davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
MODERATE DRINKERS

From the United States Brewers Year | Book.
 The following appears in the report of
 the British inspector under the inebriates act for the year 1909:
 1 "Gvery alcohol user belongs to one or | another of three categories. He may be found among persons T. Who are always strictly moderate in their indulgences.
 "2. Who drink more freely than is con sis;ert with strict moderation, or are oc- ! casionally drunken.
 @. Who are habitually drunken, or, be- ing usually sober are subject to oc- casional outbursts of uncomfortable drunkenness.
 50 far as members of the first section arc concerned there ,s little to be said; the harm they do to others is problemat- ical, and the harm they do themselves still more so. The large majority take al- cohol because it is customary, as an aid to social intercourse, to give relish to food, or for the bodily sense of well being 1t engenders when swallowed in small quantities. This bodily sense of well being is the only pharmaco-dynamic effect they desire to exp0ience, find any sensation of more advanced alcoholization is repug- nant to them. There is no credit due to such persons for being sober, because they have no desire to be otherwise, and
 it is no trouble to them to keep sober be- cause they are not called upon to exer- else control over desires that do not ex- ist.
 "Although this description applies to the large majority of strictly moderate al- cohol users, there are a few members of the class who remain absolutely sober notwithstanding the existence of some measure of desire, and who, in conse- quence, deserve credit Tor their sobriety Such persons, a rule, have acquired a knowledge of, and liking for, the sensa- tion associated with alcoholic excess dur ing youth, and by the subsequent develop ment of self control have become able to regulate later life with ordinary prudence. Possessing a fair standard of psycho-neu- rotic integrity, it only became necessary for them to fortify by exercise an already existing self control, in order to gain suf ficient strength to counteract the influence of acquired desire.
 "A brief mention ot this strictly moder- ate section seems necessary because of its magnitude in order that a due sense of proportion may be maintained when deal ing with other smaller, but more impor tant, classes Otherwise the members of this section are of no interest to us; they require neither help nor pity, and may well be left to care for themselves.
 No statistics are available from which any definite information as to proportion l ..lzt tnfr r,aA. but ftnD general observation, and an extensive knowledge of habitual drunkenness and ] free drinking in all classes. one would be l inclined to suggest as a figure for the strictly moderate, about 9S0 per 1000 of all alcohol users.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
Electricity and Airships

President Ripley of the Santa Fe Railway company does not hesitate to predict that electricity will be used as a motive power of all trains, freight as well as passenger, transcontinental as well as local It is being used more and more each year, and its working is everywhere satisfactory.
 Before the middle of the present century the probabilities are that the steam locomotive will have been abolished from the railroads, and the airship will be built large and strong and it will have become commercially feasible. Its adoption will work changes in travel. The airship can rot be perfected in year. Half a century is none too much to allot for that purpose. The conquest of the water took much longer, but the child of today will live to see the sky full
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
THINKS HIS CHANGES GOOD
From the Montgomery Journal.

fTOnl the MoHtsoHlefy Jouiildi
 The question has been raised among pol iticians as to whether Oscar Underwood has actually declared himself a candidate for the presidency. H. T. Barrow, fiscal agent for the Kle-Nol company of this city, has letter from MT. Underwood which is practically an out and out ad- mission that he is a candidate At re- cent meeting of the Meteor club of this city Ava Fitzpatrick read a paper en- titled "The South and the Presidency" a derwood. In answering this letter MT. Underwood said:
 T delayed answering your letter until I could have an opportunity to carefully read MT. Fitzpatriek's address, which I
 have done It is undoubtedly very able address and presents the case of the south in a most forceful way. q will be obliged if you will express to
 MT. Fitzpatrick my appreciation of his
 paper and the kindly words he says in ref erence to myself.
 T believe that the time has come when the south has a fair chance to name a southern man for the presidency. I do not think we have anything to lose by making the attempt and we will certainly never succeed unless we make the effort. "The news that l hear in reference to the political situation is very encourag- ing, and I am sure that we have more than fair chance of winning"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
uNDERwooD's STRENGTH
n, tho AroptCop,erv lIourual

From the Montgomery Journal.
 The strength of Oscar Underwood of Alabama for the presidential nomination
 is growing fast.
 Newspapers are filled with glowing reports of his Chances. The reports are not based on editorials but on actual news stories of clubs, meetings and efforts to place the Alabamian's name before the people.
 The democrats of Tennessee have start ed A boom for the Birmingham congress- man and a call has been issued for a state wide organization. In connection with this the following dispatch was sent out: Mayor Hilary E. Howse of Nash ville on returning from visit to Wash ington, has issued a call to democrats for an Underwood rally at Nashville next Monday night. At this meeting an Under wood for President club will be formed. headquarters will be opened and plans for the campaign made"
 At meeting of the democratic execu- tive committee of the Eighth Alabama Congressional district at Decatur this week a resolution indorsing Underwood for President was unanimously adopted. A big Underwood club has just been organized at Eufaula and reports of much activity are made from other parts of | the south.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
Quadrennial Change in the Calendar

The Gregorian year is 365 days, 5 hours, 4S minutes and 46 seconds long, and the adoption of an extra day once in four years, except in the cen tury years, which are not devisible by 400 evens things up so nearly that the accumulated error is but one day in 3300 years. The calendar of Pope Gregory VIII is satisfactory, and it will no doubt remain permanently in use.
 England and her colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752 by dropping II days September in that year had but 19 days. The reformed calendar played the mischief with old CT events, and the date of their occur renee had to be recalculated, for ex- ample, the date of the landing of the Pilgrams at Plymouth, and other im- portant events of the preceding cen turies.
 But some events have not been re- calculated, and one of these is the date of the discovery of America. We are still told that this occurred on Oc- tober 12, 1492, when, in fact, it oc- cured on October 21 of that year. Historical events which call for no anniversary celebrations are, how ever, permitted to stand as they are recorded in the reckoning of the cal endar then in use. We are beginning to celebrate Columbus day, and a change of date to that of the Greg brian calendar seems to be called for.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
UNDERWOOD

From the New York Sun.
 We do not go through the form of con- graduating the Hon. Oscar w. Under wood upon the latest demonstration of the quality of his leadership. We con graduate, rather, a sane democracy or the possession of such leadership at a time which MT. Bryan, in his letter to the unspeakahle but not speeches. Henry correctly described as critical MT. Bryan made the crisis. Mir. Underwood resolved it. The decisive vote in the caucus ot Wednesday night settled the question as between the responsible leadership of Tn. derwood and the impudent attempt of Bryan to impose his extravagant wishes and disastrous purposes upon the ma iori- ty in the House The question is settIed in a manner that entities Mr finder. wood to the gratitude and increased con. fidence of the business interests of the country; meaning not big business. but business of all dimensions, all the assort. ed sizes. dependent for the maintenancs of prosperity upon sober counsels al Washington.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
THE CORDAY MYTH

from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
 In list of the twenty greatest won- en," published as coming from Mary An- derson Navarro, is found the: name of Charlotte Corday. Is it not about time for the Charlotte Corday myth to be com pletely and finally put away?
 The myth has had wonderful growth. It was fostered and petted by the royalist writers, who, for two generations, were the only ones who worte of the French revolution. Distortion of facts in the Corday episode was no more glaring than In countless other episodes of the time.
 The myth has fixed the idea that Jean Paul Marat, the revolutionary journalist and leader. was one of the men who sat breeding cruelty somewhere and ruled the reign of terror. Because the reign of terror had chopped off the head of her brother or lover or someone, Charlotte Corday Is pictured as coming down from Normandy and staying, in righteousness, the monster of iniquity in his filthy den.
 As matter of fact, Marat was killed before the reign of terror was under way. The guilotine had been set up only a few months before, and had claimed only d HdHuIul or NlctlmS, all regularly con- victed of capital crimes. Charlotte her, self, when she was about to lose her head. had no dream of what was to follow. She was merely a royalist fanatic, and gave her life because she thought that by this means she might check the. prog ress of republicansm., Such crazy acts as hers helped to bring about the terror.
 Marat, the man murdered by Charlotte, was. before the revolution, the leading physician of France. He was attached to the retinue of the kings brother. He was the first scientist to apply electricity to the work of the physician. He was an eager. earnest man, and when the rev. olution started the work of overthrowing tyranny and establishing equality and justice in France he put aside leisure, study, emolument, comfort ,and threw himself into the midst of the maelstrom. History shows few more unselfish mon. He was an extremist. He, as physician to a sick nation, believed in desperate remedies. But he had nothing to do with the reign of terror. and was killed by Q crank"
 It is good to pity the devotion of miss guided Charlotte. But it is time to cease considering her as a great woman, or as a martyr in a just cause.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
NEWSPAPER INACCURACIES"

From the St. Louis Republic.
 People who complain of the inaccuracies of newspapers may be helped a little by the reflection that newspapers are the only business enterprises that attempt to deal exclusively in facts.
 To obtain these facts their represen- tatives must depend upon human beings' not all of whom have correct views Of their own achievements and merits, and not all of whom are fair in their con- clusions as to others.
 Newspapers are also compelled to ac- cept descriptions and statements by eye witnesses of many occurrences, not many of whom will ever agree as to what act ually did happen.
 When we consider that truth is more elusive than fortune and that the great est labors and expenditures of newspapers are always in pursuit of the former it is remarkable not that errors are made but that there are not more of them.
 Of course those who, like a recent fool ish speaker in St. Louis, charge that newspapers do not try to get facts, do not know what they are talking about. Millions of dollars are spent by news- papers in running down falsehoods, and the matter that is excluded every day from we'll conducted newspaper is great CT in amount and often in cost than that which is printed.
 Considering what a newspaper of decent character undertakes to do, it comes about as near accomplishing it's purpose as any business enterprise with which we are acquainted. It always acts hur- riedly, it scans continents and seas, it is in touch with populations amounting to hundreds of millions in number. it deals with and treats of every human passion, impulse and propensity and it is always subject to the ignorance and prejudice of other people as well as it's own. Yet it is delivered every morning on time many miles from the office of publication with no more serious errors in it's columns than are made every day in a thousand other lines of business that are not subject to perpetual misrepresentation and abuse.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
DANCE UNDER SEA

From the New York Evening Mail Every eel and shark
 Is going to see a lark
 When society gets dancing, A-stepping and a-prancing, A-rocking with the motion On the bottom of the ocean, Dancing the Mermaid Dip,
 From the Submarine Rag
 Los Angeles.--Society women of Los An geles, San Francisco and Pasadena are planning a fete on the bottom of the ocean off Cataline island early in March. It is such a party that even Rome in it's greatest days never saw the equal
 Walter Howison Pritchard, marine art ist. is arranging details, and, according to him, guests are to be attired in diving suits, each with an oxygen tank or air tubes.
 Catalina island has been chosen for the affair because of the extraordinary clearness of the water and remarkable marine gardens at the bottom of the sea.
 The bottom of the ocean will be illumi- mated by electric bulbs, and by a unique arrangement music from a band on a yacht anchored overhead will be conveyed through the water, acting as a sounding beard.
 The turkey trot' and three entirely new dances, the mermaid dip" the lob ster slaw' and the 'finny wiggle," will be danced by the guests to the strains of the band
 If possible a real mermaid will be se- cured to take part in the dip" There will be no trouble getting Holsters for the claw dance, it is said. ! Reggie" Van Toole, popular as a CO., tillon leader, has composed a catchy waltz named My Submarine Sue," which will be played for the first time in marine public.
 A light repast will be served on sea shells, the food being made waterproof by messing it in thin coating of ges- tin. Rubber pipes run from the yacht above will convey liquid refreshments to the guests, who can connect with cock tail by giving the correct signal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12

of airships. All scientists of the air
 see what is coming, but they see, too, that the great changes needed will not come from mems brains in a single year or a single decade. They will spring from painful experience. They will come step by step, and 1850 is full early time to set for an air ship fitted to the common everyday uses of the human race.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
\ rotten cause abidcs no handling.
 -2 King Henry ".
Ratification of Amendments

It has been determined that when a legislature refuses to ratify a pro- posed constitutional amendment a subsequent legislature can do so. This has been done. But when ratification has once been secured and reported, it must stand. At least this has been the practice, and there is no pre- cedent to the contrary. True, New Jersey and Ohio did attempt to with draw their notifications of the Four teenth amendment. These attempts did not offect the vote as previously registered. New York, too, attempted to withdraw her ratification of the Fifteenth amendment, but even if this Chad been allowed three-fourths vote of the states remained.
 The real precedent is the disallow- ance of the withdrawals of New Jer- sey and Ohio in the case of the Four teenth amendment. New York now says she will withdraw her ratifica- tion of the Sixteenth, or income tax amendment. If she can do this, then indeed the Fourteenth amendment was never truly and lawfully adopted.
 New York will have to stand by her ratification of the Sixteenth amend ment. The republicans were careful to conceal during the campaign their intention of recalling the ratification of the previous year, and they cannot spring the trap now.
 The constitutional question is an important one and all the precedent is against the power to recall ratifica- tion. Once ratification is registered it must stand. This is believed to be the law, and New York will have to stand by the action of her last legis- lature.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
Wall Urges Debate

Fred Wall of Athens, candidate for coneressman at large, is exceedingly desirous that the plan for having the several candidates for that position speak in Birmingham from the same platform materialize. He writes The Age Herald:
 q have read the story in The Age Herald concerning the plans for the speaking. By all means, let us have it. I believe that it is wise for the people to demand a direct expression from each candidate concerning the position that he takes on the big ques- tions and issues of the day.
 T note that if the scheme material izes I will be asked to explain what I mean by the 'schoolhouse ring which I charge is seeking to perpetuate it. self in power in this state. I will be only too glad to make this ex- planation in the presence of the other candidates and especially that. of the candidate in whose interest the ring is laboring day and night"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
Brxan Arain RebuFcd

l The Boston Transcript: The democratic House caucus decided to follow Under I wood rather than Bryan in Investigating the money trust. There will be an inves- tigation: that was decided on, but it will 1 be by the regular banking and currency committee and not by a special band Of raiders acceptable to MT. Bryan. This is the second time in the existence of this Congress that the peerless leaders com mand has been disobeyed. He was for free raw wool but the House, under the leadership of Underwood, insisted on talk ing the other course
 The dispatch which was read at last nights caucus was eminently character istic of MT. Bryan Deprecating the ref erence of the investigation to the regular committee on the ground that it would gratify Wall street, he said the democra- cy could not afford to allow the accused parties to select their jury. MT. Bryan added, If our party is afraid to offend the powerful financial interests that have fought us since 1S96 we cannot expect pub lie confidence" Herein we see Bryan the Bourbon. the man who has learned noth- ing and forgotten nothing in the three presidential campaigns in which he was his party's standard bearer. He is as ig- norapt now as he was in 1896 as to the location of the money power The money power, which he offended in his first cam paign, and which has vigilantly opposed him ever since, is the thrift of the coun- try. The base of the wealth Of the lana is composed of the savings of the indus trious. It was not alone the banker or the flnancier that saw in MT. Bryan's panacea poison. The depositors in savings banks and all the small investors whose Investments represent what they have been able to put aside from their earn ings made up the bulk of the army of voters which defeated him in 1896, again in 1sOo and for third time in 19Os
 MT. Bryans inability to understand that the masses, so for from being ground down. so far from all eating meagre meals by fireless hearths, save enough money to be the great financial power of the land, is indicative of mental blindness which disqualifies for the posi- ton of leader. Nevertheless, ne mas a following as was seen in the minority vote thrown in the caucus last night. lie aspires to be power in President mak- ing still He would be a Warwick or kind maker: he is simply a mischief maker and it is a subject for congratulation that the democrats were wise enough not 10 head their Investigating procession with a Bryan brass band. How much Will come of this application of the congress ,sional probe to the money situation is exceedingly doubtful Probably the re- suits will be very small compared With the immense amount of stestimony to- De taken; but if there is anything 10 pc found out it is much more likely to be as- certained under the conservative methods of MT. Underwood than by the noisy re- searches of a party of congresmen ap- pointed to investigate for Bryan.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
WONDERFUL FLOATING GARDENS

Harriet Quimby in Leslie's.
 Visitors to Mexico City should not miss taking a trip to the floating gardens. whence comes the supply of flowers and fresh vegetables for the city. The Canal de la viga and 1uchimilco, where these floating gardens are found, are unlike anything of their kind in the world. They are we'll worth seeing.
 My first visit to xuchimilco was on . week day. We chose the automobile route to the picturesque little Mexican village, Santa Anita, on the canal banks. This seemed to be sort of port for water craft. Here, grouped together in great confusion, we found canoes, motorboats and punts. sH4
 On either side were what in former years were floating gardens. Now they have grown together, forming an almost continuous stretch of solid land. The site of the floating gardens was formerly large lake.
 At intervals along the canal may be seen the former islands now stationary and in- tersected by a multiplicity of tiny canals. along which glide Indian canoes. Traffic is carried on entirely by water. On every side Indians are sculling and padding canoes and punts, filled with flowers and vegetable products. on their way to the markets of Mexico City. Indian women are in evidence also. Canoes propelled by them are little, floating lunch counters. Some of the brown skinned Hebes special ized by cooking totillas and enchaladas. which they sold. piping hot, frem the sheet iron top of little charcoal stove. Others offered cabrito with their tortillas. A tortilla is a delicious pancake, made by grinding corn which has been put through a process which turns it into hominy. The hominy paste is patted out into pancake and baked on hot sheet of iron An enchalada Is tortilla in which a filling of chopped meat. highly seasoned with red pepper and garlic. is laid and the pancake rolled into strip. With sprinkling of Parmesan cheese over the roll, the enchalada is ready to eat It is very appetizing if one can over come his prejudice against the way it is made. a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
Beautiful and Reminiscent

''The Confederate ball, given at the Country club few nights ago, was one of the happiest occasions in many years for the Johnny Rebs and Yankees alike. " said J. Lawler Darby, one of the best known members of Camp Hardee of Con- federate Veterans, and a prominent figure among the dancers at this festivity.
 "The sight of the pretty ante-bellum costumes worn by the belles and beau ties of today carried I've old fellows back many a day and the blue coats en- joyed it as much as we did. That the old time dances have lost nothing or their grace by sleeping through the past busy years with the much prized sword and war relics, was plainly demonstrated by the vivacity and agility of the oio gallants and their partners in the Nlr- ginia reel and other equally enjoyable opportunities for the tripping of the light fantastic.'
 "The Yankees couldn't beat us on the quickstep, because they taught us to get away the fastest during the war, but they were a fair match to all our fancy antics in cutting the pigeon wing ana kindred expostions of our youthful dan cing. The ball was a gala event indeed and one long to be remembered by all the veterans being so fortunate as 70 he there