davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22
h The Halls of Congress
BY TAV.
Special Washington Correspondence

Special Washington Correspondence.
 WASHINGTON, D. C., April 21.-Just how much of patriotic and disinterested organiza- tion the Merchant Marine League is not, is be- ing brought out in testimony before the ship subsidy Investigating committee.
 The league is composed principally of mil lionaires, and is under investigation by con gress because of having attacked members of the house who have had the courage to oppose the $5,000,000 ship subsidy bi In the opinion of the democrats as well as many republicans, the legislation in question is considered and ire quently referred to as "the ship subsidy grab. !"
 Although the men affiliated with the Merchant Marine league testified before the committee as if they were a monopoly on patriotism and benevolence, these facts were brought out in cross-eXamination:
 That Walter A. Post, the vice president of the league for Virginia is at the head of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock com pany. This company builds vessels up to the size of battleships and might therefore profit directly through the passage of ship subsidy biIl
 That Edmund c. Converse, member of the leagues executive committee, is director of the steel trust which furnishes the steel for shipbuilding.
 That through peculiar coincidence nearly all of the philanthropists behind the Merchant Ma ,rine league as officers and executive committee men, are owners of iron boats, transporters of iron ore and other products entering into such manufacture or manufacturers of iron and steel and the various products of iron and steel, and would be benefited in general way at of bill.
 Yet Harvey D. Boulder, the former president of the Merchant Marine league who himself is interested in the ownership of four or five ore carrying fleets, declared while a witness that up until the time he entered the committee room it had not occurred to him in the remotest degree that he might be directly benefited through the passage of the $5,OOO,00O ship subsidy bill.
 John A. Penton, secretary of the league and leader of the ship subsidists, appears from his testimony to be the most patriotic of all the philanthropists. He testified that he could not in any possible way profit through the passage of ship subsidy bil and declared that he had lost $50000 this year as result of the neglect of his business.
 Mir. Penton admitted writing an article print ed in the American Flag magazine issued by the league, in which Representative Halvor Steenerson was bitterly attacked because of his opposition to ship subsidy. He stated there had been a meeting of the officers of the league and it had been decided to make an example of Mr. Steenerson. This testimony practically substan- tiates the charge made by Mr. Steenerson that the Merchant Marine league has attempted to 'intimidate, terrify and influence" him into abandoning his opposition to ship subsidy.
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

The Phoenix Republican says: "A majority of the voters of Phoenix are intelligent citizens and will doubtless recognize that the only issue before them in the city campaign is the person. ality of the candidates for counclmen." The Republican then proceeds to point out in a col umn or so of small type a dozen or so issues And still a majority of the voters are inteIi- gent"
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

A stylish woman, as she donned Her corset long and slim, Remarked: "I have economized Because of Fashion s whim, For l have sold my country place And now remain in town. I do not need a country seat,
 Because I can't sit down.
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

"I have little volume here" began the agent
 ''Get out an shet the door, durn you!" shout ed the victim. ''I aint got no use for sech trash"
 ''Yes you have," said the caller 'This is a treatise on Good Manners and Good Gram mar
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

''I bought it for a song" The owner of phonograph hurled a newly purchased record out of the window and saw it smash on the pave ment below him, land the confounded thing was William J. Bryan on the Bank Guarantee Law!'n
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

The prodigal son came hesitatingly to the front gate. His father saw him, recognized him, and rushed out to welcome him with joy. ''I'm glad to see you come home in rags!" exclaimed the father. "The neighbours boy got home yes terday in his college clothes!"
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22
MORNING SMILES

"How did you get the black eye?" ''It was caused by the hatrack." "Accidentally?"
 "No; think it attacked me purposely."
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

Phoenix boasts of being the possessor of a can of condensed milk that has made the round trip to the North Pole. The Capital City should take the proofs to Copenhagen.
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

"We use the Easter eggs as the symbol of i'm 
 "Hew appropriate. Some of these cold stor- age eggs seem to have existed always.''
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

Chief of Detectives-Now give us descrip- tion of your missing cashier. How tall was he ?
 Business Man don't know how tall he was. What worries me is that he was $25000 short.
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

''Why don't you teach your son a lesson by making him live without his allowance for a month";"
 Goodness I can't even make him live within itn'
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

Lord Fitznoodle (during the storm)-Take heart, captain! If necessary, we cabin passen- gers will raise purse that will make it really worth your while to save us
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

Beggar (returning a penny to the giver)- Excuse me, lady; ant take less than 3 cents. ''Why not?"
 ''Them's the union rules, and if I take less I lose my card.'
Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-22

for a seat to see the little session between lief fries and Johnson should at least have the good sense to refrain from complaining at home of the high cost of living.
 "The cigarette smoking boy" consumed a half column space in the Phoenix Republican, Is he worth it?
 The individual who is always ready to ques- ton the motives of others requires very close watching.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
A BIG ARMY
D HE annual assembling Of the
youthful army of more than 5o,-

n HE annual assembling of the
youthful army of more than 5o,-
n 900 boys and girls in the Los
Angeles schools is the most notable
movement of population in the annual
civic round. The most exciting and
hard-fought election never brought to
the polls so many inhabitants as the
call to school yesterday brought to the
school houses. 1t is a tremendous force
in its potentiality, this school army.
Fifty thousand is a big number to
house and provide for, but so we'll has
the Los Angeles school department met
the extraordinary requirements forced
upon it that the facilities for free ed
ucation here are 60 per cent better than
ever before. This is a remarkable
gain in year, and having caught
up to the needs, it is not likely that
we shall again fall into the chronic
condition of so many large American
cities, with children scrambling for
seats.
If the growth of Los Angeles in
population has been the marvel of the
country, it follows that the growth in
school equipment here is no less a
source of wonder and pride. No other
American city has had so great
problem in this respect because no
other has had the annual increase in
demand for room and expenditure pro-
portionately.
Along with this material expansion
there has been a constant enlargement
in the scope of the schooling provided
for the youth and raising of the stan
dards. The people of this city have
in their educational department cause
for honest pride, and those who have
made it so ought to have their graft
tude and praise as well.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
SOME CRITICS ANSWERED

Editor Herald: Quite some time ago
n writer in the Letter Box inquired
what Teddy had ever done for the
country, and insisted on facts tur-
nished a number in concrete form. AS
a reply there was sent to me Social
ist naner the Appeal to Prejudice (or
some such name), with a full page OF
yituperative slush directed against the
colonel, which was obviously false
Now in Wednesdays Letter Box comes
7 Patterson asking: "Who is Roose-
welt and what is he laundering for?
and in Tuesdays Letter BOX w. Z. u
saws q Socialist writer tells him Roose-
welt and his party are growing further
apart He expressed joy at this, and
says he would hate to have Teddy as
his guardian. No doubt the disgust
would be mutual.
Then in the same column &. Z. Mel
len says our Caesars are too numerous
and hints that we ought to spare
our great men, our heroes. Quite wise.
Let us kill off our brainy patriotic
leaders and save the imbeciles;
Parties who use The Herald Letter
Box and write What is he laundering
for?" either do not read and digest the
splendid editorials on Roosevelt pub
lished by The Herald, or else they are
those of whom Paul spoke: Lest they
should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears and understand with
their heart and should be converted"
I recommend to them all Roosevelt's
articles on "Mendacious Journalism"
and "Progressives, Past and Present"
in last weeks outlook. For myself I
would rather enlist under the Stars
and Stripes and follow crusaders like
Roosevelt, EaFollette and Pinchot than
to follow London, Darrow and bigot
like Emil Seidel under a red flag.
PATRIOT.
Pasadena, Sept. 0.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
TWO APPOINTMENTS

~ IGNS multiply that President
Taft's honest but. hobble-skirted
~ temperament is yielding to the
demonstrations recently given for his
benefit by the insurgent masses of
the country. 1t is a far cry from
his Winona speech to some of his
recent acts and words, although there
was a note of petulance in his st.
Paul address the other day showing
a none too graceful yielding to the
doctrine that there are some things
more important than party solidarity
Among the hopeful signs of Mr.
Taft's growing comprehension of the
spirit of the times have been two re-
cent appointments, for which all pro-
gressives must accord him credit. One
of these is the naming for the post Of
chief of the bureau of mines of DR..
Joseph A. Holmes, an intimate friend
of Clifford Pinchot and an object of
particular hatred to Secretary Bal
linger. He was one of the Snakes"
that Ballinger announced in his pur-
pose to scotch, and his rival for the
place was G., w. Parker, an intimate
of the secretary of the interior.
Another act Of the president no less
worthy of praise is his choice Of Presi-
dent Hadley of Yale to head the new
commission that will look into the
watering of railroad securities. DR..
Hadley is perhaps the country's fore
most disinterested expert on railroad
problems, He is classed as a conser-
vative but it is a good thing in these
times Of proper agitation and impa-
tience to preserve the balance by
needing the conservatives who are
not influenced by selfish interests.
The fault Of Mr., Taft is not so much
that he is not radical but that his
conservation extends to a desire to
avoid all trouble He is like a surgeon
too tlmid TO perform a necessary op-
Grafton for fear of criticism. The times
call for lighting, but the presidents
temperament so sh"inks from 1t that he
has listened by preference 10 reac-
tionaries because their counsel best
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
CRITICS OF THE COURT

m HE scholarly address of Judge
Lawlor of San Francisco in this
IL city on Saturday on needed re-
forms in the criminal law and court
procedure threw into relief the diff
ference between his legal mind and
habits of expression and the lay mind
of Theodore Roosevelt in his recent
criticism of the supreme court. Mr.
Roosevelt bluntly said that some of
the judges of the highest court are
"honest but fossilized," and that in
two specific decisions their inconsis-
tencies were covered up with "highly
technical legal subtleties."
In their speeches the jurist and lay
man took somewhat different lines of
thought as we'll as different ways of
speaking their thoughts, but in the
largest sense both are striving for the
same worthy purpose-a reform in our
courts, and no doubt the conserva-
lively spoken jurist welcomes the aid
of the publicist in enlisting popular
attention to some of the needs he
pointed out. 1t is going to require
the help of the public to effect these
reforms, and it will do no harm to
have the public mind Jared sharply
as judge could not in propriety do it.
There is no use blinking the fact
that both in civil and criminal law
and court procedure there is need of
vigorous reform. So conservative a
mind as President Taft has given
much attention in addresses to the
laws delays and the multiplication of
intricacies that often make justice
impossible for a poor litigant, and he
has gone so far as to call them
disgrace" In a recent address Pres
ident Lindley Of the California Bar as
sociation has sharply denounced the
contrast between the chances of the
poor devil accused of a vulgar crime
and the rich offender with money and
influence at his command. He plainly
said that at present equality of op-
portunity does not exist in the courts.
To say that honest, deserved criti-
cism of the courts and even denun-
citation in fragrant cases of injustice
through technicalities, is going to
undermine popular respect for the law
and it's judges is absurd. On the con-
trary, if the needed reforms which
Judge Lawlor pointed out with such
clarity are effected the popular re-
spect will be immeasurably increased
and our democracy placed on firmer
basis than ever.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
u AM GOING TO sHooTv

Editor Herald: These were the words
used by a 13-year-old boy near San
Bernardino when he pulled the trigger
that sent a bullet crashing into the
head of another lad of the same age
Without a moments warning, or
without known cause. Edward Rob-
inson shot a helpless woman 10 death,
near Ukiah. Cal, then sent another
bullet into his own brain.
SO here we have it. A youth shoot
ing his playmate with gun he thought
wasn't loaded; love-sick man shoot
ing another mans wife to death and
then killing himself; the daring train
robber training his gun on the pas
sengers and making them hand over
their money; the bank cashier being
covered with the shining barrel of the
desperato's revolver as he rakes off the
gold; the highwayman as he shoVes his
gun in the face of the pedestrian and
commands him to throw up his hands
while he goes through his pockets and
takes the last dollar of his hard earned
wages, and the burglar as he thrusts
his trusty gun before him when enter
ing the home of an unsuspectlng vic
tim.
Day after day we read of these hap
penings, day after day we see men
dragged off to prison and to the gal
lows, and all because of this deadly
criminal against the law-the gun"
w. S. BURROUGHS.
Ontario, Sept 12.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
TAFT AND ROOSEVELT

Editor Herald: What is Colonel
Roosevelt driving at? Why has the
returned hunter broken his promised
silence? Why has he taken the road
| at this particular time? A plain man
may venture a prophecy. Col. Roose-
velt's actions are forcible and entirely
open to view. His motives are not al
ways so apparent. He was evidently
acting in entire good faith when he
declared that Mr.. Taft was the man
to carry out his policies. l venture
| the assertion that he still thinks so.
That President Taft has taken on
| wrong advisers, or has been obliged to
| make the best of bad load in the
Aldrich- Cannon -Ballinger outfit, does
not prove that he has not the judicial
temper to solve the pressing problems
of the day
Is it not fair to believe that Col.
Roosevelt's present service is one of
loyalty to his friend as we'll as to his
oft-exDressed policies?
President Taft has not the eX-presi-
dents facility for keeping his ear to
the ground" but no one would ques-
ton the integrity of the man, or doubt
that he would act with unsWerving
purpose If the voice of the people
came to him with unmistakable en-
phasis Col Roosevelt from his view
point is not stirring up the animals"
nor looking with longing eyes toward
another term as president. He is only
helping his friend and successor to
hear the sound of America, and to
heed its voice.
The ex-president never did more
loyal or tacttul thing than this of
talking to Taft through the people. He
never did a more significant service
to the Republic nor a more chivalrous
deed than this of offering a last chance
to the special interests to put pat
riotism above the love of money-poW-
er.
But he who walks thus softly, still
carries the big stick. He says: "Bill
Taft-You arc my man. You can make
good, will you do it?"
He says to the Republican party;
"Be decent. Drive out corruption, re-
store your fair fame, and become again
the party of high principle"
To the special interests he says:
"See the gathering cloud and he wise
You cannot escape the heavy hand Of
retribution. Liberty is no respector OF
persons. Make your great business or
ganizations the servants of the ma
ton, to relieve the needs of men, not
to Cypress them"
If they heed not, there will be no
excuse The Man of Destiny will
take the helm again. The special in
terests will meet their Waterloo, and
the nationalist party will absorb the
vital citizenship of both Republican
and Democratic parties.
The Revolution will have been ac-
cOmDliShedi a.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
INJUSTICE eEeErs VIOLENCE

Editor Herald: Mr.. Burroughs state
ment that there were 10000 murders in
America last year to 800 in England
kills his own argument, for there is n"
legislation of any kind in England pro-
hibiting the purchase or use of fire.
arms, whereas there is much in the
United States. On the other hand, Eng
lish parents never have taught their
children that the only good Indian is
dead Indian" or similar murderous
precepts.
To the plea that American workers
become criminals when confronted with
European immigration, l reply again
that the United States has elaborate
laws restricting immigration, while
England has absolutely none. Is the
American worker 50 much weaker than
his English worker; and, if so, why?
For my part, l think he is, and that
the paternal legislation to which he has
become accustomed makes him so.
"Cowardly gun carriers would have
us believe that stones would be used as
Instruments etc, writes Mr. Bur-
roughs. That is pure abuse, directed
at myself, a stranger to the writer 1t
happens that l have travelled widely
throughout this country, including AL
aska, for the last thirty years, and
IlcNCi nave leu d gun L nave dl-
ways said that he who packs a revolver
makes fear his companion.
Furthermore, Mr.. Burroughs quotes
me as saying there must be other pro-
hibition besides liquor" I trust [ do
not write that sort of English, and, re-
ferring to my letter, l find l said moth
ing of the kind. My whole argument
was against prohibition in all it's
phases; against the poison of paternal-
ism, which has drained the vitality of
every nation so unfortunate as to fall
beneath its influence.
When l see how brutal is the treat
ment of the poor 1 do not wonder that
they lose respect for the established
order, or become 50 disgusted with life
as to step out of it by the revolver
route. SO long as injustice prevails Vi
olence will continue, for the latter is
largely a protest against the former.
c. T. COVERTON.
Los Angeles, September 8.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13

i've never yet taken a train out of
or into the union depot that there
wasn't someone on board, at some
stage OF the trip, who had lost his
ticket" observed the railroad conduc-
tor to the Kansas City Star, land I've
been at 1t long enough to see my hair
turn gray, too" he added.
II say lose their tickets-but that's
going too far. About ten times out OF
ten they haven't really lost 'em, but
have stuck 'em down in some out-of-
the-way pocket that they don't use
except on these special occasions when
they go for a trip on the steam cars. l
can spot man that has lost his card
board almost the length of the train.
His hat Is off, a look OF intense rear
covers his very red face, and he is
making the twentieth trip through his
pockets. BY the time l get to where
he is he generally is down on the floor
looking under the seat, or running a
rapid hand through his gaping suit
case.
Now If 1 were to bluster up to him
and demand his ticket with the threat
of putting him off in a strange and
hostile country unless he produced
right now, that man never would find
the ticket until after he'd paid his fare
again and got off at his destination.
Instead, l walk up and interrupt the
wild search with some soothing re-
mark like:
"Lost something. old MANI
"'Sure,' says he, my ticket. I'll take
an oath that had one and that 1
pinned it on the inside of my left sus-
pender and now it's gone! l bet l
saw the man that got it-he had dark
eyes and face like a weasel and a.
"'Easy, easyr l say, you haven't
lost it. You've just put 1t some place
and you'll find 1t in a second. I'll be
back through here in a few minutes
and you'll have found 1t all right
and l pass on.
That treasures him-some people
have an idea, anyhow, that a man
with a blue uniform on must have a
disposition like a last years citron-
and when I come back through there
is the man sitting back comfortable in
his seat, reading magazine, and with
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13
Reform Court Procedure

to there is certainly lacking the senti-
ment which has become the shib-
boleth of the century, Equality, OF OPP
portunity.'
Second. A verdict of three-fourths
of the jury should be sufficient to con-
vict, possibly In all cases, certainly in
all where the infliction of the death
penalty is not involved. This would
give the defendant three-fourths of
show and the public one-fourth.
Third. Mere Irregularities in the
proceedings of trial courts and techni-
cal defects in indictments should not be
a cause for the release of a criminal,
but the courts should be permitted to
amend the indictment, subject to the
provision that before the beginning of
the trial the accused be clearly advised
of the nature and extent of the charge
and be given an ample opportunity to
prepare his defense.
Fourth. Appellate courts should not
be allowed to set aside the decisions of
trial courts and grant new trials on the
ground of misdirection or rejection of
unless in the opinion of the court 1t
shall appear from an examination of
the entire cause the error complained
of has resulted in a miscarriage of
justice.
Fifth. The practice of giving writ
ten instructions to juries should be
abolished and the court permitted on
it's own motion to give the law to the
jury. A large percentage of reversals
arise either from conflicting instruc-
tions, refusal to instruct, or for error
in giving instruction asked by oppos-
ing counsel"
Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-13

Curtis H. Lindley president of the
California Bar association, in recent
address called for the following reforms
in our law of criminal procedure:
First. Where man is charged
with crime, he should be interrogated
by a magistrate He may decline to
answer if it so pleases him. But the
state should be permitted to comment
on the fact of such refusal on his trial
before a jury of peers. This sounds
radical and from an individualiStic
standpoint inhuman. But let us see
what happens under the existing sys-
tenn. The poor devil who has COM
mitted a vulgar crime is placed in
durance vile and sweated by the police
until he either confesses or furnishes
clews which enable the public prosecu-
tor to obtain intrinsic evidence to Sc
cure conviction. The rich criminal OF
respectable antecedents and quasi-so-
cial position gives bail, and when in
terviewed as to his ideas as to how
the crime was committed and who
committed 1t, he snaps his fingers in
the face of justice and harks back to
the seventeenth century. THE law
throws a halo of sanctity around my
personality. 1 am in the hands OF
God and the law. 1 am not called
upon to explain"
I'm the meantime, the small voice
of the man in the sweatbox under
going the heroic treatment of the
third degree is drowned in the appeal
to God and the law. Which of the
two systems as practically admin
fstered gives the greaest shock to the
ethical and moral sense? AS between
the two classes of individuals referred