davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
WRITES POWERFUL ODE
TO A NlNE-INCH GUN

LOS ANGELES. April SO.-[Editor
Herald: Now that the fleet has sailed
and the hysteria has partly left us let
us consider another phase of the ram
pant militarism which seems at times
to seize the American people. The
Herald in the course of it's duty as a
purveyor of news has chronicled the
fact that large numbers of workers in
all part of the country are unemployed.
To be out of work means hunger for
the jobless, Hunger is abroad in the
land. The gaunt wolf turks in the
shadow i'm all our cities. The bread
lines are covered by the darkness, but
they are still there. Mr.. Editor, have
you ever known hunger? Have you
walked the streets day after day beg
ging for work? Has the dread of
poverty hung over you from hour to
hour when you had a job, the tenure of
which hung upon the slender thread of
the whim of a petty tyrant? Have you
seen your children taken from the
schools and thrust into the factories?
Those things happen hourly. Do you
know the Fourth Bench" in City Hall
park, New York? 1 do; I've sat there
hungry, cold and hopeless. The follow
ing powerful lines were written there
by man who signed his name "P. Il.
Mccarthy" They were printed in the
New York World:
TO A NINE-INCH GUN
Whether your shell hits the target or not,
Your cost Is five hundred dollars n shot.
You thing of noise and flame and power,
We feed you hundred barrels of flour
Each time you roar. Your flame is fed
With twenty thousand lOaves of bread.
Silence! million hungry men
Seek bread to FIJI their mouths again!
JAMES B. HARRISON.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
EMANCIPATION

II I is of the utmost Importance to
this community that at the COM
a ing primaries citizens should be
on their guard against the influence
Of the Southern Pacific Railroad COM
pany. For the first time in at least
two years the people will have the op-
portunity of asserting their indepen-
dence of Southern Pacific control and
interests. The opportunity must not
be neglected. The chance must not be
lost. The political emancipation of
California must be accomplished and
the work must be begun at the pri-
maries. Ring rule and government by
railroad parasites are poor substitutes
for constitutional liberty and American
freedom. Government by corporation
is worse than government by mon
archy. King Stork is not a desirable
substitute for King Log. Citizens must
realize there are deeper questions in
volved in California's struggle than
mere surface questions of politics. Be-
hind the obvious politics Of the case"
there is the question of the revival and
survival of fundamental American
principles which, obscured by bossism,
trickery and jobbery, are in danger
of being forgotten. 1t is remark
able phenomenon of modern times that
people who denounce Socialism because
in their opinion 1t interferes with in
dividualism, have nothing to say in
denunciation of constant interfer-
ence with individualism and individual
rights by conscience1ess interests and
unscrupulous agents associated with
them. Nothing can be more detestably
unamerican than a machine" and
the most detestable and iniquitous kind
of machine is one which pretends false
ly to represent a reputable political
party and in reality represents dis
reputable and indefensible association
of bandits bent on the loot of South
ern California. Citizens who believe in
individual and social freedom must
vote at the primaries and must give
their influence to free men and the
cause of political freedom. If enough
good citizens do their duty at the pri-
maries the cause of emancipation will
be helped. Apathy, neglect, indiffer-
ence are as bad as active treason and
must not be allowed to- spoil this OPP
portunity for relief or to lengthen and
strengthen a reign OF railroad slavery.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
THINKS SUGGESTIONS FOR
BATH HOUSES ARE EXCELLENT

Los ANGELES. April SO.-[Editor
Herald: I read Jonathan kidder 5
suggestion in his letter to you in to-
days Herald in regard to public baths
in the Los Angeles river and was
rather disposed to think he was max
ing fun of our noble river But on
second reading l concluded he is sin
cere, but has not yet seen the stream.
The suggestion gives mo opportunity
to say that my proposed improvement
of the official bed of the Los Angeles
river includes public bath houses built
of concrete to accommodate boys ana
girls and adults, to be established
about one mile apart which would
give six or seven from the northern
boundary to the southern boundary OF
the city and of size to accommodate
500 or 1000 persons, as the demand
would justify, where the boys and girls
could have swim for an hour for a
nickel by furnishing their own bath
robes. Robes would also be furnished
at low. cost. The temperature of bath
water and air to be regulated when
required by the weather conditions.
They would be placed in accessible
places. easily reached from all parts of
the city. My plan to improve the river
bed also contemplates an automobile
speedway of four tracks, to be made
dtCSSSlpic from all lLit river pA4uSSS
and the north and south ends of the
river bed. two tracks for southbound
automobiles, one for those desiring to
go at a speed of fifteen to twenty
miles per hour and the other for those
who desire to go at a speed of forty
to fifty miles per hour; and two north
bound tracks, one for each speed,
where autos will run under a regular
headway leaving a space of probably
300 feet between each auto of the slow
speed tracks and 900 feet between those
going faster. This speedway would
accommodate autos going to or coming
from Griffith park, Glendale, Eagle
Rock, San Fernando and Pasadena on
the north, with perfect safety to the
occupants and pedestrians, and would
accommodate all autos desiring to go
to points south of the city and from
points south who desired to go north.
1 hope the automobile owners of the
city will appreciate the prospect in
store for them and use their influ-
ence in the right direction with the
city fathers. JOSEPH BELL.
920 Central building.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
COLUMBIA 'AILS EN-

KIT ALL to the bride. Ali to the
III groom. Happy, happy pair.
Apply, Apply pair. None but
the brave deserves the fair" This spir-
tied epithalamium (might as well
praise our own efforts) is evoked by
the announcement of the impending
marriage of Miss Jean Reid to King
Edwards equerry, brother of the earl
of Dudley, which will take the pro-
prietorship of Greeley's New York
Tribune over to dear old England. A
few years hence, hard working Ameri-
can reporters and advertising men Will
provide the bread and butter for
Eauerry Ward and all the little Wards,
who will thus be the wards of the
American nation. All to the bride.
Ooray for the groom. (Out of respect
for the equerry, we are mixing the
common American of this article with
some real English, specially imported)
The exalted parsonage VINO has cap
tured the cart and and of Miss Reid
will be twice a groom-a bride groom
and a stable groom. His position is
that of Master of the Orse for Ned.
He is the chief groom. We hope when
he marries the Reid-Mills fortune he
won't mix up his stable manners with
his table manners. His father in law
will doubtless train him to wipe his
feet carefully when he walks into the
drawing room. Or perhaps his mother
in law will attend to that detail and
teach him to deodorize himself before
he forsakes the society of Edwards
favorite racehorses for that of his
American wife.
The match has the approval of King
Edward, who took "such a fawncy,
don't ye know" to the pretty little
grand daughter of D. o. Mills. When
he saw Miss Reid at a party one night,
the King asked his hostess, 100 is that
chawming child?" When he discov-
cred the identity of the charming child
he said, Dear me- Mrs. Reid! If only
l were forty years younger" I'm
doubtedly is Majesty meant this for
a compliment. In view of the record of
tvs bloomin name if he were elevated
to plain citizenship Mrs. Reid would
have been justified in giving the mon
arch a black eye and calling on Old
Man Reid to tap his royal claret. Hail
to the bride. All to the groom. Oh,
ow appy this news should make US
hordinary individuals!
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
HERALD'S LEADERSHIP

OS ANGELES HERALD during the two
weeks April 10 to April 80 published
IL a daily average OF 1856 headed items
Of news. In the same period the
Times published I79 items per day
average, and the average daily supply of
items In the Examiner was only 1885, In this
comparison, as in all others which have
been made fairly, The Herald's leadership
and unrivaled supremacy a newsgatherer
are proved. The figures given are the re-
suit of q careful count. This careful count
shows that other morning daily paper
published in Los Angeles is printing as
much news as The Herald. Readers of
The Herald get a news service equal to that
enjoyed by any readers of any papers pub
lished anywhere in the United states. There
is not better paper in the land. The tour
ist from Chicago New York who picks up
a copy with the expectation of finding what
he loftily calls Country journalism" OF
provincial journalism is surprised to dis
cover ii is metropolitan, and docs not need
TO fear results of comparison with any
paper In America. The local news is gath
cred and written in brief, good clean style.
Words and the readers time are ecOnomlzed.
When a "stOry' Is worth half "A column it is
nos padded out until it is a column long
and cOrrespondiDgly tedious. No Herald
writer tries to produce sensational effects,
but If there is a sensational element in
story 1t is not excised. Some news is SEN
sational in its character. That cannot be
helped and never will be helped until
human manners, customs and morals are
changed. But much of the news pertains to
a plain, plodding workaday world of ordi-
nary joys and commonplace sorrows, and no
effort is made to weave rOmances out of
such homeIy materials. A good newspaper is
not In the business of rOmancing. Its mis-
sion is to tell the truth. In addition to the
excellent work of highly trained staff of
reporters The Herald has news supply
provided by complete corps of correspond
ents stationed at all points of interest, and
receives the complete worldwide service of
the Associated Press, the greatest of all
newsgathering organizations. The Herald
is q businessli1e paper for busy people,
giving all the news briefly, cOncisely, COM
pacty and correctly.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
COULD FORCE A WAR BY
CARRYING OUT VIGOROUS
COMMERCIAL CAMPAIGN

This great commercial concern has
been engaged in the mining industry
since 1889 when 1t bought from the
government the extensive Mike coal
field This tract comprises an area
of 10000 acres, or roughly, twenty-five
square miles. Since the mines passed
into the control of the Mitsuis no ex-
pense has been spared in providing the
best and newest appliances to develop
the property and make 1t one of the
great mining enterprises of the world.
There are several seams of coal in the
Mike field, but only the first and Sec
ond seams are capable of being profit
ably worked. These mines give em-
ployment to over 5000 miners and
workmen and the coal is conveyed TO
Aside from the coal mines the Mitsuis
also own and operate silver. copper
lead and sulphur mines.
A noteworthy fact about the Mitsui
family is that, Notwithstanding It's
long history reaching back to the six
teenth century, it has not taken on
the crust of conservatism which char
acterizes so many old business estab-
lishments. That it is the head OF so
many phases of the industrial life of
Japan, that 1t is the foundation of the
national credit at this time, and that
no Japanese firm is so well known in
the outside world, proves its econom-
ical influence in Japan Is of the first
magnitude.
But the interests of the Mitsuis are by
no means confined to those industries
which are conducted under the family
name. The family owns stock to the
amount of millions in other concerns
in Japan, and on account of it's pres
tige its voice is respectfully listened to
In every joint stock company in which
1t has a vote. Among these private
concerns which are really a part of the
Mitsui foundation are the Bank of
Japan, the Yokohama Specie bank, the
Nippon Yusen Kaisha, or Japan Mail
Steamship company and other promi-
nent corporations such as cotton mills,
paper mills and sugar reflneries.
Second only to the imperial household
in influence. the Mitsui family cannot
be separated from the great questions
of world politics which center In China
and Japan. and which are now forging
to the front. 1t is certain that the
voice of the Mitsuis viii be always
lifted against war, but even they have
little influence in any other line than
business. On the other hand, 1t may
be the Mitsuis who will cause war
by leading the aggressive commercial
campaign which Japan is conducting IN
north China and which is already dis
turbing the waters in the sea of
world diplomacy.
Copyright, 1908. by Frederick ]. Haskin.)
Tomorrow--Religions in Japan.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
SAYS HERALD COMES AS A
COOL SHOWER ON SuLTRY DAY

LOS ANGELES, April 27.-[Editor
Herald: To feel, to perceive in a
vague, inarticulate way-and to wait
in vain for the press to voice and con-
firnl-aye, and to direct--our thought:
that is, in these days the lot of the
great mass of the public. We look to
the press, "our" press, for the bread of
truth and of counsel, and, alasi Il
t-anspires after all that it is no longer
our" press at all but the press of cer-
tain interests" and we are fooled with
a stone more often than not
Consequently when The Herald. both
in its editorials and in the letters 1t
draws to and inserts in its "People's s
Letter Box" makes some show of de-
veloping a genuine live interest in live
questions that really concerns the gem
eral public it comes like a cool shower
on a sultry day. And because l for one
feel this and approve l feel it incum-
bent ON me to voice that approval. AS
Max Adeler has said: TT is not suf-
ficient that you love your wife through
the long years. you must tell her so In
words from time to time"
To be specific and by way of a be-
ginning want to mention The Herald's
article on child labor and the letter of
F. +. s. dotting the is of same, and |
want now to cross his t's where he
justly claims that even the inadequate
age limit is not lived up to. Regarding
the point he makes that the whole thing
goes not by what the child's age actu-
ally is, but by what some callous or
economjcally-driven parent declares 1t
to be- l want to say that he who
thinks this is a legislative accidental
blunder-misses the point. 1t is a
finished sample of the art of ''how not
to do it," 1t has been worked this way
as a result of the utmost cunning and
deliberation To save our face" be-
fore the nations and throw dust in "the
peoples" eyes we must have child
labor restriction law, but we must so
fix it as not to hamper "the game"
Thus we uphold both the law and the
"nrofts" D. A. GARDNER
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
A WREATH

HTHEN a young, lively, healthy,
w promising newspaper suspends
publication there is occasion for
grief But what shall be said of the
demise of a newspaper which after an
active career of 997 years puts up the
shutters and gives up the ghost? BY
the suspension of publication of the
Pekin Gazette, the world loses its old
est newspaper. Its files would be of
incalculable value if it were not for the
sad fact of it's intense, Chinese pro-
yincialism. Think of the opportunities
it missed! 1t could have had its own
correspondent with c. Columbus and
the caravels, and published an extra
announcing the discovery of America.
1t could have had a special representa-
tive at the battle of Bannockburn,
who could have settled the veXed ques-
tion whether the English began to run
before or after the ghillies came cheer
ing over the hill. 1t could have inter-
viewed w. Shakespeare and ascertained
definitely whether he or Bacon wrote
"Hamlet." We have often been inclined
to think that even if the philosopher
did not create the famous drama.
Shakespeare must have had Bacon in
mind when he wrote Hamlet" which,
unless we are very much mistaken,
means IA little bacon The Pekin
Gazette could have had it's own report
er at the beheading of Mary Queen of
Scots by the genial Elizabeth, could
have sent a man along with the Pill
grim fathers to tell us the truth about
the Mayflower's voyage, and could
have rendered thousand other SER
vices beneficial to the race. Instead
of that it lived and died in obscurity.
Its provincialism finally killed it. A
newspaper which does not get the
Associated Press service has not much
chance in this wide awake modern
world. The Pekin Gazette should have
peeked out as well as in. If it had
made an attempt to come up to date
instead of tagging a few hundred
, years in the rear we might not have
had to write this sorrowing obituary.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01

States, and our inefficient and out-of-
date navy would have offered little or
no opposition to their modern war
ships.
During the last decade of the nine
teenth century the government seemed
to wake up. The Spanish American
war came, foused from their lethargy,
and between the years 1890 and
1900 one hundred and fifteen modern
war vessels were constructed! What
a contrastl In twenty-five years only
ten new vessels, and then comes the
awakening, and one hundred and fif-
teen vessels in a scant decade.
OF these vessels, seventeen were first
and second class modern armored bat
tleships, eight modern armored cruis-
ers, three double turret monitors, four
teen unarmored steel cruisers, sixteen
gunboats, five auxiliary cruisers, thir-
ty-four torpedo boats, eight subma-
rines and sixteen destroyers. There
were also three special class ships and
one harbor defense ram. What an in
crease in ten years! We had then, per-
haps, not the finest navy in the world,
but a navy of which no nation need
be ashamed; a navy which could give
any power on earth the fight of its life!
But the earth has not been standing
still Time has rolled on and now an
other decade is nearly completed. In
that time how many vessels have we
built? New inventions come in con-
tinually. Our present navy will soon
be obsolete. Great Britain, Germany,
France, Italy. yes, Japan have BEEN
building steadily. 1t is essential to the
welfare of the people, to the preserva-.
tion of our country, to the keeping o.
peace with foreign powers that we
keep abreast of the march Of progress
Yet, when our president asks forffour
battleships Of the modern type con-
gress refuses him and gives us TWO
why not give kim more than Tour
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
GROWTH OF THE U. s. NAVY
SHOULD BE ERRUPTED

LOS ANGELES, April 29.-[Editor
Herald] The development of ournavy
during the last few years has been
very rapid Prior to 1890 the navy con-
sisted mainly of antiquated relics of
the Civil war. A few old ironsides and
number of impractical monitors
composed the navy which was sup
posed to protect the United States
against foreign invasion. Between the
years 1862 and 1887, a period Of twenty
five years, there were only ten vessels
constructed by the United States. OF
these, five were double turret monitors,
three unarmored steel vessels and two
were gunboats Not single first or
second class battleship, fit to conflict
with the ships of any European power,
among them. OF course this was dur
ing a time when the modern battleship
was very much of an unknown guam
tity. Nevertheless, Great Britain, Ger
many, France and italy all had some
of the new ships in their respective
navies, and any one of these nations
might have declared war on the United
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
INTIMIDATION

NM HEN men begin to gather GRAPES
wv of thorns and figs of thistles it
will be time to look for fair and
square political tactics from the rail-
road machine Already it's unscrupu-
lous emissaries have been engaged in
the curious style of missionary work."
which they substitute for honorable
campaigning. At their wits end to
offset the Lincoln Roosevelt fighting
strength, they have not hesitated to
use intimidation in the effort to cripple
delegations. Attempts have been made
to bulldoze them and scare out the
stronger and more formidable MEM
hers. intimidation is the sincerest
acknowledgment of conscious inferior
ity. and the last SHIFT of craven cow
ardice.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01

In refusing to take part in the eau
cuses, the Lincoln Roosevelt Repub
lican league said, Every Republican
knows exactly the principles for which
the Linccln-R Roosevelt Republican
league delegates stand, and what they
will do when they go to the state con-
vention. They will vote to send to Chi
cago a delegation instructed to vote for
William H. Taft and help to frame a
national program in thorough accord
with the Roosevelt policies. They also
will assist in breaking the control now
exercised by the Southern Pacific po-
litical bureau over the Republican or
ganization in California"
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01

strongest business concerns in
y ~ the world. 1t has a finger in
almost every kind of enter
prise in the island empire,
and its ramifications extend to all
parts of the globe. In financial
strength 1t is second only to the inn
perial household. It has it's own fleet
of steamers to carry its great COM
merce, which is so extensive that 1t
amounts to one-seventh of the entire
foreign trade of Japan. 1t mines one
third of the whole annual, coal produce
tion of the country. and it's trade in
cotton yarn constitutes one-third of the
nations total output.
According to the historians of the
Mitsui family their early ancestors
were great warriors But on one occa-
sion, several hundred years ago, the
leader of their clan was soundly
trounced by vicious rival, wherefore
he turned his back upon warlike pur-
suits and opened a dry goods store.
From that time on the energies of the
clan were applied to commercial pur-
suits with such success that the busi-
ness founded by the defeated brave is
now one of the strong pillars of the en-
pire. The early Mitsui traders were the
pioneers in the idea of cash retailing;
they organized a plan for the collection
and remittance of money and estab-
lished the first carriers business in
Japan
As early as 1857 the Mitsui family
was appointed by the government as
its purveyor and controller of public
exchange. In recognition of the SER
vices rendered at this time a vast es-
tate in Toxic was conferred upon the
clans THE Mitsuis have continued to
render valuable service to the state.
For two centuries they were loyal to
the Tokugawa Shogunate and later to
the emperor. In fact when the pres
ent emperor was restored to actual
power the anti-Shogun party was
financed by the Mitsuis. For this SER
vice the head of the house was created
a peer, and other members of the fam
lily have been decorated and given
various kinds of honors.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-01
q ---------
SUGGESTS PLAN TO AVOID
CONGESTION ON THE RIVER

Los ANGELES, April SO.-[Edito.
Hefaldl: If Jonathan Kidder will so
down to the river and locate spot
where large floating baths may be an
chored | believe the city council will
readily consent to appropriate the
honey for the enterprise. May sug-
gest, in addition. that a certain stretch
of the river be set aside for boating
and canoeing? Launches and power
boats should be kept off that part of
the river during certain hours.
would also suggest an ordinance for
bidding houseboats to be moored south
of Buena Vista bridge. This will obvi-
ate much of the present congestion
should not be opened FOR
of barges between the hours OF aad
9la. m. and 4 and p. m. SineerelT
JESSE SEABROOKl.