davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

T HE G. O. P. has just given us it's
 grand stunt of revising the
 \ tariff by it's friends" Moloch a prince of peace Let heaven regis ter while hell chucklesl But we got sothing out of 1t. Even Aldrich, the mighty, admits that the tariff is a tax, not paid by the foreign CT, but by that mythical, reprobate vile, loaths some, infamous, base, igno- bic, depraved miscreant, the consumer Of whom I am one of which, And therefore I shall proceed to write some scurrllous words and figures as fol lows, viz:
 A protective duty on any product is an oppression to begin with and the republican idea of it Is a lie to end with. At first Hamilton proposed pro- lection to establish industries. They were established, all right, as they would have been, more securely and . more speedily, under absolute free trade. By and by it was contended that a protective tariff was not for the manufacturer, but its office was benign and for the farmer-to give him home market. After a time the farmer be- gan to cogitate and not care a rap whether his stuff was sold in the home market or the foreign market. And so they invented that most stupendous of all the big lies since Satan was thrown over the battlements of Heaven that the tariff is to enhance the wages of labor Here are a thousand Industries" besieging Congress- and demanding laws requiring them to pay more for labor than they otherwise
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29
IS CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO SCIENCE?-By J. C. 1den D. D.

the progress of Christianity. Just as the confusion of tongues is to be dated from Babel, so the reconstruction of mans speech is to be dated from Pentecost. As sin. at Babel. showed itself to be the genius of confusion, so Christ, at Pen teoost. reveals himself by his Spirit as the Lord of order. The order which rebellion against God had destroyed sub mission to Christ restored. Sir William Jones' the poet. and Carey, the mission ary. both devout Christians, laid the foundations of the splendid science of language Heathenism could never have developed such a science. for no heather could feel such an interest in man. as man, as to make any general investiga- tion of human speech a possible thing. Linguistic science is possible only when such general investigation has been made, and Christianity. with it's mis- sions, supplied the motive for this inves- tigation and the spirit In which it must be and was conducted.
 Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist the world ever knew, was devout
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

would be either the drum major of a brass band, or kind-hearted and gen erous pirate securing the Spanish Main. or the funny old clown in the center ring. Yes. sir, it's hard job picking out a proper vocation in life for young lad growing up.''
 'It is that" said the House Detective 'I been tryin' to lick a little ambition into Marty but 1t looks to me like he don't wanter do nothin' but eat an sleep"
 Sounds as if he'd make a good po- liceman," said the Hotel Clerk, "or a government national bank examiner But you can never tell how those early traits will develop and you have to be very careful about this thing of pick ing a vocation. If you stay poor all your life you're called a sociological problem, which Is a hard thing to have to take. and college professors write magazine articles about you; and if you acquire great riches the gentle manly muck rakers and the federal grand juries will delve into your past life and show you up until you're summed by society like a man that's been eating spring onions. If you don't get money you might as well be llv> ing in a damp cave, associating with the Stalag brothers-Mite and Tite- and if you do get it to any notice able extent, its been such a hard job that you're too tired to enjoy it prop erly.
 Anyway, there's conspiracy in this country against permitting any man to acquire wealth. It started with the general introduction of the cash reg ister Into business life, thereby strik-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

babe is merely a small, noisy object, slightly fuzzy at one end, with no lea- lures to speak of and either light pink or dark red in color, depending on wheth- CT it's going to grow up to be a blonde or brunette. But to its parents it's probably the most astonishing thing that ever happened in this amazing world.
 He's a wonderful child" says the proud father as he removes the first seven or eight yards of flannel bandages from around the form of his offspring and shows you something that looks something like a large sore thumb
 Heavens alive, man. you say to him.
 turn him around quick-youre holding him upside down. I am not he says to you That's his head he says. Tut
 tut you say, you're joking. I am not he says, look at his head,' he says, there's a head for you he says. Did you ever see anything like that head in your life? he says. And truthfully reply that you never did. And how wide he is between the eyes,, goes on the father. paying na attention. He IS that,
 you say, and even wider between the gums. That's a fine large decliVity ne has there in his face, you say. IT any thing should ever get the matter with him t'would be comparatively easy to turn him inside out and treat 1t by local applications you say, gazing spellbound down the infant phenomenon. I think he has my nose,' says the semi-delirious father, critically examining something In the middle of his heirs countenance that looks as if it might have started out to be a push button and then got discour- aged and stopped just after it passed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

value at Portland the chief port of Maine, the cargo of slaves. was the na- tional wealth increased; but according to the protectlonists, it was decreased by that amount, for we had exported less in computed value than we had im- ported. That is preposterous: but it Is the foundation stone of protection, and it's chiefest argument"
 As said, lost money by that trans action, but if the democratic committee had discovered the sagacty to buy 10000 copies of that publication and distribute them provldently. we would have had at least ten more democrats in the Six tieth Congress. That is egotism, but it is truth If anybody who reads this shall have curiosity to read the entire pamph let him address E. w Newman, 331 Eighth street, northeast, Washington, D. C., enclosing a 1-cent stamp, and 1 will send 1t him. It is first-class tariff stuff, but rather hot, I promise you.
 I have a heap of faith In the sterling patriotism and rugged honesty of Will liam Howard Taft. Unfortunately, he is no political economist, and must take his tariff made to order and secondhand. He practiced law, not politics, in the for mative period of his mind. He signed q bill that will not go down.
 And the tariff is again paramount, and If the democratic party is worth the devils bringing up it will sweep the coun- try on it. The shibboleth is free raw ma terials and tariff for revenue only on the finished product.
 l started out to write a very different letter from this.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

did hold that the republican party was the inventor of good crops. Yet that same John Sherman was vile freetrader in 1869, and he 1t was, and not Henry Wat terson who dubbed men like Carnegie "robber barons." Wage is high in this country because farm lands are cheap. If a fellow cannot make a living as a shoe maker he can go west, pre-empt farm and raise potatoes. Your German cannot do that. He is nailed to his job, unless he emigrates.
 Indeed the disparity of wage between the American and European shop of 50 years ago was much greater than it is now. and for the same reason that Eu- rope is full of people and America is not The wage is higher in San Francisco than it is in Boston or Chicago Why? Be- cause of the law of supply and demand And yet the knaves in Congress will say, and the fools out of Congress will be- lieve. that the tariff promotes wages. Suppose it were true, let me admit it for the absurdity of 1t, who conferred on Congress the power to make 8 wage big or little? And if Congress had that power 1t would be ruinous to exercise 1t.
 Cast the bantling on the rock;
 Suckle him with the she-wolf's teat."
 But let me get back Absolute free trade between the states of our union did more for the marvellous material advancement of our people than any other agency, than all other agencies. If all the nations of all the world, Christian, pagan and heather, were to declare absolute free
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29
Cobb

ing blow against the ultimate pros- perity of barkeepers from which the profession has never entirely recovered. Then they perfected the checldng-up systm and now they're talking about an income tax. I shudder to think of the additional strain that's going to be put on the recording angel when peo- pie start in swearing off their in- comes.
 Unless he can cultivate those facial mud guards, sometimes called side whiskers, and develop large gross tonnage and heavy total displacement manner, there's no use raising your son for bank president he wouldn't fit the part. Any successful lawyer will warn you, if you tell him you think of training your boy for the bar. that half the lawyers are starving to death and suggest that you try mak- ing a steam filter out of him. If you say to an artist that the boy has an aptness with the brush that might de- velop into someth ing, he'll beg you to apprentice him to kalsominer and tell you with tears in his eyes how DOT trait painting has fallen off I never saw doctor yet that didn't advise aSalHsl ocHuiH5 any ldo to HleuiCdl college and no well balanced under taker welcomes you into his profession unless you're dead first"
 "Wel,' said the House Detective, "I wish't I could find business fur Marty where if a man succeeds thers plenty of room at the top.'
 I've a happy thought" said the Ho- tel Clerk. Make a north pole ex- plorer of him. If he succeeds there he'll find all the room at top there is."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29
LACK OF VITAL STATISTICS.
This Country Far Behind Others in Col
 iectlng Them.

From the New York Sun.
 One matter which will come up for se- rious discussion at the American Academy of Medicines conference on the preven- ton of infant mortality will be the lack of adequate vital statistics In this coun- try. This country. which has led in many respects is far behind in this, partly due to our system of government by states.
 Dr. J. s. Fulton, who was secretary-gen- eral of the last international tuberculosis congress and who is recognized author ity on matters of public health, has re- gently called attention to this failure on the part of the states, particularly in the matter of registering births. He had occasion to consult the Australian Year Book and ran across a table comparing Australias death rate with that of thir- ty-two other countries. The United States was not one of the thirty-two, for the reason that while statistics were available they were not reliable. A sim liar table comparing birth rates omitted this country, with the announcement that such statistics were non-existent.
 How bad the situation is Is shown in this statement from Census Director Durand:
 The states having effective registration laws of death are as follows: California, Colorado. Connecticut Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Da- kota, Vermont Washington and Wiscon- sin. Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah have re- gently adopted laws whose results are now under observation. Other states have registration laws which do not meet the requirement of this office. The vital statistics reports of the bureau relate solely to deaths, no state nor even a single city being yet certainly known to have a complete registration of births (90 per cent. of all births that occur minimum standard) to warrant its admis- sion to the registration area for births.
 New York has recently taken a step in advance by passing law which requires the registration of births within thirty six hours. Early registration makes pos sible the immediate enforcement of tho regulations that are accomplishing great deal towards the prevention of infantilo diseases and blindness and toward tho ultimate reduction of the death rate
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

day. has been the weapon of the "oppo- sitions of science falsely so called" and hence they have become accustomed to look for danger in this direction. To say that under circumstances such as these they have now and then been betrayed into such excess of caution as to give a false alarm, is only to say that they were fallible human beings. Theologians who have investigated the matter have learned that while there has been Newton who, in humble faith, could look through nature up to natures God, there has also been a Laplace, rising to the heavens on the wings of Newtons faith, and then turning his back upon the sun and coming back to earth in the dark ness of his own athestic shadow" that there has been a sponsor who lost in the mazes of his own speculations, denied the powers of nature themselves, and hence the Christian thinker cannot fairly be expected to take kindly to new theo- ries in science.
 I believe it was the elder Fichte who
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

Christian. John Locke. the father of English Metaphysics, an humble be- liever in Christ. And though both Of these great men lived in a narrow and bigoted age, when persecution for opin ions sake was the order of the day. there is not the least evidence that their re- ligion ever in any way interfered with their science. or impeded the progress of their thinking.
 Grotius. Leibniz and Farraday were all devout Christians, and they were the leaders of the scientific and philosophical thought of their times
 About the profoundest and most inde- pendent thinkers that have in our own time and country impressed themselves upon the mind of the present writer were President MeCosh of Princeton, A. T. Bledsoe and Moth K. Davis of the Uni- versity of Virginia and A. B. Brown Of Richmond college-al Christian thinkers. When facts like these meet us at every turn we find 1t difficult to accept the dogma that there Is any inherent antag- onism between real science and real Christianity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

to the charge. No student of the history of science can deny that the most earn est and able opponents of some of the progressive movements in the scientific world have been found among men who held high and influential positions in the Christian church. But then the ques- tion naturally arises, 'Is it fair to lay the blame upon Christianity" The gos- pei of Christ cannot justly be held re- sponsible for the bigotry and intolerance any more than for the selfishness and covetousness of all the Christians, real and nominal, who are guilty of such sins.
 Besides, the phenomenon under con- sideration admits of another explana- ton, and one that does not involve the charge of bigotry, nor of intolerance, on tn. part of those theologians who have been slow to accept novelties in science.
 Christian thinkers have learned from long and sad experience that one of the most popular and dangerous weapons ever used against the truth, from the time of the Apostle Paul to our own
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

ries appear to conflict with their precon- ceived religious beliefs.
 Much of the religious persecution which has disgraced the history of the church. has been the result of ignorance, and 1t Is only common Justice to admit that the religion of Christ is no more respon- sible for the persecution of Galilee than 1t was for the burning of Servetus. It was not the spirit of Christ, but the lack of that spirit which prompted both
 Whether any enlightened Christian can really feel any inclination to oppose any thing that is true, is a question which I need not here discuss, but whatever may be thought of this, 1t Is clear that there is at least one modern science whose origin and history prove it to have been indebted to Christianity for the very possibility of it's existence. I re- fer to what is called "The Science of Language" or, as it Is sometimes mad equately entitled, Comparative Phil ology"
 This science is a Legitimate result of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

said that to inquire of a philosopher whether his scheme of philosophy is atheistic is about as reasonable as to in- quire of a mathematician whether one of his triangles Is red or green; and as some of our most vigorous and rigorous scientific investigators have been equally careless as to the moral and religious tendencies of their hypothesis and theories we cannot justly blame a Christian stu dent who says: Show me the truth, and I will grapple it to my soul with hooks of steel; but I cannot afford to dull my palm with entertainment of each new-hatched, unfedged comrade."
 It might further be urged that most of the opposition to scientific progress commonly imputed to the Christian re- ligion was really due to the intolerant spirit of the times. When men banished Quakers, burned witches and whipped and imprisoned Baptists we need not expect them to develop any special fond ness for new theories when those theo-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29
<<K XR. MBEAN," said the House
 M Detective e,a of the ,e,' st. ,d Rsrk'Sss ,t Soa

<eK IR; M'BEAN'" . said I. the e.aa5sn" House
 1VX "wot would you do if you wuz the father of five?"
 Keep the best looking one and drown the others, I suppose said the Hotel Clerk. absently "I didn't know you had so many. Larry. It's astonishing how these little things will accumulate around a house."
 "Five." said the House Detective, proudly, "an' all boys but wan an she's a gurl.'
 "WelI. it's too bad, isn't it?'' said the Hotel Clerk. ayr
 "It is not" said the House Detective, warmly; 'it5s a fine grand thing, an l wouldn't take a million for any wan of thim.''
 You'd have great difficulty in dispos- ing of them, even at that comparative fig ,,re ,, said the Hotel Clerk Children are more or less a drug on the market at this time The rich won't have 'em at any price and the poor don't have much of anything else Somebody else's Kid, Larry, is like a boil on the neck You meet a fellow you know that's carrying his head on one side like he'd been re- gently hanged with rag around ms throat instead of collar. Whats all ing you? you say to him, and he says to you it's a boil on his neck and you say to him, Never mind; you're in luck; ev- cry boil is worth five dollars to you ana the large or carbunky kind is worth ten apiece easy But if he tried to make YOU a present of his you'd hand him wallop in the eye.
 ITO everybody else, Larry, new born
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

''far off, divine event" We are factors in the eternal outcome. We are part and parcel of all. We may be kin to the clod but we are also workers with God. These are big thoughts, but we must think them sometimes. Darwin tells us that in early life he
 was fond of music and poetry, especially
 Shakespeare.
 But he did not cultivate this apprecia-
 ton. He concentrated all his powers on
 the study of nature and finally lost his
 taste for music and harmony. In his
 later life he expressed his regret that
 this was so.
 nothing in his soul to respond to the , appeal.
 Which fact contains a lesson. One may harden his soul against the best things of life by giving his entire attention to other things. For instance One may become absorbed wholly in making money and thus leave neglected his highest thoughts and noblest emo-
 tions. He who does this does not deib- erately choose to shut the door on his diviner side. He neglects to cultivate the noblest things. By and by they make no appeal to him. His tastes have
 changed.
 Also
 A woman may give her days and nights to social diversions so completely as to take all her time and energies. She does -oI., tn "a side of life. She simply neglects to culti- vate that side of herself After time she no longer responds to the appeal of the higher influences She becomes sor- did, indurated, calloused. If we are to be the best and do the best we must think the best, feel the best act the best. Any other kind of living has it's dan gers.
 The man or woman who falls and fails under some temptation is not suddenly corrupted. The character has become slowly weakened by the shutting out of good influences. The best has lost Its ap- peal.
 DO not think lightly of these facts. Some day an important choice may come to you, or critical temptation may lure you, or great crisis appear. In that time you may find that you are not morally strong enough to meet the sudden call.
 You have not lived in such way as to make the right choice, put down the temptation, meet the crisis. Henry Ward Beecher once said in sub- stance:
 Man is a three-storied house. His anil mai part is the basement, where his pas sions crawl. There is the first story the
 intellectual. Most men live altogether in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29

have done to pay her. you have not done enough.
 It is consoling to believe that noth- ing in all the universe is ever lost
 Science shows that not particle of matter can be lost The form of it can be changed; that is all. You cannot possibly destroy the most infinitesimal fragment of an atom.
 Matter. so far as science knows, IS immortal.
 If nothing of matter can be lost what shall be said of the soul, which shapes, controls rules matter? Is It fair to reason that the lesser shall live and the greater die?
 Men are born. They live, sleep struggle, sorrow, enjoy, die. They live on the fruits of the field and when they die the latter live on their bodies and so the endless chain of being and dying.
 How will you give significance to their lives except that nothing of those lives Is ever lost?
 The ant does not understand the mean HE Ol ltb iilSt put Ae iS VI wy 10' filling the purpose for which it is made The bee does not know the significance of it's being but 1t goes on working out it's little cell with infinite integrity. and the beehive Is the result. No individual effort of ant or bee is lost in the outcome of the scheme.
 Man is more than ant or bee.
 The coral insert is born, lives a little dies and leaves its tiny bones Wha' Is ,athe purpose of that frail life? The nurnose appears in the coral reefs that lift themselves above the waves. No single effort or one smal creature IS lost.
 Man is more than coral insect or ant or bee. But how more? If man is merely animal he is no more Take. for instance, the definition thai some economists make of civilization Tbev say civilization consists in the or ganization of industry the accumulation of wealth, the thrift of the people. Nonsense! The ants and bees organize ihuus.Iy accumulate wealth and are thrifty. An ant hill is better organized ana governed than any city on earth.
 Man is a soul!
 And if nothing is ever lost, and if there is a great purpose running through his creation, then every noble act of mans soul is gathered up and woven somehow into the final issue of things. Is il not so?
 Let. us believe this to be true, even fl we cannot prove it--save by analogy.
 Because
 Then whatever we do or say or think or feel has significance and meaning. We are the answer to the "why" of our ex- istence. We arc contributing to soma