davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Reticence Botanically Induced,

Science is continually bestowing new
blessings on her children. The latest is
what has been called "the mother.in-
law plant,'' botanically known as def
fenbachia. It's peculiar property is that
it's juice so paralyzes the tongue of
him who bites the stalk that he must
be mute for seven days. The possibili-
ties of this discovery are tremendous
Setting aside as fippant the suggestion
that mothers-in-law may be thus
silenced unawares, we may consider
what ineffable peace would fall upon
the land for whole week were the
peerless Willyum Jennings Bryan in
duced to masticate the deffenbachia in
moment Of inadvertence. Or suppose
that a cigar with a deffenbachian wrap
per were handed to Senator Tillman
at the precise moment when he was
about to set off some oratorical fulmi-
nate Of mercury. Might he not think
better of his negrophobic TRADE after
week Of thoughtful muteness9 And
then there would be Forensic Foraker
what joy would reign in the senate if
he should hap to borrow chew from
a colleague just before ringing the
Fire Alarm and should by accident get
a wee bit Of the wonderful plantin
question! @ "
@ The man who talks too much is con-
tinually getting himself land others - :
into trouble. Why not empower the
courts in all such cases to administer
doses of defenbachia, 80 that the Of
fender might be wrapped in the solemn
ity of his own silence for seven long
daysf A drastic sentence, it is true,
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Imprisoning a Corporation.

A writer in the Chicago Banker
would correct the sins Of corporations
by sending the Corporations to prison,
and ne means what he says. The
corporation is Z commonly thought Of
as an abstraction, and it is not gen
orally regarded as practical to punish
abstraction. < Corporations are said to
have no souls. They seem often to have
no 'consclences and are supposed to be
incapable of suffering pangs of remorse.
But the corporation has something
which serves the purpose of soul very
well in connection with this matter of
furnishing its offenses. It has capital.
1t has assets. It has all kinds of pro-
ductive property. - This capital and
these assets may be regarded as the
soul of the corporation. From them it
draws its life. The correspondent Of
the Banker suggests that when the cor
poration does something in violation of
law it's soul should be imprisoned. That
is to say, the state should seize and
control the assets of the corporation,
thus in effect putting it in prison. It
would be no longer able to earn any
money for stockholders. If it. earned
any at all, the earnings would be for
felt to the state. This virtual i'm
prisonment of assets may be for fixed
period, as in the case of the imprison-
ment of the man who gets a determi-
nate sentence, or, as in the case of hui
man offenders, the corporation might be
imprisoned on the indeterminate plan,
profits Of the business to be surrendered
to the stockholders again as soon as
there was reason to believe that the
corporation would thereafter obey the
law ~ 3 eA#$g Az.
1t is suggested that this might in
volve hardshipsssto Individual and limo
cent STOCKHOLDERS. So also imprison-
ment Of the human person often in
wolves great hardships to members of
his family and others. They are de-
privcd Of his earnings and often dis
tress is immediate. If the corporation
were imprisoned, it's assets seized and
held by the state-in other words, i'm
prisoned-the stockholders would un-
doubtedly suffer loss, but their infu-
ence ever afterwards in behalf of obe-
dience to law by the corporation would
be active and powerful. :
This thought of imprisoning corpo-
ration, as suggested by the writer re-
ferred to, is certainly interesting and
ingenious. It may be practical. It
would no doubt be effective.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
The Annexation Of spitzberqen,

The report that Norway is contem-
plating the annexation Of Spitzbergen
and its surrounding islands, while not
officially confirmed, has aroused no
little interest in Stockholm and also in
st. Petersburg. This bleak bit Of Arctic
land has never seemed valuable enough
heretofore to lead any Of the northern
European powers to raise flag upon it.
Recent discoveries Of rich deposits Of
coal, however, and the belief that there
are other rich mineral deposits, have
made Spitzbergen not altogether unde-
sirable. From Stockholm comes report
that Sweden has claim prior to that
of Norway, and that King Oscars gov
eminent may insist upon it's rights. Such
contention, if it be true that Norway
is, seriously contemplating annexation,
would give rise to an unpleasant dip
lomatic controversy, the settlement of
which might have to be referred to an
international conference. Russia may
also decide to lay claim to the islands.
Geographically, the Spitzbergen group
would seem to be more naturally to be-
long to, Norway. They extend from the
seventy-sixth to the eighty-frst parallel
Of latitude and are directly north of
Norway. Swedish ships would reach
them only after long sea voyage along
the entire coast of Norway. The coal
mining companies already active there
are Norwegian, with financial backing
secured in England and America. Before
the discovery Of coal the islands were
valuable only as a base of operations
for Arctic explorers. They are quite un.
inhabited, being far to the north Of
the Arctic circle
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
-7.f ~
A Difficult Lawsuit.

An Illinois county court has awarded
Captain Louis }Ijams $1,000 for services
rendered the late Abraham Brokaw, an
eccentric plowmaker of Bloomington, in
that state, who left fortune of sew.
eral millions.
Captain Ijams had two functions, one
OF resculng the old man from matri-
monial complications, the other of tell
ing him funny stories to revive his
spirits after particularly desperate
setting of a widows cap for his cash.
Of course, such services could hardly
be estimated in money. A plowmaker
could hardly, be correct critic of a
funny story, even tho it made him
laugh, nor could Captain Ijams be ex-
pected to place cash value upon such
efforts to please. So there, was no
written contract and no stipulation as
to compensation. The captain left it
all to the ,plowmaker. He expected it
to be Strengthened out in the will, and
to the will he consigned all his anxieties
for the future >#
In due season the millionaire died
and the will being read made no men
ton Of him Or of his titillating atten-
lions to wealth in distress. The captain
was amazed, indignant, grieved. Brokaw
was beyond the reach Of his language
so he went to the relatives who had
profted largely by the demise and
stated the case. One and all they turned
him down. They held that his stories
were either good or bad. If good they
had prolonged the old man IS life and
thus kept the heirs out of their own
and therefore he owed them money
instead Of their being under obliga-
lions to him; if bad, as seemed prob
able from the silence Of the will, then
he was entitled to no reward.
Captain Ijams, much to his sorrow,
was obliged to have recourse to the
law. The thing. that he had long
avoided he was finally obliged to do,
to put money value on his services
and to itenize his work. He had lived
with the old man for four years and
he testified that he had in that time
told 4 900 stories, which were of a
money value aof $40 each. The court
heard some Of the stories, taking them
at randoms by numbers from q ID. to
1866, and then adjourned for rest and
refreshment. On reconvening the court
announced that he felt called upon to
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
A Political Renaissance in Islam

The political decadence Of NOLAN
mechanism has long been accepted as
automatic by students Of oriental mat
tiers. 1t has been supposed that the con-
temptuous conservatism of Islam, it's
isolation as matter of principle from
western religion and civilization, would
continue to exert degenerative influ-
ence. But a writer in the Pail Mall
Gazette points out that human fore
casts of social and political evolution
are often falsifcd in the event, and that
perhaps one of the most startling in
stances Of this may be furnished by a
renaissance in Islam. .--.~
Certainly such renaissance would
have far reaching effects, especially
upon the two Christian powers having
the largest number of Mohammedan
subjects-England and Russia. At this
moment two-thirds of the Mohamme-
dams in the world are under Christian
domination. Turkey remains the only
Moslem power of note, now that the
powers have assumed the paternalf at
titude agreed on at Algeciras toward
Morocco. r..
The spread of western ideas and
western civilization has had two diff
ferent effects on followers. of Islam. In
northern and central Africa it's fierce
reactionaries are preaching the old re-
ligion of the sword as a means Of
curling the hated giaour. On the other
hand, in Asia, Turkey and Egypt the
eager young Moslems are striving to
emulate Japan in adopting and assimi-
lating all that is best in western prog
ress. Remarkable changes are taking
place. Perhaps as significant as any is
the fact that Turkish girls are now
compelled to 60 to school and that the
former dense ignorance Of the harem
is disappearing before the influence of
education. Turkish women have news
paper of their own and many of them
have even distinguished themselves in
literature. This is in a country where
not many years agone an educated
woman would have been thought a
witch. The Turkish press is gradually
gaining freedom quite unwonted. An
Islamic railroad is now being built that
will connect Constantinople with the
holy city Of Mecca and will carry by
steam the thousands of pilgrims who
have for ages toiled thru the desert.
The contributions of the faithful fur
nish the needed money and the soldiers
Of the sultan do the work. If the i'm
minent death Of Abdul Hamid does not
bring to the caliphate reactionary,
the regeneration of Turkey from within
will go on with great "a pidity. But it
will go on in any case. ID. .,<
There are many other evidences of
this awakening in Islam which may
well give Christendom pause. The as
pirations Of young Egypt for independ-
ence and self-rule, the move in Persia
toward a parliamentary. government,
the intellectual revolt in India, against
British rule, the appeal Of the idea of
pan-Islamism to the oriental magma
tion-these are some of the outward
signs that Mohammedanism has great
vitality and may yet overcome it's
strong decadent tendencies.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Ambitious Schemes for City I'm.
prOVement.

In this issue of T h e Journa may
be found charts and accompanying text
describing very ambitious scheme for
municipal betterment. It looks like
dream, and, indeed, it is a most inter-
esting dream Of what the future Min
neapolis might be.
, At all stages Of the history Of this
city there have been men who have
conceived great things for Minneapo-
lis, who have looked into the future
and anticipated in large part what has
afterward been accomplished. Some of
them have had little credit at the time
for the exercise of common sense, and
the evolution Of practical ideas. It has
only been after the city has overtaken
their imagination and surpassed their
fondest anticipations. that the general
public has been able to do them Justice,
and credit them with having better
conception of what the city is to be
than those who have been their severe
and ready critics. -~, -
Such a plan of reconstruction of our
city as is proposed by the architects
who submit the plan outlined today,
will probably meet with little respectful
consideration at this time. Probably
everyone who prides himself upon his
practical view of things will regard this
as entirely beyond the range of the
feasible. Certainly it would be if it
were to be regarded as something to be
accomplished in the immediate future.
What is proposed, as we understand it,
is not offered by the authors Of this
scheme as anything which could be
done in ten or twenty years, but as
something which may be worked to
over a period of perhaps fifty years,
and in the end carried out substantially
as indicated. This we understand to
be the thought Of the designers Of the
charts submitted today.
The Journa is conservative
enough and sensible enough of the con-
servatism Of the people Of Minneapolis
to know that they are not going to
rush into the work Of rebuilding the
city Of Minneapolis along these lines as
something TO be done as fast as the
work could be accomplished. AT the.
same time, it is glad to submit this
plan because it is interesting and sug-
gestive and may be helpful in the ac-
complishment Of things which come
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
-FATHERLY ADVICE TO HEARST
Louisville Courier-Journal.

Louisville Courier-Journal 80
Mr.. Hearst is much too young man
to set up either for sage or a back
number. What he most needs to do is
to survey the field of his not unprofit-
able labors and expenditures with the
purpose to recreate himself after the i'm
age of the self-denying philanthropist,
and to cast aside the shrinking habili-
ments Of the self seeking politician His
resources are good are great. Far less
than other rich mems sons has he shown
any disposition to evil. He has merely
made the mistake or seemed to make
the mistake, Of thinking that money can
do all things. 1t can do many things. bur
it can neither make a silk purse out of
a sow's ear, nor change neglectful
congressman and a rich parvenu into a
hero and statesman, albeit sometimes
very young people think so.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
THE DREAM

The broad noon blazed athwart the street.
Adown the vulgar way;
met myself that used to be
In this Sdnblest today
Pity for those who meet the dead,
Avenging wrongs of yore; :, ri
But Christ have pity on him who meets
Himself that is no more.
His face was as the morning star, -
Ills eyes We're full Of light; 80
Singing he went-of holy songs
That rest not, day or night. ..--.
The same old visions Of dead things
Hung round him like prayer;
A pack OF dreams was on his back =
And halo was in his hair.
He wore mis- rags SO well, SO well
His step was angel gay;
AS one whose clouds OF glory trail
About him day by day.
l met him where the four roads meet,
Lard by the money mart;
He turned and gazed into my eyes
And pierced into my heart
$50, fool, know you WE'LL" said.
The words fell swift and hot.
Sternly he spoke, $50, fool" he said.
So, fool know you not
He passed, that self that is no more,
Adown the drift Of Years.
And left a silence on the street
And passion OF vain tears.
-Putnam's.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Government Insurance.

10 the Editor Of The Journal.
Life insurance in this country has
grown to enormous proportions within
the last decade. No human institution is
organized capable of doing more good.
No business is more vital to the home
and dependent ones, and for that reason
there should be no doubts about it's man
agement Or integrity.
Why not nationalize the life Insurance.
business? Why not let the people man
age and carry their own insurance thru
the government? How much safer the
people would feel with their dependent
ones protected and their welfare guaran-
teed by an insurance arrangement with
Uncle Sam, than, as under present con-
d1tlons, live in constant dread of the poor
mouse. l would have the government es-
taoilsh bureau, not only to regulate the
present insurance business, but also to
PROVIDE, within certain limits, protec-
ton at the lowest possible cost consistent
with safety. I would eliminate all forms
OF so-called investments from these GER
tificates and make a reasonable amount
OF insurance compulsory with all. The
poor could help themselves in this way.
and be better off than to live with the
awful and constant dread of reverses and
death with the uncertainty of their own
ana chlldren's welfare. Should the in
sured survive their insurance period. say
i've TO the age Of 60 or IS, the contract
nelo could be converted to an annuity
during the remainder of their years.
This idea is not new. Other countries
are providing for their people by a SINH
lar system. Under our present conditions
the, government must care for its poor
and dependent ones. Why not as a gov
eminent policy compel all to be provi-
dent to the extent of limited amount Of
insurance, and in this way the manv
almshouses and asylums would not be
needed. George II E1,.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
What Other People Think
In Defense Of Tlllman.

70 the Editor Of The Journal.
In an editorial in Wednesdays ] our.
nal you are trying to heap abuses upon
that noted and patriotic statesman, BEN
jamin r. Tillnan of South Carolina. be-
cause of his address on the race question
In Chicago. Among other ridiculous
things you say he made such a spectacle
of himself as to cause any self-respecting
white man to blush for his race, and yet
you say he failed to goad the law-abiding
negroes to any acts of violence.
Now, happened to hear Senator Till
man deliver his address on the negro
question at Minneota in this state short
time ago, and the only feature about the
address to which any fair-minded, I'M
biased person could object is his pro-
family.
OF the large audience which listened
to him at Minneota none found any fault
with him excepting very few smarties
who think they know more about the
conditions in South Carolina than Till
man does, who has lived there all his
life.
The trouble with the men who find
fault with Tillman and traduce him is he
is telling the truth and they know it; and
the truth is what hurts. Had you said
the praying donkeys who have been try
IVA
negro supremacy in the south were
enough to make a self-respecting white
man to blush for his race you would
have come nearer the truth
Why should the negroes be goaded to
acts of violence? Surely Tillman says
nothing at which either whites or ne
groes could take offense. In not a sim
gle word In his address does he throw
any taunts or insults at the colored race.
But ne does lay the intricate race prob
lem as it is today at the door of those
VINO are reviling and prosecuting him
simply because he dares to tell them the
truth as 1t is. Robert Eitel.
Marshall, Mimi, Nov. 20. -
PROBABLY the best explanation Of Mr..
Eiteps defense of Tillman is that he evil
IDENTIFY has not read what Tillman said
In Chicagn
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

BY the merest chance while pursuing
her admirable habit of reading the pa
pers, Mrs. Henry Hyde Of Patchogue, L.
l., learned that her maternal uncle, John
Russell, had died, leaving $10O, 900 and no
heirs. Mrs. Hyde Immediately supplied
the deficiency in heirs and now Henry
has thrown up his job in the grocery
store and is learning to conquer a four
ton car. 1t pays to have your wife read
the papers-sometimes, -.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Editorial Section.

matters In the state and has lent an in
telligent assistance in formulating legis-
lation for the country on insurance mat
tiers. An executive should have credit
for the good work done by his appointees
and Governor Johnson is entitled to
point to the insurance office as depart
ment In which his administration has
won distinct credit. ~
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
DEC. q

16e7-st. Paul's cathedral, London,
opened.
1805-BattIe Of AusterIitz.
190s-Madrid taken by the French
and King Joseph restored.
1sf4-General jackson arrived at
New Orleans and declared martial
law.
f92s-Monroe doctrine declared.
1s42-Father Francis Xavier Wernz,
president general Of the Jesuits,
born. sS. IS
1873 erdinand Of Austria abdi-
Gated; succeeded by Francis Joseph.
1s52-Louis Napoleon became ern-
peror Of France.
189f-Arnored cruiser New York
launched at Philadelphia.
1es2-Jay Gould, financler, died.
1899 Samoan treat signed.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

Wall street is disappointed in the
Union Pacific statement, which it con-
siders does not Justify the advance Of
the dividend to 10Y per cent. But Mr..
Hartman would much rather disappoint
Wall street now than before he got what
he wanted to get out Of the announce
ment of the 10 per cent dividend.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL.

but immensely effective. AS reticence
is often mistaken for supernal wisdom,
the laxative man might thus acquire
q reputation for sapience quite beyond
his deserts. All hail to deffenbachia!
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Insurance Commissioner o'Brien's. de.

Insurance Commissioner O'Brien's de-
cision to accept reappointment will be
well received by the state which has
grown to look upon Mr.. O'Brien as a
superior man in the insurance depart
ment. Governor johnson must be given
credit for having advanced this branch
reputation it had before his advent. He
has been active in Strengthening up some
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

A few intelligent and Industrious gem
tlemen are trying to sidetrack Messrs
Bryan, Hearst and others and gently
deposit the democratic nomination on
woodrow Wilson's doorstep. The presi-
dent Of Princeton has gotten word Of the
scheme and instructed the janitor to
keep sharp lookout for such pranks.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Slayton, MINI.

Inc new plan will not affect your Gus
tom. The stamps referred to win he &c
sued only from the 5000 presidentia1
postoHices, but they WILL of course he
good anywhere in the United States
Ih1s is only a plan of the government tn
prevent those who have stolen Iarea
BLOCKS OF stamps from disposing of then,
IN large quantities without arousing sus-
pfcion. Jus
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

Mark Twain celebrated his birthday by
playing pool all afternoon with his secre-
tary, and some friends. OF course the
secretary took his share Of the games
and the friends insisted that Marks eye
sight was actually improving. ''-
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

AT Barboursvile, KY, fat man pro-
jected himself first into the tunnel which
the prisoners had dug for an escape and
by the time the others had got tired cuss-
ing him for taking up so much space the
three times and threw them all back in
their cells.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

senator Chauncey M. Depew is said to
be minded to write his own memoirs
Elghteen months ago Chauncey would
have been satisfied to 'Ieave it OUT to
any reporter in Park row. st''~1.'
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
The New Stamps.

10 the Editor of The Journal.
IN n U n n it was stated that
postage stamps of 1907 will bear IN tba;,
face the name of the state and city j.,
which the postoffice is situated
Some Of us are in the habit NJ b,,,,;,,
stamps by the dollars worth, having orr
envelopes ready stamped and addressed
and mailing them wherever we hammer
10 De. Then in business correspondence
we expect to enclose stamp. What nro-
vision is made for such?
-Estella Parmenter.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02

The pope is said not to be pleased
with the new Spanish cabinet It is the
work Of boy king and probably there
are several lads in the South Side high
ter article in the Christmas vacation,