davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

~ILAS WEGG was constantly drop
 ping into poetry" Not that he 0 could not have said what was in his mind by the use of prose; but he fancied that the rhythmic measures of his lines were more effective than mere prose. When he wanted to engage the "kind or- fees" of MT. Boffin he would "drop into poetry quite suddenly, with the expecta- tion that what prose could not do, poetry would accomplish. MT. Boffin was much affected by Sas Vegas lines, and when Silas would drop into the pool of poetry he generally came out wet wet about the eyes.
 Silas Wegg was a shrewd and acom- plished hypocrite, and used his custom of 'dropping into poetry with his own ends in mind. We have a few Silas Vegas lines preserved to us in Our Mutual Friend. They are neither original nor borrowed; they are his own composition, as a. young lady said of her essay How ever, challenge any university man to scan MT. Vegas poetry. This is about all that shall say of Sias Wegg, and of his dropping into poetry.
 Those of my readers who are familiar with that fine old Spanish story of Gil Bias of Santillane and everybody should be familiar with it, will remember that after a long separation, Gil Bias, after
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16
A Fatal Diplomatic Mistake
Robert D. Heini. Washington corressont

Robert D. Heini. Washington Corresponds
 ent I.esles Weekly.
 One of the most interesting stories Washington has heard this season gives what purports to be the real reason for the resignation of certain distinguished diplomatic representative at a foreign port. If accounts are true, his wife caused all the trouble She talked too much. To make matters worse, she in- sisted upon speaking the language of the foreign country. The ruler of the land said her imperfect mastery of the native tongue outraged his ears" He intimated that he would be more pleased If she spoke English. But the woman persisted and continued to find displeasure. But it was with the court women that the down. fall came. She attempted to address these fin their language al a notable as- semblage. The speaker asserted that many women in America had a profess sion that they were trained for some thing. There were doctors among them, lawyers and numerous others as carefully prepared. AS for myself" she went on. before marriage I was educated for and followed the profession of wet nurse.' She had intended to say trained <nurse," but failed to note the signific/ of a foreign tongue. It was fatA 'nder. She told the naughty court woA that she had followed a calling which k their eyes was plebeian and servile. K The American woman did not know of her break. But it is said that it did not take the word long to run through the scandal channels and down the back stairs. Other things happened. Anyway our diplomat resigned.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

, many of his romantic adventures, unex- pectedly came upon his old friend and whilom fellow traveller, Fabricio, in the city of Madrid.
 Fabrco had been a jaunty barber in his former days, but to Gil Bias Fabricio showed signs of new prosperity, which caused Gil Bias to ask after the manner of his present life. Fabricio was proud to inform his old friend that he had dropped Into poetry; he was an author of son. nets. lyrics and love-lines, which he could as easily dash off as in the former days he could whisk off the beard of a GUS toner.
 In the course of their conversation, Fabrico delivered himself thus: "Sonnets, odes, in short, all compositions which partake of the sublime, are of course, the reverse of the simple and natural; they are enveloped in clouds and their dark ness constitutes their grandeur. Let the poet only fancy that he understands him self no matter whether the people under stand him or not"
 This the guiding principle of Fab ricio's vocation in Madrid. The grandeur of his poetry lay in it's darkness and ob- scurity. If the people did not compre bend the darkness, so much the worse for the people. He was supplying poetry, not brains. Fabricio spoke thus, long before
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

say something new through the news papers, and wonders why the lines never appear in print. Indeed, all the seasons summer with its golden skies, autumn with it's amethystine glow, winter with it's melancholy moan-all, all are conventional seasons for the Wegges and the Fabricios to take the pen in hand" and let you know that the world holds a bard whose star of genius has not yet been discov- cred.
 There Is, too, blood relationship be- tween Poetry and Love. No man can write poetry who has never experienced the warm passion of love. He not only drops into poetry" who finds that he Is in love, but he plunges into it. In poetry he revels, and he who has not wasted many quires of paper of writing his sweetheart's name thereon, with many touching lines which he has dedicated to her, has but meagre agitation of the heart.
 Nearly all of shakespeare's lovers are prone to "drop into poetry" Valentine, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona" is a type of his class. With sighs and long ings he pens his sonnet ITO Silvia' but, alas, it falls into the hand of the Duke together with the cloak and ladder.
 MT. Jingle and Sam Weller stand for many others in the stories of dear old Dickens. They were lovers. who, on oc- casions, dropped into poetry"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

Truth being borne. '. We the pigmy folk had preconceived a finish. But for the torch-bearer there can be no finish.
 Now understand me we'll" one of the torch-bearers wrote, Ut Is provided in the essence of things, that from any fruition of success. no matter what, shall come forth something to make greater struggle necessary" Walt Whitman, one of the beacons of the nineteenth century, wrote this, and I have been glad for his company for some ten years. For he has companioned me as nearly as swift, superb runner can companion one of sluggish, unbeautiful stride.
 Truly it Is hard for me to get rid of him-this man whom the schools con- demned and the magazines ignored. That is tc say, it is hard for me to feel his influence. At the heart ot his crudesi poems there Is that plea for human brotherhood-for the forward pressing at any hazard-for the discontent with the past, and for vista, and light, and for the Torch ahead, and for the following of 1t. And after all Is said. do not all first-class poems, literatures of what ever sort, make for the ideal democracy? Failing that purpose, or at least ten- dency, they become second or third-class poems, literatures
 And whatever the schoolmen say in dis praise of him. so great is my regard for
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16
PARABLE OF MODERN BOY-By Bill Vines

stile of Automobill he'll buy when he be- cumeth chairman of the beef trust Verify he thinketh himself the stuff, but he doeth nuthing He becums loafer, and a street-corner rubber-neck, which is the fag-end of creation. He butteth in where he is not wanted he critciseth his elders; he purchaseth cheep perfume and becumeth an abomlnasion in the site of all peepul
 When he reacheth the age of responsi- bihty it has becum too late; he pauseth for momint to see himself as uthers see him, and he becumeth sore troubled and marvels much that his parrints took no interst in him in his yuth. and the moor he marvels the moor trubled he becums, and he walks fourth in the desert phases to medditate, and he cooleth the hot sands thereof with his feet. But the streets have there hold upon him and he drifts back to there call, and he sinketh down into oblivion.
 Morral-The streets Is not ia good phase to raise enny thing of value.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16
OCCUPANT OR SENATOR?-By Savoyard

Here is the letter to the governor of his state:
 Dear Sir: I herewith tender you my resignation as a member of congress from the Thihd district
 Governor Stevenson indignantly refused to accept the resignation and demanded that Golladay clear himself of charges alleged against him. No suppression here.
 Like Bailey, Goraday withdrew his resignation and strenuously sought to re- main member of congress. There was considerable debate over 1.-the late James B. Beck championing the course of his colleague, and insisting that the resignation had not been consummated But it was held otherwise and MT Col laday had to go. I believe the governor of Texas declined to accept the resigna- tion of Senator Bailey.
 As for the power and duty of the gov ernor in such case I shall take the lib ertly to appropriate thought of old Ben Butler in the Goladay case and hypothecate it herein: Suppose the presi- dent of the United States was a demo- crat and resolved on a grand octopus chase for which he required a great legal luminary as head of the department of justice Now it is possible that If sub jected to a rigid and remoseless applica- ton of the third degree the torture might extort from MT. Bailey the con- fesson that he Is not only the best law yer in America, but that he is the best lawyer in the world. All right MT. Bailey is selected by the president for attorney general and sends his resignation as
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

Now, know what Macaulay. In his essay on Milton, says poetry is; also know the views set forth by Dryden, Elm erson, Poe and many others. But they are all wrong, if the Vox Populi is to de- termine the subject for us. According to this V. P, poetry is a form of compost tion whose every line begins with a capI- tai letter. and terminating with words of similar sounds of every, or every other, line This simplifes the matter exceeu- ingly, and has the merit of making poetry a very easy sort of composition. All you need is the capital letter and the words of that sound alike. and you've got 1t. It's poetry, and you are a poet.
 The wife of Vox Populi went into a book shop in Boston to buy book for friend. It seemed impossible to suit her taste. Finally, the clerk handed her a copy Of Holmes poem, "The Last Leaf," hand- somely bound and beautifully illustrated. pr. Holmes happened to be in the book shop at the time, and heard the conver- satlon. The lady asked: Did you say 1t is by Dr. Holmes?' 'Yes, madam" Did he make the pictures?" No, no, madam. he wrote the poetry" "Oh is that all,'' she said and laid the book aside.
 Dr. Evans will leave the city for nfs summer home in Virginia in a few days and his contributions will, therefore, be suspended for a while)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

of the crown to Richard III by Buck ingaam. The late Edward w. Carmack held certain prominent mans friend ship as a liability and not an aset, and there are democrats of the very first water who would not feel com plimented by the dismay that penetrated the ranks of the standpat senators when the awful tidings came that Bailey had resigned. The scene was the most audacious comedy in the entire history of American politics. It would take Swift and Pope composite to adequately tell the tale. -.l-- .#zzz
 But the party of Great Moral Ideas and of Predatory Wealth-emerged from the Slough of Despond when the Texas Achilles came out of the sulks, with drew his resignation, and armed for an other sham fight against "the interests" The gloom from the face of the heavens
 retired
 The winds ceased to murmur, the thun-
 ders expired.
 And there was joy unconfined among the scullions and the turnspits in the kitchen of the fat-fryer.
 That Is a fair history O. this extra ordinary transaction as the newspapers record it and as the public understands 1t. Here is another case. On the 18th day of February. 1S70 the Hon. Jacob s. sent this epistle to James G. Blaine, then speaker of the forty-first congress:
 Sir: I enclose you a letter herewith rendering my resignation to the governor of Kentucky a member of congress from the Third district"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

and left 1t insovent. Instead of wax ing rich in congress, he grew poor. and that at time when the lobby was braz- en and flagitious and corruption walked In darkness and pollution wasted at noon day. He was proud and brave man. and he would sooner have endured pen- ury, indigence and want a lifetime than to have become infamous Tn his own es- teem for one moment of time, though he reaped millions as the bribe. That was Jake Golladay.
 The main difference in the Golladay case and the Bailey case iss-this: Golladay notified the Governor of Ken eucky by mail, and Bailey warned the Governor of Texas by wire. There is tradition for 1t that Nevada came into this glorious Union of ours upon tele- gra phic dispatch. If a sovereign State can come In by wire, why may not a Federal Senator go out by wire? Here is d job for your casust.
 Another difference is that in the Golla- day case the record is preserved: in the Bailey case part of it, at least, was sup pressed. But honest and brave men look only to the facts, and the sole issue here IS: Dld Bailey resign! n! IT ne did, ne IS occupant of the Senate, and not member, and the senates of Clay Cal houn and Webster, the senates of James M. Mason, Fessenden would have scru- tinized with lynx eyes the episode and ascertain if the rule in the Golladay case maintains
 But the matter is easy of settlement if Mir Bailey shall announce from his seat in the chamber upon his honor as a man upon his dignity as senator that he did not resign.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

to despair by taxation, which may hit him before he has found tenant The
 principle he counts on Is that nothing movable is taxed. He Is encouraged to improve the land, partly because he is penalized for keeping it empty, partly because prospects of untaXed gain lure him to build.
 MT. Mock warns us that all this does not prove that western Canada uses the Henry George single tax principle. All single taxers have to be free traders. But Canada, east and west, is far enough from free trade ideas as yet. But he ayers. with some show of reason, that if Windsor, Ontario, learning from her western sisters should obtain freedom to use the same system, taking from in dustry and labor all embargo, and ap- propriating the increment of rental val ues in the form of natural land tax for her only revenue. she would rapidly "eviscerate Detroit" He confidently pre- diets that Vancouver will speedily be- come the greatest city on the whole Pacific coast from the Horn to the Arctic. And he shows the state of Ore gon earnestly feeling after the clew which may lead her in the direction whither British Columbia and other Can adian provinces have become her torch bearers. \h
 Is it true charge that we in this land are so obsessed with the importance of private property that we are almost un- able to conceive the meaning of public property? And is our definition of a city not the definition of a patriot Christian, but something like this: A city is a mod ern instrument for enriching the few at the expense of all? Are we not warned by voices across the ocean that unlimited private right in land Is a thread that Atropos must cut?
 Concerning these things I confess my self an observer rather than doctrinaire; but considering what floods of monthly magazine literature challenge the time and compete.. for the attention of busy men, I reckoned 1t worth while to place this as a cross against Mir. Nock's i'm pressve articles, which with much sense he has entitled. 'The Things That Are Caesars" but which might so easily be overlooked One wonders whether the hard Scottish sense of Canada may not compel a thorough overhauling of our system. lest she pull across the border all the folks who can sell out! Forces are at work, it is clear, beside which any re- ciprocity treaty is but a poor acknowledg-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

taxation of individual enterprise. What with high rentals, high transportation, high local taxes, high licenses, the re- taller has "a high old time" For ex- ample, catch this current clipping from the report of the London Board of Trade:
 , 1. The average retail price of bread is double the average price in England. But we sell the wheat which England eats at so much less cost than we can eat itl
 g. England imports our beef and bacon. but retails these meats lower than we can buy them of our butcher and groceryman.
 B.. Of II staple food necessities, nine England has to buy abroad, but our retail price is 3S per cent higher than the English retail price.
 both countries approximates, why should the retail price be so widely different? Plainly because the Amer ican retailers scale of expense is re- latively far higher, among which ex- penses harassing method of taxation is prominent. And, to return to Canada, why should it not be far cheaper to live in a city like Vancouver than in Seattle? That some such every day reason brings five families every week
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

senator to the governor of Texas. But suppose the governor of Texas refused to accept it? Horrible thought! We would miss the greatest show on earth-an octopus chaser a la Bailey.
 And it is just as absurd to say that a senator may withdraw a resignation as to hold that a governor may refuse to accept it. The Golladay case and the Bailey case are practically identical in fact and absolutely identical in prin- ciple
 I knew Jake Golladay well. I was one of his constituents and spent hours in his society. He was a curiosity-a man of showy parts and little understand ing. On the stump he was chain-light- inng and magnificent as decaimer. un- fortunately he was a hopeless dema- gogue as eloquent he was shallow. But for the episode in his career Of which the resignation of his seat in con- gross was the continuation, he would have been senator, and his power at home firmly established. He was accused of selling a West Point cadetship; but mo- body believed he profited cent by the transaction. The general opinion was that he allowed a friend, whose son had failed in the examination for admission to the academy, to sell the privilege, and it was bought by man of Ithaca, New York Had Golladay discovered the man. hood to tell the whole truth abou0it, I doubt little that he would have been re- turned to congress.
 Jake Golladay was an honest man. Conclusive proof of this is found in the fact that he entered public life wealthy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

string to his resignation. Lately MT. Bailey "resigned'-with a string-because he was at discord with his party asso- ciates in the senate on a question that nobody but himself cared a rap about. Therefore we may assume that MT Bailey had this thing printed as a prece- dent for-perhaps vindication of-his flamboyant resignation of last March.
 That brings that historic episode on deck again, and I trust that I shall be pardoned if I shall make effort to tell what impression it made on me, an on- locker in our Vienna. I intend to be courteous. shall certainly be plain, as follows, viz.
 The first thing a greenhorn newspa per chap is taught when he gets to this town Is to call the United States senate ''the most dignified legislative body in the world," and to speak of the United States supreme court as the most au- gust judicial tribunal on earth" But it is greatly to be feared that the senate is losing some of it's dignity Unaues- tionably it allows a certain conspicuous character to trfle with it, if, indeed he does not bring it into public contempt. I allude to MT. Joseph ". Bailey, who common report saith, resigned his seat in that body last March, though he Is yet allowed to minister at it's deliberations and weigh in Its divisions.
 Last March MT Bailey, then senator. sent to the vice president a paper which that official suppressed, though the in- stant he received it 1t became a public document and the property of the United States senate. At the same time MT. Bailey sent by wire this message to the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

candy at 75 cents per pound. He scatter eth the pin-munny of his muther even unto the last farthing he sitteth up mites riting poetry, and giveth no thought to the multiplication table; he becumeth such a nusanse the gurl's old man kicketh him out and setteth the bull dog on him. Then is the time, that verify, verify he need eth board applied most viggerusly to the s. w. corner of his annatomy. Then he becumeth desprit: he readeth dime nov vels. and forgeteth his Sunday school les son, he goeth down town at nitc and learneth the difference between aces up and dooce full," but the nolledge is cos tive: his mind turneth to the vannities of this life. and not to the high price of living; he thinketh his father a plodder and his muther back-number He pic- tureth to himself grate riches suddenly acquired. He dreameth of steam yatchets and private cars. He roameth, in his mind, thro Urope. He seeth himself in the halls of Congress. He figgers on the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16
YYWASHINGTON, July 15.-(Spe- A/ cial)-Some speculation is in
 w dulged in as to the motive of

yYWASHINGTON, July 15.-(Spe-
 A/ cial)-Some specula tion is in-
 w dulged in as to the motive of the Hon. Joseph w. Bailey when he pro- cured the utterance by the United States senate of the address. of MT. Haywood to the people of North Carolina relative to his resignation of his seat in the senate many years ago. MT. Haywood, sooner than vote for or against the free trade tariff of 1s46,' as James G. Blaine calls 1t, resigned from the senate. As l gather he would have voted with the adversaries of the measure had 1t not been that his party associates in the sen- ate were practically unanimous in their support of it. The democraticepreside favored the bill and it was the work or . democratic secretary of treasury, one of the greatest masters of the science of political economy our country has pro duced, even Robert J. Walker.
 This address of MT. Haywood is a stump speech against the Walker tariff, which, as I understand, MT. Bailey re- gards as the very butt-out of tariff ex cellence thus far practiced by the Amer lean congress. Hence we cannot suspect that MT. Bailey would have It made senate document for that. It is an argu- ment, false in theory and falser in prophecy, in favor of moderate protec- tion," whatever that is, and MT. Bailey protests that he is opposed to protection of all sorts, so that he could not have insisted upon it's publication for it's economic philosophies.
 MT. Haywood resigned because he found himself at discord with his party on a paramount issue, and there was no