The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-02
reviews History of Nation


nv Wall reviewed briefly the his
torv of our nation, making compari-
son of the past with the present time
He dwelt upon the unlimited resources
of our country and upon the great
things science has done for U.S. he also
called the attention of his hearers 10
certain conditions existing which ne
said, should bring bushes to the cheeh
of every honorable citizen. AS there
are spots on the sun, so are there spo's
IN some of our social and political
institutions He said he thought IL
generally conceded that a belief OF
neonle determines the trend of their
ideas and fixes their sense of duty. He
said that in this day of get-rich- quick,
greed and graft, that many of our Gus
toms and practices are low In the scale
of civilization He here spoke OF the
fevered desire for individual power and
wealth, causing men to disregard their
duty to their fellowman and to the
social compact, of the cheapness of
human life, of the unfaithfulness OF
men filling places of public trust OF
little state legislators who sell out Tor
"a bottle of beer and few poker
chips" of United States senator's who
buv their seats in Congress and then
sell their votes, of cabinet officers need
ing investigation, of the embezzler of
thousands and the poor common thief
who Steals an old shirt from the clothes
line. of the people who want to stand
on their legal rights" on all ques-
lions.
He said that the man that can do
no better than merely stand on his
legal rights is almost a criminal. He
is as low in the scale as is possible
to be without becoming thief and
a murderer, continued the speaker.
when one lives just within the law
he is occupying a room next to the
Jail. He is not to be trusted and it
is well to let him alone, for, IL he
does not steal all the coal lands in
Alaska, he will steal the coal from
his neighbors backyard" He stated
that he had always felt that the 5u-
dietary is the purest department In our
government, but that technical COR
structions in criminal cases especially
narrow the authorities of the court to
such an extent that sometimes thu
rights of the public are construed
away in guarding the rights of the in
dividual, giving the night rider trials
for example
Bossism In Politics
He spoke of tricksters and .'bossism' in
politics Oligarchy, he said, In some in
stances, like mighty vampire has been
sapping the rich blood of an untarnished
democracy. Representative government is
often manipulated by machine politics.
The men who have time for nothing else
and who hatch" the schemes and play
the trick cards too often elect the officers
and indirectly make the laws of the
land
'Bossism' in Congress has found its
way into the state legislatures. New
York is having trouble along this line
now. Speaker Wadsworth and his rules
committee in the assembly of that state
are able to block and absolutely prevent
legislation that fails to please the whims
and fancies.
Notwithstanding this multitude of
SINS" said Mr.. Wall. II have an abiding
faith in my race. While we have set up
golden calves In our camps, true leaders
will come and deliver US. We are Anglo
Saxons and that means right will prevail.
Through long centuries of struggle there
has been some saving quality In our race