davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
PRAYER COMMON TO ALL


 Everybody prays sometime and some- where and somehow. Even the one who openly denies the efficacy of prayer yet in his mind will crop into the attitude of prayer as he seeks for reasons for not Going it. It $ such a little prayer which can be confined within the words of even those most gifted Real prayers, great prayers. are too big to be uttered; they are so spontaneous that they are prayed before they can be spoken.
 Some ministers lead us to a prayer they have made up; others lead us in prayer to the throne of God There are those who address the congregation while pretending to invoke the AL mighty. There are those who go with us into the presence of God and in be- coming humility and reverence give our thanks and make our petitions. Some times a man who has never prayed, in the presence of q great experience when he is conscious of his own help lessness, cries ous, "Ch if could only prayr And in those words utters the first real prayer of his life. Prayer is more than asking more than thanking, prayer is common, and some time, some- where, and somehow the soul of man communes with God and prays it's way into yet heller communion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23

unanimous" The Sun tells us, in voting No. A Pittsburg divine told the brethern 1 that Billy's answer to every criticism 1 of him and his methods is "Go to helll''
 a response smacking of the old Adam. ! To many of MT. Sundays admirers this
 speech of Tartarus if he uses it. is
 doubtless an irresistible charm Copious
 slang is a recommendation; ''scathing''
 language always rejoices the public; pro- | fanity in a pulpiteer's mouth should be irresistible It might be described as taking the kingdom of heaven by violence of language.
 According to Pittsburg's smither of MT.
 sunday, that summary thelogian Is ar bitray; tells the churches what they must do; how many of them must close tenn
 porarily so as not to compete with his appearances. These are minor matters
 Even MT Sunday has imported from the field of his earlier triumphs the ways of bossism if he once is accepted, if his sin cerity is granted and his vulgarities are forgiven and no undue .eommercialism' olings to his performances it is not for the churches to quarrel with his control. If they send for him they admit by inn plicatlon that he can or may do what they can't do for the unconverted. It becomes their duty to yield to the will and energy of such q rough spoken but per suasive Orpheus of souls.
 What is most curious in the Monday meeting syllabus of anti-Sundayism Is Hesitation:
 Tt cost Pittsburg $9o,0O0 to hear Mr. Sunday and 3,107 converts were made, or about so per convert The preachers agreed that not more than 12 of those con- verts would remain faithful and that s9o000 was a pretty high price to pay for them. The preachers said they could do much better themselves at much less cost"
 Ii may be said that soul is priceless, even a Pittsburg soul; but without ir- reverence it may be argued that if the figures given are correct the cost of the Sunday Conversions" is excessive. Out side of the financial exhibit here is perpetual knot of "revivials," whether in the backwoods or the cities. The over stimulation of the religious instinct the communicative ardor or frenzy, the effect of suggestion" the separation of re- li2ion from morality, the intoxication of crowds, the substitution of swift excite ment for hard painful, genuine growth in the knowledge of the Lord, the easy "con- versions the easier baclSslidings-all this is ancient ground. Billy Sunday is merely an extreme case of familiar type. As to his converts, as to those of less rude ''revivalists," the question al- ways remains of the permancy of those conversions; but surely 12 souls-supposing the anti-Sunday record to be correct-12 souls for S90,00o is a high price only in the eyes of the children of this world; and Pittsburg is only too well known.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
Exploiting Army Horses

It. would seem that Congress, like the individual, can sometimes employ the policy of saving at the spigot and wasting at the bunghole. The House of Representatives has just passed an appropriation bill carrying with it S500,000 for army horses. but has tackled on a proviso, with view to economy, that hereafter no part of the appropriation shall be expended for defraying the expenses of officers, enlisted men or horses attending or taking part in horse shows. This means that when officers desire to ex- hibit their steeds at horse shows they must do so at their own expenses.
 Few officers can afford to pay for such an exhibition out of their indi- vidual pockets, and the result of the enactment would be that few, if any, army horses will in the future be seen at such shows. The international con- tests at horse shows have done much to improve the service in equitation and raise the standard of army horses as we'll as engendering the keenest emulation in the service. It was just such an exhibition as this held at Pots dam, in Prussia, that was witnessed by Lieutenant General Miles of the United States army (retired) and in- spired him to inaugurate an inn provement of stock in army horses. A field at Potsdam had just been plowed to test the staying qualities of the German cavalry horses and the man. ner in which the contending animals charged across the rough ground inn pressed, astounded and inspired the American general.
 His recommendation as to improv- ing the horses of the American army were adopted and the custom of en- tering the steeds of the officers in the contests at the annual horse shows las since obtained.
 The proposed new law would do away with all this
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
 A burnt child dreads the fire. but you have to singe man three of four times before he gets wise.
 Most fools are entitled to a little sympathy. But there Is no hope for the male Molly who patronizes a fortune teller
 The trouble with trying to kill two birds with one stone is that both birds usually get away.
 I may be finnicky, but l never could see where a big stick pin ever im- proved the looks of dirty necktie.
 Some misfortunes make the whole world kin. But after a man has sprained his back working hard all day you can't expect him to shed tears because some other man broke his arm while crank ing his automobile.
 married man oftens fools himself into the belief that his excuses are be- lived when they are merely endured.
 As long as there is pretty mono- gram engraved on the back of ier watch woman never cares whether ii keeps time or not.
 Politicians and husbands are always making promises that they have no idea of keeping.
 A new bride always has a queer feel- ing about spending any of her hus- bands money. But it is wonderful how soon she gets over It.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
Captain white,s Strength

T have just returned from triI through the counties of Shelby, Perry Marengo and Dallas and 1t did my heart good to find high degree of properity prevailing, said Al. C. Garber, cashier of the Merchants and Mechanics Trust and Savings banl.
 Everybody was talking prosperity and the farmers are going to put forth efforts to make 191 toven better year if possible than 1913
 With lie election only two weeks off there Is, of course. a great deal of political stir throughout the state. In the four counties named 1 found Capt. Frank $ White, candidate for the short term F. the United States Senate par ticularly strong. The democrats seem to appreciate fully his long and faithful party service I think 1 am safe in saying that Captain White will carry Dallas. Marengo. Perry and Shelby"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
AIabama's Oyster Conservation

"The oyster industry in Alabama is becoming quite prominent, and a great deal of interest is becoming manifested in it, said ). A. Rountree. Several years ago the Alabama oyster commis- sion was created bv the legislature. It was organized with John Craft of Mo- bile as president. He at once suggest ed modern improvements for conserva- ton or scientific development The commission has been alert and is dong a great eeai to develop and settle up the 250.0c0 acres of barren bottoms that belong to the people in common. All oyster commissions are critized, believe, but from all accounts Ala bama's is the most economic one in the United States It ,s not extravagant and and 1t deserves the support of the peo- pie of Alabama. Like in all advanced, modern movements, some people are ef- fectcd. For instance, when an organ ized effort was made to control the milk industry and purify the milk every milk man fought and retained lawyers. The same was repeated with the slaughter of animals and the handling of meats and poultry.
 lt OSTtci Ilt-li fIOltctlNe dSSOc1d- tion is fighting the present law and desires tc have it repealed. A few men want no law or restraint of any kind. They lave been used to fishing oysters that grow on the wild reefs of the state. They are just like the man that deprecates on government timber. or the man that makes illicit whisky, or any cthere that do not be- lieve in progressive or modern develop ment.
 The Alabama oyster commission has had more or less litigation and con tention with these vIolators. but from all reports that car be gathered, the commission is do'rg patriotic service to the state and is deserving of the sup port of the good people of Alabama and should Dc indorsed instead of con- demned."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
PURSUIT OF PLEASURE

F. om the London Times.
 It's hold upon modern society, how ever. is not hard to explain. We have reached again a moment at which the pursuit of pleasure is approved. The pursuit of pleasure Is one of the most sensible things to which the mind of man can give itself, for, though the noralists dwell on the difference between pleasure and happiness. the normal man finds that the greater part of his happi- ness arises from pleasure.
 Yet the rhythm of life never brings to the surface the same thing twice in the same form The pleasure of the regen- cy we should imagine, must have been a grosser and more brutal pleasure than that of the restoration; as the pleasure Of the restoration was more partial and physical than the pleasure of E,lizabeth's s day. About 20 years ago English pleas uie reached the summit of peculiarly disagreeable phase. Pleasure was admit ted to be wrong. and was cultivated with an affectation of bravery. Today we have passed beyond that stage. We hon. cstly believe that pleasure is not bad but good-a thing worth having for it's own sake, no less than as a source of vitality and strength and as d sweet ener of life. We believe it to be nat uIal, and sincerely hoId that what is natural cannot be evil. And yet we seem to be no nearer than 20 years ago to the understanding of what is. for ourselves, natural We import our nature. We turn for it to the negro, the South American, the ancient Greek, the modern New York CT. With a country densely populated hy fairies and goblins and sprites and elves, We make plays and pallets out Of dryads and nymphs and olympians.
 The waltz has held it's own for hun dred years because, though of foreign origin, it suits the English temperament- dreamy, romantic, sentimental. We know and like its meaning. Doubtless, in it's native country, the tango has a meaning, but it is not one that can be expressed in an English ballroom. Like our farees from the French, the ballroom tango hints at what it dare not say, and in wolves it's yotaries at once in dullness and pl etense
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23

! IVY AsHlNGIoN,. March @-(Spe- \Af cial) = Representative Victor W Murdoch, official leader in Washington of the progressive party,
 while he Is absent in South America, Is
 a red-headed militant person, whose chief
 delight is to get on the "other side
 of any old question that comes up in the
 House. Mir Murdoch's particular special | ty is not agreeing to anything whatso-
 ever that is proposed by either a repuh- lican or a democrat. He has reputa- ton to sustain for an unbroken record of
 hostility to all kinds of legislation eminat- ing from either of the above sources, and he is one of our best known sustainers.
 His pet aversion is Uncle Joe Cannon.
 Let any person whomsoever dare mention Uncle Joe except as a tyranical, vicious and wholly consciousless representative of vested interest and standpat upholder of monopolistic and predatory wealth."
 or something of that kind and Vic Mur- doch comes to bat immediately. If
 upon Uncle Joe he usually selects time when Vic Murdoch is not among those
 present. A complimentary reference to
 Uncle Joe has the same effect on Vic, as the Haunting of a yellow flag and yelping Down with the pope' would have on an Irishman on St. Patrick's day.
 Not long ago in the House, Speaker Clark rose to "a question of personal priv ilege." The speaker had a newspaper article read in which some person had attacked him and declared that on some important question in the House where the ayes and nays were demanded, he the speaker-had deliberately counted only g members rising in the affirmative, when as a matter of fact 52 had risen. The speaker defended himself from this attack and called upon the House to sustain him. Thereupon Mann, as official head of the opposition party, rose to the occasion and proceeded to inform the House how much confidence he had In the integrity and honor of the present speaker" and all that sort of stuff, which no one can do better than Jim Mann. When it comes to paying compliments to Champ Clark and Oscar Underwood you've got to hand it to Jim Mann, and immediately after do- ing so, he will charge them politically with every known atrocity the human race is heir to. Well. anyway, the repub- licans one and all, when the speakers fairness was brought into question, came right square to the front, and said more nice things about Champ than Tom Pence has been able to think up about Woodrow Wilson and the achievements of the ad- ministration. If printed it would sound like a campaign book the authorship of which any press agent could feel proud
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
The Lure of Imagination

While it is not what we once were, but are now, that counts in the battle of life, the peculiar vagaries ire quently displayed by men of talent are provocative of interest if not worthy of serious consideration. The latest development in such metaphysical phases is that of Herbert Burrows, the English socialist, who declares that he has a most distinct recollection of having been a French revolutionist at the close of the eighteenth century and that long before that he was a Roman gladiator.
 The salient feature in MT. Burrows case, however, is that this recollection of his past existence did not come to him spontaneously, as it were, but was the result of long and serious thought devoted to the question and the long CT he dwelled upon the subject the more did he become convinced of the correctness of his conclusion. Thus, it would seem that his opinion is the re- suit of ratiocination which does away with the revelation or memory aspect of the question and one is inclined to ask whether he is not subject of sclf-imposed hypnotism.
 The idea is by no means new one, for Pythagoras, who lived seven hun dred years before the Christian era and was the greatest of Greece's early philosophers, insisted that he recog- nized in the temple of Hera the same shield that he had carried at the siege of Troy eight centuries before when he existed in the person of Euphorbus. But Pythagoras was dreamer and mysticism was in his day fad of civilization.
 The old Egyptians believed in metempsychosis, or transmission of souls and such belief is maintained by the Hindus today. The idea is fas- cinating and it's best modern exponent is Rider Haggard, who in his engross- ing romance of "She" treated the sub- ject of reincarnation in his inimitable manner. Nobody takes Haggard in this conceit seriously and he did not intend that he should be so taken. The book merely offers a delectible field for speculation and exercise for the wings of imagination.
 The lesson taught is the extreme
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
The Irish Eo,nc Rule Bill

The acute situation in Belfast f.ow- ing out Of the Irlsn home rule bill is naturally 8 topic of absorbing interest all over the world and people are ask inf "Is Great Britain facing civil war?' D remarked citizen.
 When the home rule bill was intro duced in Parliament the main features of it were publisied in the Associated Press dispatches. bat only a compar- atiyely few men take interest enough in foreign affairs to recall just what the measure provided. On page 432 of the New York World almanac for 1914 will be found a very full account of the Irish horae rule movement by James M. Tuohy.
 'rhe main provisions of the pending bill are: First. to set up a Parliament in Ireland with an executive responsible to it for the conrrol of purely Irish sist of tive chambers-an elective House of Commons of 164 members and a Sen ate of A. members. the latter to be nominated Tor the first five years by the imperia, government. and thereafter elected on . system of proportional representation. 1'Le Irish Parliament is expressly prohibited from legislating naval or military force. It is also pro- hibited iron. legislating on foreign re- lations. trade outside of Ireland and coinage. Ireland is to return 42 mem- bers Eo t1e imperial Parliament
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
VIC MURDOCH AS A KICKER
Ny BILL VINES

| But way long in the proceedings somebody spoiled the beans. Mention in a casual
 way was made of Uncle Joe Cannon. and
 someone timidly suggested that even
 Uncle Joe had never deliberately made a
 miscount of members voting on an im- portant question.
 This was too much for Vie Murdoch. He
 had been listening to ali the compliment tary stuff twisting restlessly in his seat. and wondering just where he could butt il. md bite somebody on the leg. Up rose Vic with a snort. He wanted to say he said, that he would not question the fair ness of Speaker Clark, and this was quite a concession for Vic to make, and if
 Mir. Clark ever runs for President again he ought to remember it for use in his campaign. He qualified that statement, however, by saying that he was present on the occasion mentioned and carefully counted those rising, and while he felt certain there were more than 23. he was sure there were not 52. This statement saved Vic and preserved his record. Both Clark and the man who accused him of unfairness were wrong, and neither of them had the approval of the progressive Y. Then Vic turned his attention to Uncle Joe. He said that Uncle Joe used to perform the impossible stunt of counting 300 or 400 members by simply waiving his gavel in their general direction and point north, and let it go at that. It was in vain that the democrats then come for ward to the defense of Uncle Joe flor the honor of the House of Representatives as- sailed by an outsider" As the repub- licans had so valiently stood by Speaker Clark, the democrats hastily rallied round Uncle Joes reputation. and endeavored to defend the same. Nothing doing. vio would not admit that Uncle Joe was fair Not even for the benefit of the esteemed Congressional Record.
 vics position in the House is unique
 and full of responsibility. All he has
 to do is to oppose everything. Now and
 then one of the progressives under Vics
 leadership will go so far as to propose
 an investigation of something or other.
 perhaps railroad, 1t is nearly always
 safe to propose an investigation of a
 railroad. If there is a railroad in the
 country of which someone has not sug-
 gested in Congress an investigation it is
 a suspicious circumstance, and there must
 be something wrong with the railroad. So
 Vic hardly ever has anything to com
 mend; all he is called upon to do is to
 view with alarm, deplore, condemn and
 oppose. He Is right there with all that
 stuff. The result is that he enjoys a
 high rating in the affection of both the
 old parties. They are almost as fond of him as they would be of case of small-
 pox.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-23
Interesting Membership Camu,,ru

Preparation is now under way for our
 annual membership campaign, which will
 begin on April 1, and continue throughout
 the month; and indications give promise
 that the canvass will be lively and full
 of interest to all those who participate"
 said Miss Elva Brakeman. acting secre-
 tary of the Young Women's Christian as socation.
 ITO lend zest to the campaign the as sociation has extended an invitation to all who successful in securing s45
 in membership fees within the month allotted, to join the Birmingham party for
 the Blue Ridge conference. which will take place at the Robert Lee hall on the associations conference grounds at Black Mountain, N. C.; the conference begins June and lasts 10 days.
 Special cars will be provided for the occasion, and all expenses will be de-
 frayed by the association. Some of the secretaries will accompany the excursion to take part in the conference work, in which the Young Women's associations of most of the southern states will be rep resented. only the mornings, however will be devoted to conference work, while the evenings will be used for recreation The grounds are situated on the summit
 of mountain of great altitude, and the view afforded is magnificent indeed The hall is used as d summer resort when
 not needed by the association which con- l tros it. and those who are fortunate enough to secure the desired member ships will certainly enjoy fine outing The secretaries will spare no efforts in cooperating with those who enter into the campaign work It Is predicted that carry the Birmingham contingent to the grounds this year, as our delegation last year filled one car, and the amount to be raised by delegates was $50 instead of Si,