davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02
A HOLIDAY TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

the most l1aleddoscopio scenes Of any city probably in the world. Men of all coun- tries, colors, ereeds and conditions as- semble here. Turks, Jews, Christians. Chinese, Arabians, Egyptians. Persians, all sorts and every sort of humanity, dressed in the costumes and living accord ing to the customs of their country are to be found in Port Said
 The city is In parts as modern as Broad way New York, and in parts as ancient as the pyraHnidsi ten blocks difference in location will make ten centuries diff ference. The chief attractions for the visitor to this city are it's restaurants, wine shops and bazars; 1t also enjoys the reputation of having no Id. either by day or night. Tn Port Said the vessel lies alongside the wharf opposite the main street and passengers can come and go as they please during the time the coal bunkers are being filled, which generally takes about ten hours.
 From Port Said the vessel proceeds through the Suez canal, a ditoh cut through the desert with the sand piled up on both sides. The heat during the day is almost suffocating and to this is added the fine sand carried by the wind, Just as dust Is carried. Stretching away on both sides far beyond the eye can reach extends this scene of barreness. Little eddies of wind lift the sands up in funnel-shaped little clouds, which per- form sort of figure dance on the desert.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02
7axes ana Me "Pe0bIe"

paper, of any kind, and the thing is done.
 The comparatively few persons who now own and control railroad stocks would fall down to the yet more limited number who would own the purchase paper and control the government.
 These matters are only examples. An effort bona fide was made by the lesisla- tures last winter Q) to equalize the burden of taxes, and @ to prepare the way for reduction of the rate of taxation. The people" are now told from various guar ters that the state tax commission, creat- ed to effect the great reform, is ma chine of oppression.
 Unless we are little enough to accept vombast for truth and take buncombe for argument, we would do well to look into the correspondence of the facts as they were with the complaints we hear against the new law for assessing taxes.
 Eome twelve years ago Governor Oates called the attention of the legislature to the inequalities of taxes and the serious injury inflicted on d part of the publi. thereby. He proposed change in the method of selecting county tax assessors. Instead of electing those important fiscal officers. he would require the governor 10 appoint them and try the effects.
 When Governor Johnston succeeded Oates he took up the great problem Of equalizing taxes. He obtained an increase in the number of appointive state exam liners of public accounts and backed up that recourse by the appointive office of back tax commissioner
 The time had come when something had to be done to save the state from d disgracefully inefficient practice of taxa ton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

Papa, laim," she said.
 Mop he replied, No lami, Deedee. Lie down and go to sleep like a good girl Papall fix your pillow nice"
 He beat up her pillow and turned 1t over, and drew the sheets straight. Then he took the baby and laid her gently down. She smiled and cuddled into the pillow.
 'Oh, what nice bed" she exclaimed Isn't it a nice bed, Deedee%'
 Nice bed," she repeated.
 Shall I cover your feet?" he asked.
 Feet cov," she said. eagerly.
 He spread the sheet over her feet.
 "Shut your eyes, he said in gentle warning, and her eyes closed so tightly that the lids wrlnllled.
 Now, good night, Deedee, he called
 Night, pa-pa" she coed,
 MT. Rawson stole quietly from the room and dropped cautiously but gratefully in- to his easy chair again. He leaned back and smiled grimly Women, he thought, lacked the necessary tact to handle chil- dren, or had contagious nerves. How easily a man could
 Papa, laim'
 The clear voice of Deedee cut his re- factions into two pieces. In two strides he was in the bedroom. Deedee was stand ing in the crib.
 Papa, laim!' she inquired anxiously
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

of destination. Poets may write and rave about shady groves, and novelists depict the power of beauty in the bril- liancy of d ball room, but for downright sentimentality, mutual exchange of con fdenees, and tender declarations, there's no place on earth to equal the shetery side of a ship, when the stars are scln- tillating in a clear sky and the balmY air of the tropics is gently ripping the surface of the ocean. A passengers life at sea is the perfection of idleness; there's nothing to do but sit around in deck chairs and talk, and talk; and 1t is rath- CT difficult for people to talk much with out they say something which may be either d cause of rejoicing or regret aft erwards.
 Leaving Plymouth after a few hours stay the ship takes her course to Naples, and if you are fortunate enough to ar rive about daylight in the morning the scene is one never to be forgotten. The Bay of Naples has been described so oft en in books and pictures that it Is un- necessary to add anything except to say that no book or picture could possibly do justice to such a scene. There are a thousand-and-one little things occurring on all sides which lend a charm to the place, every one of them intensely inter- esting There's the old fisherman catch ing sardines, or rather scooping them up in his net; there are boats laden with fruits, flowers and pretty girls which
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02
BY JOHN WlTHERsPooN DU6osE.

Long before the legislature met last winter the question was anxiously dis cussed by many members elect of that body in which the goyernor-elect partici- pated with his familiar vlgor and grasp of the subject.
 Governor Jelks handed down from Oates and Johnston the same complaint, ruin ous inequality of taxes. He required the state examiners, as they passed on duty from county to county, to make note of the practice of assessments. The reports they gave out were conclusive, that the assessments were ridiculous fin many tn- stances. Perhaps the majority Of in- stances.
 When the voters come to consider the actual results from the working of the present law for assessing taxes, they will have discovered the aim of the law and they will be pleased. Enough will be known to pass judgment upon and to testify errors. if any.
 It Is a little singular that the great states that compose the union, some or them more populous and rich than the whole United States for years after the formation of the government, have learned little from the tax laws of the Congress.
 Congress maintains two systems of taxa ton but there Is no officer in either cor responding to our Alabama county as- sessor If Congress may by statute fix the tax upon every article of marine com meree that enters the country; shall de- termine whether 1t may come in free or what tax 1t shall pay, If any, why is tine legislature of Alabama unable to perform the infinitely lighter task, the assessment of taxes by statute2
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

IT is remarkable how little atteEtion our methods of education pay to A either the theories oi practices of what we denominate popular govern ment. The orators and the press call lustily to the people, In our written law only about 23O,OOO individuals of the 100000 inhabitants of the state are Glali- fled voters and less than SooJo of these could be gotten to the. polls September l0 last after several years of agita ton of the grave question to be voted on. In fact the registered voters arc represen- tatiyes of the total population and the total wealth of the state. These consu- tuted representatives of the grand aggre- gate of population and wealth, delegate their power to the three departments-th legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
 When MT. Bryan looms up to demand the initiative and referendum, he can't get back upon the people" any further than the 2So, 900 representatives whom we call registered voters.
 We have representative government and we cannot dispense with the principle of representation unless we set up an oligarchy.
 We can set up an oligarchy upon the bonds of the government If we issue bonds enough. We can issue a sufficiency of bonds by government purchase of rail roads Put railroad stock in the shape of interest bearing government purchase
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

crowd around the steamer as she slowly comes to anchorage. The gaily decked tender that comes to take passenger ashore, and then the day in Naples, visit ing it's churches, palaces. museums, gar dens, restaurants, the drive to Vesuvius with the blue waters of the Mediterran- can on one side and on the other the vine clad hill sides: overhead the clear blue sky No wonder Italy Is called the gar< den spot of the world Not the least in- teresting sight Is that of the children, their large black eyes gazing in wonder at the strangers, while the women, all wearing the mantilla, the national head dress of the Latin races, simply over whelm a person with their regal dignity of manner and appearance.
 As a rule the passengers make up par ties of four or five and surrender them selves to the judgment of the hack driv- CTS who generally know where to take the party he picks up.
 Before leaving the vessel to come ashore, every one makes a note of the hour of sailing which Is posted up, and about that time there is a hurrying back to the wharf to catch the tender which takes the passengers back on board. AL though the time in Naples has not been over twelve hours, the visit forms a topic of conversation until the next stopping place is reached, which is Port Said, at the entrance to the Suez canal.
 The city of Port Said presents one of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02
CHARLES WARREN AZRBANKS

the dazzling-your Clays, Calhouns, Web sters, Douglasses Breckinridges, Blaines; as yet not from your Bryans. Dobbln makes a better race for that great place than Bueephalus; the tortoise beats the hare In the grand presidential derby. Fairbanks is in the class of Polk, Pierce, Hayes, and Mckinley. The office of Pres tdent does not afford the best opportunity for an American statesman Jaeksona Lincoln, and Roosevelt are the only Pres-9 idents who made the most out of 1t, and Jackson made himself a hero in the field before he got to be sage in the cabinet. Cleveland would have been as great as Jackson if his party had not turned lu- natie and forbade him. As President Clay, or Calhounr, or Webster could have done nothing that would have given him half the fame either one of them got out of either one of half a dozen speeches he made in the Senate. The same Is true of Douglas. It might be we'll enough to elect Albert Jeremiah Beveridge Presi dent just to see what the statesmanship and eloquence he delivers himself of in the Senate would be in action. It is won derful in the abstract. What 1t would be In the concrete no imagination, however exuberant or riotous, can conceive.
 But if Fairbanks should be President the aurora borealis would not shed its brilliance over the White House with his consent. The administration would be what the fathers ntended-the attaching of the executive sign manual to docu- ments official. Congress would govern; representative government would be re- stored to the American republic. The big stick would be split into cordwood with which to cook bacon and cabbage; no more White House diplomas would issue to Knights of Ananias. The superlative degree would be abolished and American politics given a rest.
 Indiana produced the greatest of the war governors, of the northern side-Oliver
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

and Of expression.
 z. B. Vance was elected to represent his district in Congress when he was barely old enough to be constitutlonally eligible. During the early days of the war between the states, he was colonel of a North Carolina regiment. and 1t Is re- lated or him that In the midst of hot fght-at first Manassas I think-he saw a frightened hare running rapidly to the rear. and cried out, Go 1t, Molly Cot tontail, and if had not a reputation to sustain. I'd go with youa
 Let no man imagine that Governor Yance's capacity to adapt himself to peo- pie of every grade was a mark of a mere demagogue. Julius Ceasar had this power to 8 very remarkable degree In hls grand Commentaries on the Galltc War" he does not dsdain to record a wittleism got off by private soldier of the famous Tenth Legion, and we do not even know the soldiers name. The recording of that joke is characteristic
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

She lay minute palpitating, while her chin trembled piteously. What was to be done when her parents vanished and these strange, harsh people stood in their places?
 She crept to the foot of the crib. where her father still stood and standing up- right. clasped his arm in her embrace.
 "Papahi" she said, longingly.
 Gently but firmly he laid her once more on her pillow.
 Edith" he said, in the hard voice that she did not know, "Lie still and go to sleep Let us have no more of this. Go to sleep!"
 From the dining room came the tinkle of the dinner bell. He helped Mrs. Raw son to arise, and they went away and left Deedee alone in the dark.
 MT. Rawson ate his soup In silence, It was impossible to be lively under the circumstances. Even Uncle Ed said noth- ing. and Grandpa did not feel called up- on to begin the conversation. Uncle Ed ventured to speak.
 ."When l was a kid" he said, lightly, 'i used to be spanked with a. six-inch plank"
 "Edward!" exclaimed Mrs. Rawson. How can you say such thingP
 Tt did me good" he averred. You can't begin too young. We all have some of the devil in us, and the only way to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

NNE of the most delightful means of
 spending years holiday by such O as can afford 1t would be to take a voyage around the world. This does not mean trans-continental railway jour neys in which person rushes from one big city to another; it means taking pas sage on one of the ocean liners which sail from Liverpool or London for India or China or Australia, and which during the passage, call at various ports where 0 stop Is made just long enough to visit the principal places of interest.
 The passage from London to Sydney by the P. and 0. line generally occupies aobut forty days, and during that time the longest period at sea in any one part of the voyage does not exceed twelve days, which is the time between Alden, at the entrance of the Red Sea, and Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The earliest part of the voyage Is made up of a series of short trips of three to five days with intervals of eight to twenty four hours at ports in which the passen- gers are permitted to go ashore.
 Leaving London, or rather Tilburg, a few miles below London, short passage is made to Plymouth, where additional passengers are taken aboard. The stop in Plymouth Is only a short one and no one goes ashore here, preferring to remain OH the ship and watch the new arrivals
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

machine, not so effective as Morton's had been, but good enough for practical purposes, and Indiana will support 1t in the convention of 1908 if the Taft cyclone leaves any opposition in the republican party above ground and under sky, which Is doubtful. Fairbanks, tho gold-bug, voted for and advocated the nonsense of sending abroad at public expense a com- mission to chop financial economy with the statesmen and bankers of Europe. Mckinley had been as rank a silVertte as Bryan or Teller, and with his own hand writ in the republican platform of 1888 these words: We arraign the demo- cratic administration for It's hostility to silver" And 1t was not until October, 1896, was very nearly three weeks old that Mckinley got rid of his silver ideas. He did it then in parentheses and it was manifest that his heart dictated that it
 Be said to wind, or write upon the sand.
 Fancy. the emancipationist, rendered the Dred Scott decision. and Mckinley, the bimetalst, signed the act providing for the gold standard, which shows what a tyrant, mighty and inexorable, cir cumstances is.
 Fairbanks was a pillar of the admins tratlon as long as Mckinley lived. The two were much alike, made in the same mold, holding the same religious faith, and belonging to the same political party Fairbanks supported the little war with Spain, and then championed expansion. He was a party man always, and every where, lieutenant of Mark Hanna in every party enterprise.
 Against his own inclination and con trary to the advice of some of his friends, Fairbanks accepted the nomination for Vice President when the nomination was
 II cessor in the Senate-a most excellent man, by the way-and got out of the senatorial melee over the rate bill. He is cfassed as a reactionary, along with For
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02
BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

get it out is to pound 1t out
 Mrs Rawson laid down her fork, and her eyelids trembled.
 "Cut that out, Ed" suggested MT. Raw son, kitty has the nerves tonight; the subject Is unpopular
 T think she is going to be good now, ,' said Grandpa 'she seems quiet enough. She must have gone to sleep
 'I certainly do hope so,' Mrs. Rawson said T never had such day with her. '
 Mama, laiml" came the little voice from the bedroom.
 T met Cranforth today, Kitty" said MT. Rawson.
 Mama, laiml Mama, laim'' called Dee dee.
 "He asked to be remembered to you" continued MT. Rawson. "Hs was with May Wilson,
 From the bedroom came a low, nerve racking vail:
 Mama laiml Papa, 1aiml
 It grew in volume. It became a gen. uine cry punctuated by the call for "laim."
 Mrs. Rawson glanced at her husband despairingly. He caught tho glance and dropped his eyes to his plate.
 T shall spank her when I am through with my dinner' he said. There Is no other way"
 There was little said during the bal ance of the meal, 1t was very solemn occasion. They were thinking of Deedee. There was no doubt that the psychologi- cal moment had come. The crime and the punishment were properly balanced.
 Now or never was the time to spank, but the Rawsons were ridiculously ten der-hearted family, and as the dinner wore away the spanking of Deedee be- came monstrous event in their minds It loomed huge and epoch making above teapots and buildings, taking an impor- tance equal to the destruction of the world or the change of dynasty.
 When they arose it was with sol emnity behtting the occasion, and they marched to the front room as jury bringing in death sentence files Into tho court room.
 Deedee still cried for "lain."
 The four seated themselves and looked gloomily at the carpet MT. Rawson open ed his mouth. gulped twice, and closed 1t again. Uncle Edward tapped the carpet with his toe. Grandpa looked sombre.
 ''Well?" said Mrs. Rawson, at length. MT. Rawson avoided her eye. He looked out of the window. He arose and stoop by the window, putting his hands deep in his trousers pockets.
 'Tf you are going to-" said Mrs. Raw son. If not
 Deedee was becoming quite unbearable. presently the neighbors might come to complain.
 MT. Rawson turned and walked slowly toward the bedroom. The three other adults sat grimly. As he parted the cur tains, Mrs. Rawson sprang across the room and caught his arm.
 "Franki' she cried eagerly you won't be too severe? You won't get angry and hurt herr"
 If you want to spank her, do so. If you want me to spank her. do not in- terfere" He shook off her arm, and she went back to her chair weeping.
 Mir Rawson entered the bedroom. Dee dee paused in her crying. In the half
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02
THE DAY OF THE SPANK

insisted on having 1t. It was evident that nothing but .'laim" would satisfy her.
 Mrs. Rawson studied the word deeply. It did not suggest anything to eat or drink It had no apparent relation to any toy, game, song, person or think. She awakened MT. Rawson, who sat up in bed with sigh. Deedee watched him ex- pectantly.
 "Laim, Deedee?" he asked, and she smiled brilliantly.
 Papa, laim!" she repeated.
 'Laiml' he said thoughtfully. "Laim!"
 He looked about the room and at the ceiling; he wrinkled his brow and craned his neck to look into the next room.
 "I give 1t up," he said. Perhaps her grandfather would know. Maybe it is something he taught her.
 They lifted Deedee from her crib, and set her on the floor, and she battered out of the room and down the hall. They could hear her demanding "laim" of her grandfather, and his puzzled replies.
 "Laim birdy? What is it? Say it again, i Deedee. Laim? Daddy doesn't know what you want, Deedee.'
 Neither did Uncle Ed. Nobody knew but Deedee, and she wanted it so very badly She came back and stood by her mother S bed and pleaded for it.
 It was hard day for Mrs. Rawson, Monday and wash day so Deedee could not bother Adlle m lHS hllcHeHt dilu raining. Deedee wandered through the rooms disconsolately only to return to her mothers knee and ask for 'laim. She refused her toys, she would not sew with a pin, she would not sit at the desk and write, she would not look at the photograph book. Worse than all, she would not keep still a minute. By twi- Mrs. Rawson had a headache. By twi- light she had nerves and now she stood looking at her daughter with re- proachful eyes. Deedee had repeated the unknown word ten thousand times, and stood in her crib clamoring for "laim' as insistently as ever.
 As Wellington at Waterloo prayed for night or Butcher, Mrs. Rawson longed for the angel of sleep or MT. Rawson It was MT. Rawson that came. He entered the house, wet and disgusted, with his trous CTS clinging to his legs in mud raggled dfsrepute, and dropped his soaking hat and umbrella into corner with the reck- lessnee of a tired man and fell into a chair in an abandonment of weariness, He breathed a long breath of thankful ness that hard day was ended
 John" came the voice of his wife "come In here and see if you can do anything with Edith I have worked with her all day and I am utterly worn out"
 "Oh, plague! he muttered. He sat moment lingering the arm of his chair, and then drew himself to his feet and walked into the bedroom.
 What is it?" he asked, almost harsh ly. and Mrs. Rawson's eyes filled with tears.
 T cant do anything with her." she exclaimed. "She won't go to sleep. She has been dreadful all day. I can't stand 1t another minute.
 She threw herself on the bed and cov- cred her face with her hands. She was weeping.
 MT. Rawson frowned.
 Deedee looked up at him sweetly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-02

"No!' he said sternly, mo laim'
 Papa, lamr' she demanded.
 "Nop' he said in a tone that froze the smile into soberness She looked at him doubtfully. Her pink and white chin puckered ready for a cry.
 Papa, laim, laim!'' she pleaded.
 He bent over her and forcibly laid her head upon her pillow.
 "Deedeem he said in a voice that was new and unknown to her, "Go to sleep Be quiet Stop this instant, or Twill spank you!'
 In heaven, I suppose the angels con- tinued to sing joyfully. Somewhere in the west no doubt, the sun shone gayly down upon nodding, care-free blossoms Even in the next block it is possible some good baby was being snuggled In a smiling mothers arms. But. to Deedee, lying in a corner of her crib, the world had grown a million years older in a sin gle instant. Her sweetly pleasant world had become a world of harsh words and cruel faces. Her mama dear wore mask of unfeeling coldness. Her papa dear stood towering above her giant of wrath, brandishng a terrible mysterious weapon, the verb ito spank"
 Her friends, her playmates, her lovers the providers of her joy, had hardened in to avengers. She was alone in the world of bludgeons.