The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-20

ming to be discussed. while District Attorney Jerome, who ig generally re- garded as one of the spossibilities" under consideration by Tsmmany for the mayoralty nomination has intro- duced the novelty of . public debate his constituents, other dark horses" have sought to attract public favor by denouncing the police and the present administration of the public service corporations.
 The prize for originality. however, must be awarded to the group of re- formers who are planning to attempt the overthrow of Tammany. The principal objective point of their att tack is to be the alleged extravagsnce of the present city administration and the high taxes that prevail. It is recognized as a difiiouit matter to arouse the ordinary citizen to the pitch of Axcitement necessary to bring about a political revolution by presenting the dry facts of Q city bud get, but some genius among the re- form forces has conceived the brilliant idea of dramatizing- the tax rate ana presenting the producton at various local playhouses for the more con- vincing impression of voters. It Is an- nounced that this plan is to be adopted and that the thrilling melodrama or the woes and adventure or Father Knickerbocker and his beautiful Bor- oueh daughters, the wiles and plots of the william Tammany and the he- roic rescue of the maidens by the ehampions of reform will be portray ed before the footlights during the fate summer and early fall. New Tor kers. always pining for fresh sen- sation, have taken kindly, even hfla- rfousiy, to the proposed plan which promises to attract attention even 1T 1t does not produce votes. If the new method of campaigning proves suc- cessfui it may result in an eruption or electioneering dramas with rival can- didates for ofice playing the stellar parts.
 Sensational Charges.
 New York usually regards with com placency criticism of shortcomings In its manners, customs or habits of lire but is has been reused to very real In dignation this week by the charge made by a physician In a public address that sevently-eight percent of the children in its public schools were suffering in mental development from the effects of drinking either on tne part of the children themselves or on that of their parents. City officials including the superintendent of schools the head of the health department and ofioials of the Society for the Pre- yention of Cruelty to Children indig- nantiy deny that any such state oi affairs as Is charged by Dr. McNichol exists among the school children. he- ports of the schools fail to Indicate . single instance of children showing the effects of drink and an examina- tion of 10000 children which Is now being carried on to determine the truth or falsity of the charge shows that only a very small percentage oi school children are allowed to touch even beer or light wines and these are found chiefly among the foreign population who are simply followine out the custom of their native ianos in this respect. Various scientists al ca have arisen to ask the onendhe nhvsician who made the remarks tnal have aroused Father Knickerbockers ire how he explains the high sraoe oi scholarship maintained in Germans where 1t is a very general custom TOT bovs and girls in their early teens t' ioin with other members of the family Tn drinking beer. So far no answer has been forthcoming. The only con- soIation left to the professional gen tIeman who made the rash assertion II that he has succeeded in what man! causttc critics have failed to acompi' ian that is in bringing down on m head inc wrath of what Is ordinaril! inc most indifferent city in the coun' try.