The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29
.ENG[|SHMAN'S VIEWS
OF OUR METHODS
Speaker Cannon Chews Tobac-
co and Splits
GU RBANKING SYSTEM
Comes In For Some Sharp Criticism mt
Hands of EngIishman, Who
Says He Spent Five Years
in United states
oU RANKING SYSTEM

chews tobacco while that honorable body
Is In session, the jury system In America
and numerous other yankee methods of
living and doing business are severely
criticised by an Englishman who has
spent considerable time in the states in
an article which he writes for a London
daily, which he tells of some things
he thinks are done better In his native
land than in America.
The article follows:
1t irratates the average American to be
told that his country does not lick crea-
ton" In every respect. After five years
residence in the states, I take this oppor-
tunity of submitting a number of Things
We do better at home"
In the first place, there is a lack of
dignity in the conduct of public affairs
that tends to bring their tribunals into
contempt Take. for instance, the meet
ings of Congress at Washington The
other day 1 saw Uncle Joe' tbs
Speaker, open the proceedings He enter
ed the House smoking a cigar "a la
Captain Kettle after which he took
wad of tobacco from his vest pocket,
placed 1t in his mouth and expectorated
member of the august assembly Is sup
piled with desk, stationery and a spit
toon.
There Is no denying the fact that the
public have more confidence in the man
agement of our financial institutions than
the American people have for theirs The
expression, Safe as bank" is mean
ingless in a country where they are al
ways smashing. 1T is not unusual to
find banks doing business out west on
capital of $500. They are trying to
Introduce our system of postal savings
banks, by which, If successful, 1t Is
estimated that 100000 will be Immediate
ly forthcoming from the stockings of
those who distrust the banks.
TO watch the swearing in a jury on
an important case in America offers
food for reflection, and one wonders
how an intelligent community can put
up with such a system. Over here.
man is supposed to render his verdict
after the important essential of listening
to the evidence Across the Atlantic, IL
a citizen wishes to escape serving on
a jury, he comes into court and asserts
that he has already made up his mind
or is afflicted with a prejudice which
would render 1t impossible for him to
give a just verdict, no matter what evil
dence he might hear. Then the lawyers
spend hours arguing as to the mental
capabilities, with the result that 1t often
takes week to swear In jury of IL.
Vacations among business men are sell
dom taken advantage of. The proudest
boast of an American merchant Is that
he has never missed day at his desk
for 10 years If you demonstrate with
him, he will tell you that "he is out for
the dollar and all there Is In it, what
ever that may signify.
On public holidays, such as the Fourth
of July, fire crackers and toy cannons
exterminate small boys and their equally
silly fathers by the thousands. In the
seven bloodiest battles of the war against
Great Britain 1119 American soldiers were
killed and wounded. During the last
seven years the total of slain and MAIN
ed on the Fourth of July totals 34.603
There is some talk of establishing Il
.'saner Fourth for the future The
worst that usually happens to an English
man on the first Monday in August is a
night in the lookup.
Police protection in America is a by
word. If you want adequate guardianship
of your goods you either employ one of
Pinkertons or form your own police
force. While the members of the regular
force may possess motor-cars and val
liable house property, they do not catch
criminals.
Ten thousand persons are murdered
each year-shot, strangled, poisoned,
stabbed, or beaten with club. Only
two In every hundred are punished. Chi
cago, with a population one-third that OF
London, had 118 murders in one year.
against 20 in three years In our capital.
70 per cent of the criminals who are ar
rested in New York for petty larceny
and thieving are freed through the in
PREVENTION of ward politicians.
We have been likened to a nation OF
shopkeepers-America is the happy hunt
ing ground Of the canvassers and consid-
cradle portion of your time is occupied
In turning them down.
There is scarcely an article manufac-
tured for common consumption for the
sale of which the makers do not adopt
special methods of exploitation. You are
induced to purchased more soap than you
could possibly in lifetime by reason
of the prospect that perchance 1.-The
Sungleam Girl will call at your resi-
dence This young lady is a species of
good fairy with gold galore to distribute
to sundry purchasers of "Sungleaini
Soap" Should she visit your domicil< z
and you are unable to produce the nego,
sary number of soap wrappers, yQ<t y
without the IS gold piece. S$V Pa
At your office there enters a plauSip.
gentleman, who would fam persuade you
to join suit club'-you pay SO much
a week with so equally guillible, and If
the enterprise is in existence long enough
YOU receive a suit of clothes. Possibly
YOU evade this attack only to fall victim
to the man who will politely infer that
YOU are losing thousands of dollars by |
neglecting to take Modern Methods
You might as well seek to suspend d |
cyclone as to stop the tide of his elo- |
ouence The firm he represents has |
him with a typewriter GRAFTON, |
which he has to get out of his system.
On your return home you will be lucky |
II YOU find that the hired girl has not |
been bribed into permitting a sewing |
machine, mangle, go-cart and piano to |
be installed on trial during your absence |
Our method of selling commodities may |
lack push, but 1t is more pleasing to the |
purchaser.
The tramcars are only capable of seat
ng half all many people as ours by reason |
Of having no outside accommodation. |
After six o'clock they are jammed with !
4, seething mass of humanity, the major
itv of whom stand in the aisles and pre-
serve their balance by hanging on to |
straps.
football encounter between two rival |
universities is an amusing contest to |
watch Each side employs a brass band, |
and the cheering is INDUCED In volleys |
under the direction OF a choirmaster |
Every decision of the umpire is holly dis
puted and doctors with medical APP
pliances are invariably in attendance
A striking piece of play Is punctuated |
by an appropriate selection on the brass