The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-07-30
ALABAMA PRESS

Ashland Progress: The idea advanced
by Thomas jefferson to have the federal
government build roads in unison with
the state had long rest, but it re-
manned for democratic administration
to give it another chance to prove it's
wisdom.
Admission Star: A scarcity of hoop
lately on account of so many motorists
using them for tires. 1t is even reported
that some of the snakes that had been
trained to drive home the cows in the
evening have been stolen by motorists
who had blow-outs
Lamar Democrat: Birmingham has
levied a street tax on all citizens Of that
city. Our prediction is that the city tax
collector will have a full man-size job
collecting it, if the citizens of that city
are as hard to pull taxes from as are the
inhabitants of the average small town.
Carbon Hill Journal: A farmer party"
was recently held in Chicago, the invi-
tations reading: please come like farm
esr and wear farmers Clothes The
hostess who hadn't been near a farm
for 20 years thought that the guests
would ride to the party in OK carts and
wear overalls or other working clothes.
To her great surprise, they came in au-
tomobiles and wore regulation full dress
clothes. All of which goes to show that
it is a great compliment to be called a
farmer nowadays.
SOLDIERS WHO ARE NOT SOLDIERS
From the New York World.
Grumblng is always associated with
soldering, but what is to be said of a
military body called to active service
which wants to go home because there
is no fighting Immediately in prospect?
The National Guard was not fit for
battle when it entrained. Events have
shown that as respects many of it's units
it was hardly fit for the camp. Yet the
most serious complaints received from the
Texas border grow out of the fact that
the men see nothing ahead of them but
guard duty, instruction, and seasoning.
If they cannot have war at once they
demand their recall. Relatives and friends
echo and re-echo the grievances.
During all the months that Congress
was considering proposition to leave
the National Guard to the states and
to create volunteer army, the spokes-
men for the guard insisted that it be
given a trial. 1t was this plea more than
anything else that led to the incorpora-
ton of the organized militia in the reg
uar army.
We do not hear any walls from the reg
ular army because bloodletting has not
begun in Mexico. No member of that
establishment is fretting his life away
because he cannot kill somebody. The
families of officers and enlisted men are
not urging their return because carnage
| is not imminent No politician is worry
ing himself about regiments that have
| nothing to do but guard the frontier and
| perfect themselves in the art of war.
| 1t is only the National Guard which
invites and receives this distinguished at
tention 1t is only the National Guard
which has no stomach for soldering un-
less it can be instantly used in situa.
| lions for which it is unprepared. In fact
it is only the National Guard whicf
vearies of true military duty and wants
to go home at the first contact with
these responsibilities.
| The National Guard will eliminate thi:
shirt from it's membership pretty soon
or Congress will enact an army law
in which there will be no mention Of
the National Guard.