The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-04
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Village creek were alive with restless red-breasts.
 do not know why, but there is some thing about the notes In robin's call which stirs memories of my boyhood days as nothing else has the power to do. for every southern lad always looked forward to their coming with joy.
  r It's passing strange that I reached mans estate long before I ever heard of the crime of killing robins. In fact, was a lawyer in New York when I curious way, for it was Tammany's way of trying to discredit Thomas Dixon, who was then at the pinacle of his fame as preacher.
 
 I had heard him in the Twenty third Street Baptist Church. and although at the time not at all religiously inclined was struck with his wonderful gifts as an orator, for in my opinion he is one of the greatest pulpiteers I have ever heard and the church lost an elo- quent divine when he went to writing books and plays and scenarios for nov ing pictures.
 I followed him when he began to hold his Sunday morning services at the old Academy of Music, for 1t was worth any mans while to at least hear the minute prelude to his sermon, i9 which he spoke on some public ques- ton. He was the mortal enemy of Tammany. and 1t was his greatest de- | 1t emit roar.
 But you can never tell just how an organization which, though frequently beaten at the polls. abides its time and has shown that in spite of the repeated killing of the political beast the tiger has more lives than that of the traditional cat whose limit is placed at nine. It may not be true. but read I in what purported to be life of Rich l ard Croker that the one thing he feared more than anything else was Protest ant preacher.
 Sunday after Sunday the Rev. Thomas l Dixon was pouring out vials of wrath upon the political coterie down on Fourteenth street, and what he was saying made mighty good copy. and the newspaper boys were not slow in play 1 ing it up with big head lines. and espe- cially those whose editors were ar- raigned against the organization. | Now, I think know when 8 man ha the gift of fiery denunciation, and, by l the way, the two men who in my opin- ion excel in this kind of speaking are l Thomas Dixon and Samuel Gompers l although their personal appearance, their platform manners, their tone of | thought, their choice of words, their I common, and I daresay that both Of l them, should they happen to see this. would be surprised at my yoking them together.
 | But having said this much, will dif- ferentiate a bit. Tom Dixon is a man of striking physique; he towers above | the average man in height. and in those days he was in his prime. His face would attract attention in any as- sembly; he looked every inch an actor, but in his keen eyes, and long face, he had the unmistakable look of an as- cetic, though he was by no means one, for he loved and appreciated the good ! things of life. He had 8 marvellous voice, a rich vocabulary and when lit lup with emotion he swept his audience before him.
 | Gompers, on the other hand, when I used to hear him about the same time. was not striking in stature. and while he had a strong face. one would hardly turn when he passed to set second look at him. put him down then as a man of great power, and agree with him or not, he is great parsonage. or he could not have dominated organized labor as he has done for the past quar- ter of century. He had naught of the dash or audacity of Dixon. but he chose his words carefully. and when he hurled them out they went home with terrific effect. His sarcasm was whitening and his repartee as keen as napier.
 But back to Tammany Hall, Tom Dixon. and robins. for strange as it may
 seem it was not with poisoned dart. or any underground methods that the wise old Sachems went after tho scalp of
 the fearless preacher who was giving
 them bad quarter of an hour by his
 terrific indictments of their many will
 ainies It was a matter of life and
 death to divert the public for a reform
 wave was about to sweep them for the
 moment into oblivion
 They learned that they could not
 bulldoze the brilliant minister; there
 was nothing in his life that they could
 bring to light to put him to shame < and they were almost in despair, when
 without any thought of wrongdoins
 Tom walked into a trap of his own set I ting and knocked down the pin which held him firm and fast and from which
 he had the greatest difficulty in extri-
 eating himself
 Il I knew just how he fell. for. being 2
 southerner and having spent his boy.
 hood, youth and young manhood be- hind gun and dog, what was more nat. ural than for him to get a rest from
 his arduous labors by shouldering his rifle and going Into the surrounding