggenheim is said to have the republican organization leaders and leg islators In his support, but how did he get them? Did they flock to his banner because of sincere admiration for his qualities as a statesman, his legislative experience, his general fitness for the place?
 No, inded. It was simply a commercial transaction, a clear cut case of barter and sale. MT. Guggenhem Is a willing writer of checks When he was asked to shell out for the good of the party, he was never known to refuse. MT. Guggenheim has paid the price and quite naturally he expects the men he did busi- ness with to deliver the goods-and they are preparing to discharge their part of the obligation.
 To deliver the goods! To deliver seat in body once filled by Robert Toombs, and Jefferson Davis from the south-by Silas Wright and Charles Sumner from the east-by Stephen A. Douglas and Lewis Cass from the west.
 
 untrammelled, send Guggenheim to take the place of one of these patriots of the past? True, they had their faults; they were but men; but not one of them would buy seat in any body; not one of them would seek a place that he knew he was not quali- fled by study and practice to fill. Gug- genheim is the head of the smelter trust. He is not a speaker or pub licist of any sort. He has given no considerable time to public questions. He simply desires senatorial seat as his wife, if he has one, might de- sire admission to a social clique. Can Colorado afford to take on a stigma of the Addicks sort in order to give the boss of trust what would be to him but a trinket?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Hay Raislna In Alabama.

''There is good money in hay crops for Alabama farmers" said a Morris avenue merchant. "A hay crop requires a smaller outlay of capital and labor than most any other agricultural product and a market can always be found for good hay properly cured and baled in convenient packages. Quota tions on hay at present, give the pro- dueer an excellent profit margin. The Alabama soils are well adapted to hay growing.
 Unlike cotton, grasses enrich instead of impoverishing the land. Today almost any kind of hay is In brisk demand, timothy, Johnson Grass, bermuda, pea vine. mlllet and crab grass, which is inglnerate to the soil, springing up after the land is plowed, without seed being sown. All of these and other grasses grow profusely in Alabama, and there is no reason that know of why thousands of dollars should not be disbursed throughout the state every year for hay"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
Leuality of an Income Tax.

President Roosevelt's proposal of an income tax has been singularly well received in both parties, among the rich as well as the poor. It is remark ably popular, and fully 0.per cent of tbe people in the country stand ready to endorse it.
 But would such a tax be declared constitutional? There's the rub.
 When the law of 1894 came before the United States supreme court, Chief Justice Fuller and Justices Brewer, Gray and Field voted to declare 1t un- constitutional, while Justices Harlan, White. Brown and Shiras voted the othe way. Justice Jackson of Nash vile was i'll. The case was rehearo when Justice Jackson was well enough to take his seat and he voted to de- clare the law constitutional, but ill the meanwhile Justice Shiras had gone
 
 vote of the court stood five to four in favor of unconstitutionality. or the nine members of the court that time four remain-Chief Justice Fuller and Justice Brewer, who said the law was unconstitutional, and Justices Harlan and White who said 1t was constltu- tional. The new members of the court are Justices Peckham, McKenna, Holmes. Day and Moody. The chances are first-rate that at least three of the five would vote In favor of the con- stitutionality of an income taX-possl- bly all five, because public sentiment leans strongly that way at present. A retrial of the question seems desirable at any rate.
 Tn +o inc fiye.by four decision the supreme court had held, all the way from 1794, that the phrase direct taxes" in the constitution was con fined to poll taxes and direct taxes on land. building and personal estate, Until Shiras whipped over to the other side no one had considered an income tax direct tax. The income tax Of the civil war period was not considered a direct tax. The Shiras flop changed the course of the decisions. In order to inspire respect in the supreme court another decision on this question is needed-one in which public sentiment will have weight as we'll as "the in- terests." Outside of the President g proposal the general situation calls for another review of the problem by the highest court in the land.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
Our Noble Trusts.

The year has been one of revolu- tion-real genuine revolution. It has been widespread, too, extending from the White House to the humblest citi- zen. From the White House went out orders to district attorneys to hunt down rebaters and all other monopo- lists. and to fit to them the Sherman antitrust act.
 The rate bill has accelerated the revolution, and today Privilege and Monopoly stand before terror as yer itable and far more powerful than that of one hundred years ago in an other country. Public sentiment does not need to use muskets and guills- tines in these modern days. It can accomplish it's purpose at the ballot box more effectually than the guillo- tine did in France or the bombs are doing in Russia. At the ballot box our revolutionaries are driving senators ont who had bought their seats, and it is making the political boss ashamed to show his face or to exert even a shadow of his former power. State after state is falling into line, and perhaps after while even New York and Rhode Island will be arrested from capitalism and the upholders of Privi- iege.
 Even the pass and the frank, those cherished relics of Privilege, have been stricken down, and are passing away. The corporations are refusing to grant even what the law still permits, for they, too, are weary over the entire business. Pretty soon the frank" and he pass" of recent years will be cher
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31

second place the negroes who supply the most of the labor are rendered less satis- factory as citizens by their relative free dom from the pressure of competition and by their opportunity to indulge idleness, which is the bane of a great part of the race. If they are forced to work harder they will behave better, and civilization has discovered only one effective force for such a purpose, that of immediate need. If by such means the race can be made more steadily industrious. much of the race prejudice existing will gradually dis appear.
 The matter, from all it's aspects, is one of immense importance to the whole country. With all the remarkable pro- gress made by the south since the close of the civil war-and there has been noth- ing like it in the history of the world the resources of that section have hard ly beel touched What has been done is but faint, insignificant part of what can be done, and will be, in the next half century. In everything that makes possible the prosperity of a community the south is enormously rich. In food products, In cotton, in metals, in fuel, in minerals, in water power convertible into electricity, the extent and variety of it's possessions are so great that 1t is a moderate estimate that it could easily support a population as large as that of the entire country at the present time. To realize that splendid but entirely rational expectation its prime need is popualtion adequate in volume and in energy to the opportunities existing. And the first step toward satisfying that need is immigration. Immigration from the north will be a certain element in the increase, but not large one for some time because there Is insufficient induce ment for 1t. Immigration from abroad, if properly regulated and selected and dis tributed, will be much more important. That, we take 1t, is the view taken by the government of South Carolina. The ex- pertinent it is making is intensely inter- esting. It may prove of almost incalcu lable advantage. It is a matter for con- graduation that the department of com merce has been able to interpret the law so that it shall not interfere with that experiment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
The Cotton Convention.

"As cotton is considered one of the necessities of life. the action to be taken by the Southern Cotton association, which meets in annual convention in Birming- ham on January IT, is all the more in- teresting to the civilized world" said a cotton man yesterday. "The monetary value of cotton will be one of the chief | questions before the association. At present the value of one crop of cot ton to the farmers is nearly $7000 GOO. When this crop Is converted through the splndles and looms Into the finished fab rlc along with the by-products 1t will command fully $3O 900 900.
 "The policies to be adopted by the con- ventlon may largely succeed fin control ing the future price of cotton. The three years trial given the association in dealing with the hard problems of regu- lating the cotton acreage and the price of cotton has given the farmer some val uable experience. The cotton association is not only an experiment, but is a body of hard working and earnest south erners striving by every means possible to follow policies that will protect the south.
 At the January convention various and sundry questions will be considered Other problems that go hand in hand with the progress of the south's onward march, will come up for their part of at tention.
 "As the time approaches the proposed selection of officers by the executive com mttee is being discussed. So far the most nrominent mentioned candidates for the presidency have been Harvie Jordan and Thomas E. Watson, both of Georgia. However, there is some talk of a Miss issippi or a Texas man being elected. Thomas Watson has a large number or friends and admirers among the cotton growers On the other hand Harvie Jordan has, during his three years ad- minstration as the head of the associa- tion, rendered the farmers some valuable service. His work has been deeply ap- preciated and is being commended on all sides He has announced that he would stand for reelection. provided the senu- ment of the association favored his re- maining as the leader of the movement. The executive committee has the naming of the president and Mir. Jordan, should he enter actively for the place. would be very hard to beat.
 "On account of the size of the conven- tion it would be impossible for any politl- cal schemes to be worked. The members of the association will doubtless signify it's choice for president and the executive committee will probably carry out their will"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
The Financial World.

Henry Clews in his review of the finan- cial world during 1906, and his remarks on the outlook for the new year, closes as follows:
 What are the prospects for 1907? This is the question of chief concern. A year ago we said that the outlook depended chiefly upon the credit situation and the crop outlook that if there was no over-exten- sion of the one. and no shortage of the other we might confidently look forward to another year of good business. Events have proved the correctness of this view and the principal signs of reaction vls- ible are those produced by the strain upon the money market. which began to develop lase August The outlook for 1907, however, is much more complicated than 1t was for 1906. We are now upon still higher plane of values, and there is much imitation in commodities, securities and credit. According to Bradstreets's index figures staple commodities are selling more than 55 per cent above the level of ten years ago. During the same in terVal our active securities have risen more than 100 per cent; besides, we have
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31

already considerably overrun the usual decennial cycle of rising and falling mar kets. Further, our credit situation is still much strained. There is an enormous supply of money in the country. the per capital circulation being $33 which is 55 per cent greater than ten years ago. The truth is the money supply has been chiefly exhausted by high prices and new eapi- tai obligations, and this in spite of our extensive borrowing operations abroad. Moreover, the people are in an extrava- gant mood. Our prosperity tends to create spendthrifts We are saving little, and the spirit of economy has almost entirely departed. The rise in values has created feeling of increased wealth often where there has been no actual addition to real property.
 In conclusion, the prospects are distnct- ly in favor of another good business year, with the four provisions: 1. We must be favored with another good harvest ?. We must discourage over-confdence and reck- less speculation. 8. We must correct the present strain in the loan market by the natural process of liquidation, rather than depending upon legislation. 4. We must remove causes for social and political dis content by compelling big corporations to obey the law and cease their monopo- listie operations
 Here are four great possibilities which, if safely passed, may assure further pc riod of business activity; especially should prices recede to a more reasonable level
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
JAPAN COULDN'T FIGHT
Washington D

Washington Dispatch to the New York
 World.
 srasa ss"',:''ssa o1ss asps'. is s's% @ss as
 vana that five Japanese have been taking measurements and photo- graphs of the fortif1cations. The fact is, the government rather expects this sort of thing. It is well known that other countries have measurements and plans of all the Qualifications, both here and in the outlying possessions, Just as the United States has measurements and plans of the Notifications of other coun- tries. That is what general staffs are for.
 So far as Japans alleged desire to go to war with the United States Is con- cerned, there isn't clear mind in the administration that does not scout the idea. Japan cannot go to war with any body. She is in debt billion dollars, with no place to borrow more.
 The idea that England would assist Japan in an assault on this country is preporsterous. The people who have given study to the problem admit, for the sake of argument, the supposition that Eng land would join with Japan in con- certed movement on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. Then what? They might bottle up this country, although there would be an ar gument on the Atlantic coast and anoth- CT on the Pacific before that happened. But the people who look at the facts as they are, going further in the argument, concede the bottling up. Then they point out that the United States Is the only country in the world sufficient to itself,' and if England tried the experiment or bottllng up this country she would cut herself off from a very large proportion of her own food supplies.
 Meantime, the United States, in the extreme contingency that It lost its fleets would build other fleets and go out and regain its prestige. The United States has money, men, food and every thing else to maintain a placid existence with all the fleets of all the seas on its coasts. and would also immediately go
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
ALABAMA PRESS

Mobile Herald: Christmas in Russia was, as usual, observed with the free exchange of good wishes and internal machines.
 Talladega Reporter: If things don't change they'll have to make Panama canal larger so the new warships may get through
 Gadsden Journal: Alabama City contin- ues to furnish all the brides. Evidently the girls would rather cook than work In the cotton mill.
 Andalusia News: Montgomery has more men on the chain gang than ever before. Perhaps they are trying to hold few of them for that 1910 census. Collinsville Courier Alabama wants the sub-treasury and Birmingham is making strong pull to secure it. May she sue ceed in her fond expectations Huntsville Tribune: Alabama needs a constitutional amendment, going back to the old biennial legislative system. These are the days when 1t requires rapid firing guns to meet the emergencies arising.
 Alabama Courier: The Presidents recommendation that corporations should be forbidden to contribute to campaign funds is case of locking the door after President was elected.
 Leighton News: Most all of the Christi mas tragedies this year-and the papers are full of accounts of them-occurred either in or near barrooms or were direct ly traceable to the vile stuff sold in them
 Cullman Tribune: In a very short time we can spend a few hours, every day or two, giving the members of the legisla- ture advice Many of them need 1t and 1 there are bundles of advice lying around loose in the heads of the dear people. Oneonta Democrat: Among her numer- ous othe possessions Oneonta has her full share of old bachelors, although they are | by no means the past-redemption kind | Just why these men travel alone Is not quite clear, especially to a goodly num- Der of the tender sex who are simply chasing tnelr neaus OH III an eHort to catch a man.
 Guntsersville Democrat: A recent issue of Harpers Weekly shows us the com placent countenance of our former towns man, Dr. John A. Wyeth, sitting at a banquet table In company with men and women of literary distinction. It was quite different to an Alabama barbecue, but the doctor has the advantage of being fa- | miliar with both.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
JOHNS EXPLANATION.
le Milwaukee Sentinel.

From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
 "John," said Mrs Noodles, savagely, as John came into the room unsteadily and hung his collar on the chandelier, what time Is it?"
 Just 1 o'clock, my dear replied John, making desperate effort to act natural.
 What do you mean by telling me such d falsehood? l heard the clock strike 3 not ten minutes before you came in.'
 "Yes. hic, my dear. But you don't un'stand that clock. It's repeater.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
. A JOKE ON HILL.

From the Boston Herald.
 There Is nothing slow about the state of Minnesota. It promptly takes Mir. HIT s word for it that the best ore lands lo- cated In that state and leased by him to the steel corporation are worth $400 000, 900, and proceeds to tax them on that valua- ton. Some folks are as smart as others, as Sam Slick says.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
WHO IS SILVIA?
, WilIiam Shakespeare

BY William Shakespeare. Who is Silvia? What Is she?
 That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise Is she;
 The heavens such grace did lend her That she admired might be- Is she kind, as she is fair?
 For beauty lives with kindness. Love doth to her eyes repair.
 To help him of his blindness And being help'd, inha abits th ?. Then to Silvia let us sing,
 That Silvia is excelling: She excells each mortal thing,
 Upon the dull earth dwelling; To her let us our sarlands bring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-31
A HAPPY COMBINATION,
he Washington Herald.

From the Washington Herald.
 Senator r-elect Robert Love Taylor of Happy Valley, Tenn, has selected MT. Laps McCord, for years editor of the Tennessee Sugar Tree Gazette, to be his private secretary Only a man whose mind runs to something like sugar would do for the frolicsome fiddler from Happy Valley.