davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Letters to Georgia Today

The Georgia statewide presidential preference primary does not occur un- til Wednesday next-May land it is not too late to pour letters into that state urging her people to vote on Wednesday in favor of Oscar Under wood. Any letter mailed by Monday night will reach any railroad town in Georgia before the primary box is opened.
 Five thousand letters are none too many to send to Georgia telling the good people of that state how capable, safe and sound Oscar Underwood is how just and cautious he would be in the presidential office, and how much he would do toward bringing the two sections together, making this at last one country and one people.
 This opportunity to appeal to Geor- gians by mail should not be lost. A few letters written today would be excused, for patriotism is one of the highest duties of man in this world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
rHE rox IN JApAN

By Arthur Morrison in the May Strand.
 The fox holds a place in Japanese le- gend much worse than that given him in the folklore of Europe, unenviahle as that is His attributes go far beyond mere cunning and inhuman guile; he is wizard of the blackest type, yielding deinoniac towers, master of all the evil magic that can do hurt to man. Foxes enter into oemoniac possession of human beings, and work all the wickedness. and more. that wasJ ascribed to the witches and warocks of the Middle Ages in Europe. They live for many centuries, and at the age of q thousand years they become white, acquire nine tails, and have eaor- nous powers. Every fox Is to be dreaded, but the worst of all is the man-fox. which can assume the appearance, voice and manner Of any human being at mo- ments notice. The extermination of all such creatures was a sacred duty of every knight erraht in ancient fable.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
WHAT ARNOLD BENNETT EXPECTED

Writing in Harper's Magazine for May, Arnold Bennett tells how he was pleasant- ly disappointed in regard to many well esta blshed myths as to our country
 ''r had expected to be asked, at the moment of landing, for my mature opin- ion of the United States, and again at Intervals of about a quarter of an hour. day and night, throughout my, stay. But 1 had been in America at least 10 days before the question was put to me, even
 in jest. had expected to be surrounded by boasung and impatient vanity con corning the achievements of the United States and the citizens thereof. I lit- erally never heard a word of national boosting, nor observed the slightest inn patience under criticism. .. 5. I say had expected these things. I would be nor. correct to say that I should haxe expected them if had had rumor belev- ing mind. which I have not.
 But I really did expect to witness an overwhelming violence of traffic and movement in lower Broadway and the re- nowned business streets in it's vicinity. And I really was disappointed by the or Qltidi lnt SS VI thC SScHC, WtiNn touiu oc well matched in half dozen places in Europe, and beaten in one or two. If but cnce I had been showed into the gutter ly a needless throng going furi- ouslv upon it's financial way, should have been content The legendary American rush is to me fable. Whether it ever existed I know not; but I cer- tainly saw no trace of 1t, either in New York or Chicago 1 dare say I ought to nave gone to Seattle for 1t. My first sight of stock market roped off in the street was an acute delusion. In agitation it could not have competed with a sheep market In noise 1t was untitled silence compared with tine fine racket that en- livens the air outside the Paris bourse. saw also an ordinary day in the Stock exchange. Faint excitations were afloal in certain corners, but honestly deemed | the affair tame. A vast litter of paper l on the iioor. vast assemblage of hats pitched on the tops of telephone boxes l these phenomena do not amount to hus. tle. Earnest students of hustls should
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28

bly responsible for having led the people to believe that he favored a substantial downward revision and that he would work actively for it, and then having sat supinely by and allowed his new friends, under the leadership of Messrs. Aldrich and Cannon, to produce a bill which made him convict himself of insincerity when he signed it."
 This is Colonel Roosevelts nearest approach to an expression of his views on the tariff. This passage commits him to downward revision in an indefinite manner. The degree of downward revision is not named. He may be in favor of revenue tariff and he may not be. There is not enough in the passage quoted to say where he stands. The only thing made certain is that he stands against Mr. Taft in any event, and the words, "a substantial downward revision 3 will be and can be construed to suit any ones views, from manufacturer who desires protection for profits to a consumer who prefers a revenue tariff.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
THE nncrnR,s CANE

From John Cordy Jeaffresons "A Book
 About Doctors"
 The physicians cane is very ancient part of his insignia It is now disused, but up to very recent times no doeror of medicine would have presumed to pay a professional visit or even to be seen in public, without this mystical wand. Long as a footmans stick, smooth and vanished, with a heavy gold knob or cross bar at the top, it was an instru- ment with which. down to the present century, every prudent aspirant to med teal practice was provided The cele- brated gold -headed cane" which Rad clffe, Mead. Askew.4 Pitcairn and Baillie successively bore, is preserved in the Col lege of Physicians, bearing the arms which those gentlemen assumed, or were entitled to. In one respect it differed rom the physician's cane proper; itShad a cross bar, almost like crook whereas a physicians wand ought to have a knor at the top. This knob in olden times was hollow and contained vinaigrette, which the man of science always held to his nose when he approached a sick person, ss that its fumes might protect him from the noxious exhalations of his patient
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
THE MAN AND THE ISSUE

From the Atlanta Constitution.
 Significant of the grasp that Georgans
 have on the national situation is that the
 keynote to the overwhelming tide of in-
 dorsements of Oscar Underwood Is this
 1Ie is the man that embodies the para
 mount issue" All the attempts to inject | irrelevant "isms" or to rake up old fac | tlonalsms have not ayailed to divert l them from the central truth They see | In Underwood an incarnation of the plea upon which the party will go to the coun- l try. And, desiring party success and casting about for the candidate who as-
 sures it, they will not be shaken from 1 their firm allegiance to the Alabamian l The fact that Underwood does embody the paramount issue explains why it Is l common comment in the north, the east and the middle west-the sections that
 will decide the presidential contest-that the growth of his strength is the out standing feature of the nomination con- test. It explains also why in the north. ], the east and the middle west Woodrow Wilson's boom has fallen fiat. save in lone state or two hidebound republican
 in advance or led to indorse him in pref erence primaries because they believe
 their protection industries will be safe in his hands.
 In this vital respect Underwood stands
 out solitary among the asplrants in
 either the republican or the democratic
 camps. Both sides amit that it Is the
 tariff that will adiudicate the election. When that is said what remains? Pres
 ident Taft's record upon it. in all frank
 ness is far from satisfactory. Colonel
 Roosevelt has no tariff record at all.
 DGrin gthe seven years of his admlnstra- ton he studiously avoided official ref
 erence to the tariff In the democratic fold, Underwood stands head and should CTS above the other candidates. AS for Governor Wilson, his tariff attitude causes political laughter. Conceding the tariff as the central issue, he gives it the most casual reference In his stump | speeches and would postpone it's discus
 sion until after the election
 T'pon every revision schedule that goes l from the House to the Senate. and that
 will be approved or vetoed by the pres
 ident, will be the Identifying stamp of "uTnderwood.'' He gave earnest of his
 courage and ability in handling the tariff when he made the industries of his home section-iron and steel--the first schedule | to be revised, and, at that, to the tune
 of 90 per cent reduction
 | It Is not strange, in view of these facts,
 that Underwood looms in the doubtful
 tbe Ia pau udtdata a | in democratic ranks Neither is it strange
 that everywhere-save at Wilson head uuarters-it is equally submitted Wood-
 row Wilson cannot be nominated. And
 that, if nominated by trickery or fluke,
 he will damn the party to defeat as surely
 as the sun rises.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Birmingham rnkes kindly

Birmingham takes kindly to new enter rfises and new capital" said Baxter shemwell, president of the American Au- tomatie Railway switch company. We have met with nothing but encourage ment from all sources since our announce ment that we would shortly begin opera tions. A number of business men have called on us and not few have made it a point to meet Judge Welfey and Mir. Futrel, two of the newcomers to Bir- mingham who are interested with us.
 'I don't know of any way to secure small industries better than to give them a royal welcome when they reach here. The information gets spread about that Birmingham welcomes new enterprises and will give it's moral support to them, and people immediately turn their eyes this way.
 "rhe greatest need that Birmingham has since work has been commenced on two new hotels is to get small indus tries, employing from 50 to 200 men each. Those as a rule work steadily, employ a good class of skilled labor and tend to build up theocity rapidly"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
A Feast of Music

Birmingham annual music festi- val will take place next Friday and Saturday. It will be one of the most delightful of tone feasts. In all pre- vious festivals there have been five performances, but the most ardent and indefatigable concert goers wear jed of so many This year there will be only four, and one of these will be of especial interest to young people and others who wish to learn some thing of the different instruments of the orchestra.
 Every programme of the festival contains variety, and not a single one of them is what might be called heavy. A great deal of modern romantic music will be heard, and nothing on the programme will be servere or for musicians only. Those in charge of the festival have had in mind the popular taste and have en- deavored to present such programmes as will be at once delightful, artistic and educative.
 The concert for young people should be attended by every high school pu- pil in Birmingham, and by the stu dent bodies of all the seminaries and colleges hereabouts. Occasionally one finds young person who cannot turn a tune, but those without any musical feeling are rare exceptions to | the rule, for all of us like music in some form or other The public needs only to hear good music constantly to acquire taste for the best. Music, as the most elevating of all the arts, is more appreciated now than it was in past years, and symphony music is coming to be more and more popu- lar every year.
 Birmingham is no more musical, perhaps, than other cities of approx imately it's size, but it is certainly no less musical. Music festivals here are financially successful as a general thing, and the one this week will, it is believed, reach new high record in box office receipts.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Colonel Roosevelt's Tariff Views

Colonel Roosevelt replied to Presi- dent Taft's personal attack promptly. His Worcester speech is, however, more declamatcsy than important, more denunciatory than historic. In the discussion of bosses he was not happy. He really endeavored to cover up the faults of Boss Flynn of Pitts burg by references to the late lament ed MT. Penrose.
 Nor is the ex-President's raid on Senator Johnston of Alabama justi- fled. It came in connection with the failure to prosecute the harvester trust in 1907.
 The Aldrich-P Payne bill is lugged in by the ears. AS he now insists, says Colonel Roosevelt, that l should break silence about the tariff nv, will say that I hold him culpa-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28

From the New York Times
 |" HE remarkable series of articles in the Independent on What Is
 \ the Matter With Our Army" Is
 concluded by one from the Secretary of War. It takes substantially the view
 very succnctly stated in the article by Brig. Gen Robert K. Evans. Broadly 1t is that we have no army, in the
 sense that other great powers use that term, but only a very small force of
 excellent officers and men, scattered bined movement, and with no provision
 for the additional force which even the
 smallest real war would immediately
 and urgently require
 General Evans winds up his valuable article with the terse remark: "The trouble with the army is our total
 forgetfulness of it's true purpose" The true purpose, the one essential pur-
 pose of any army is fighting. To fight
 successfully, an army must be large
 enough to meet possible first need,
 and must be organized and distributed so that its whole strength can be em- ployed promptly and for long enough time to permit it's adequate reinforce ment by a sure system of fairly trained reserves. This, indeed, is the general | theory of the United States army. It | Is not carried out, and there is noth- | ing like a practical effort to carry 1t
 out. The regular army, to begin with, | is ridiculously small. It is spread over our vast territory in unrelated de- l tachments. It Is not trained in CO., ordinated movement, in that team work which multiplies the effective | ness of each unit, and which is the uni
 versally accepts requisite of modern
 military sciense. Its aparent strength,
 measured by its numbers small as that
 is, Is far in excess of the real strength | 1t could show should 1t have to do ac-
 tual fighting.
 ] As to reserves, the regular army has none. Enlisted men at the end of their term go their. way, If they choose, and
 the army has no further hold on them.
 Reliance is placed entirely, first, on the state militia, the so-called National
 Guard, and second. on volunteers If the United States army were required l to fight tomorrow the losses its all
 ready thin ranks would inevitably suf-
 fer could be made up only by valun-
 teers, necessarily untrained and al first
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Change in Roll Call of states

"The roll of states is now complete, and unless new political subdivisions are ere ated out of some of the states now in the Union we will not see any additions" said student of public affairs.
 Arizona will supplant Arkansas in the second place in the roll call of states in Congress or in national conventions, but Alabama will be always the first. Some time 1t may be necessary again to deter mine who is to have the place of Presi- dent of these United States by a vote of the states, as shown by their political eanlngs in the House of Representatives. It may not be as was in the case of Hayes and Tlden, who was elected? but who can be iuggled into it by coup d'etat or political chicanery.
 And speaking of conventions and the political prospects of Alabamas candidate, although the delegation from South Caro- lima. following the rule since the days Of George Washington, will send an unin- structed delegation to Baltimore yet there is every indication that the vote of the Palmetto State will be given to oscar Underwood on the first and succeeding roll calls"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Income and Excise Taxes

The admission of Arizona and New Mexico makes the assent of four more states necessary to ratify the income tax amendment. Thirty-two states have ratified the amendment, and II the country goes democratic in No vember there will be little trouble in- deed in securing the ratification of it by four more states. Its incorporation into the organic law as amendment 16 is well assured.
 This result grows out of the to 4 decision of the supreme court declar- ing the income tax of 1894 unconsti- tutional. The court swallowed it. self and its decisions of over 100 years when it did this. One justice only is still serving who participated in that decision. Out of that decis- ion grew the amendment that is about to be ratified.
 The franchise tax on corporations has been declared constitutional. This is privilege tax permitting corpor- ation to do business. Chairman Un- derwood and his colleagues propose to lay similar privilege tax on firms, partnerships and individuals. The proposition is just and equitable, and the House has sent the bill to the Sen ate. If this extension of the excise tax becomes law we can await with patience the ratification of the income tax, for the excise tax would go a long ways in taking it's place.
 But the income tax proposition will be ratified Arizona has acted, and the legislature of New Mexico is in session, and the legislature of Louis jana soon will be. Both will probably ratify the income proposition and then but two more states will be needed. These will readily be secured next winter.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
HER HANDS.

(Reprlnted). Poor, tired hands, lifeless now and still, Never more will they obey any human
 will, Never more essay the task tried so long
 in vain, Never more will soothe the brow all
 athrob with pain. Poor. tired hands. pitifully thin. Scared by all lifes bitterness. saving
 only sin; Gentle deeds for others wrought, those
 patient hands and true, Folded on quiet breast, freed at last from rue. Poor, tired hands. our tears may fall like
 rain; Uncounted tears can never bring loves
 tender touch again: But ever on, through crowded ways and much of good and ill, Their memory shall be to me a benedic-
 tion still
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
THE CHILDREN,s THEATRE

OUntil recently the New York Educa- tional alliance maintained in the heart of the East Side a theatre for children, where folk lore plays and the simpler forms of drama were given)
 By Arthur stringer, in the April Century. Wide eyed and wistful, with the dream Still on their faces. with the gleam Of lost romance still in their gaze used to watch them through the haze Of falling night used to see
 The white brows touched with mystery, The startled faces greet once more The city's authenticated roar.
 With beauty on each wondering brow. Gladdened at heart they knew not how, saw the wide eyed children greet
 The ghost like dusk the ghost like street Hearing the ghost like~ song of steel,
 The far off roar of rail and wheel
 Still dreaming they might glimpse afar Some half assuaging Ingomar,
 Or see Snow-wh beside gnome
 Or track the Little Princess home, Or, turning into Chatham Square
 Find new Orlandos waiting there,
 Or Witches gathering magic herbs
 Along the Bowery's granite curbs.
 Still dazed and hushed. I saw them face Their city grown a wondrous place, Since forth with them they brought gift That only fairy hands may lift, A glimpse of far off kingdoms where Great deeds arc done, the golden air Of old romance again made new,
 The castles where all dreams come true, I used to watch them creep again
 Out to their ghost like world of pain. To find at last some beauty in The dark and undeciphered lin Of life that thundered close about
 The casual lives it trampled out Ave, child by wistful child they turned Where dull the yellow street lamps burned,
 And for breath. they caught the eleam. And for moment dreamed the dreaml
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Liked His Views

q read with more than ordinary in terest some observations on equal suf- ferage in the Hotel Lobby column in Fridays Age-Herald under the caption, Of Present Interest,"" said woman of high social standing.
 "The discussion referred to was in quotation marks and purported to be the views of an independent observer Whoever the person was who gave the lobby interview lie is a deep thinker and a scholar. His reasoning against equal suffrage was cogent and appeal ing. l would like 10 see the independ- ent observers remarks reproduced In full"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
National Politics

''I am not enough of a politician to venture a guess as to how the Chicago convention will turn out, but many of my republican friends think dark horse will be nominated said Charles F. Fuller of Detroit T have been a voter since 1SS0 but I have never been tied to any party. I have voted the demo- cratic ticket in national elections three times, and in the other elections I voted the republican ticket
 "i believe all will agree that the re- publican party was never so split up in any previous campaign as 1t is today. As between Taft and Roosevelt l would prefer Taft. but I would much rather see conservative democrat like Underwood or Harmon elected President than either President Taft or ex-President Roose- welt.
 Roosevelt is entirely too cratic to suit a man of conservative ideas. If the re- publicans were to nominate man like Associate Justice Hughes he would com mand the respect of the public, but the party is in such confusion that 1 do not believe Hughes could be elected. This is certainly a democratic year, provided the democrats act with ordinary com mon sense In the Baltimore convention"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
NOT AN EFFICIENT ARMY

almost worse than useless, or by mili- tia
 The militia in some states are fairly ef- ficient, but only a very small force of them could be got together with more than rudimentary knowledge of the prime art of action in common. When the militia were exhausted no further means of adding to the army would exist under oIr present laws save call for volunteers, who for some time would be, as we have said, relatively useless
 These are ugly facts. They are un- deniabic. The responsibility for them does not rest in any great degree with the higher officers of the army or with the war department, who have done as much as could reasonably be asked in utilizing the resources at their disposal. It rests with Congress, and through Congress it rests Of course upon the people who, as General Evans says, have ndulged in total forgetfulness of the true purpose of an army. Tn q general way the essen tias of an adequate reform are: ]. A larger army.
 ,. term of actual service just long enough fer good training, and a term of reserve service in which the men would be liable to be called under the colors in case of need.
 g. A federal recruiting law that would give to the national government the right to recruit the army as the states can now recruit the militia.
 l. Machinery to bring Congress into closer touch with military problems, ; as suggested by Secretary stmson. He says:
 "A bill is now pending before the House of Representatives to establish a council of national defense, containing represen- tatives of both houses of Congress and the heads, both civil and military, of the war and navy departments The establish- l ment of some such organization would, | In my opinion, go long way toward in- suring continuous, intelligent treatment of our military and naval problems. Our ] future legislation should be taken under the supervision of such body. It should be carefully compared and acted upon in | the light of the professional plan of re- | organization which Is now being prepared and rapidly approaching completion at the | hands Of the war college. And 1t must | have behind it sufficient public sentiment and popunlar interest to overcome the sell fish opposition of the localities which now profit out of the dispersion of the army | It IS the clear duty of Congress thus to undertake the responsible and intelligent study of the real needs of the country in l connection with our army.