The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

launched on Friday night at dinner at the Tutwiler by the Alabama di- vision of the Travellers Protective As- sociatiou. there is no need for me to remind you that 1t was a hilarious oc- cs sion.
 I use tke word hilarious" with nal ice aforethought. for 1 am well aware that only water was served without the least little drop of Tight wine" or teer or any other near intoxicating drink. and that the fovorite beverage Of William Jennings Bryan. grape juice. was conspicuous by it's absence.
 
 Time was when it was thought im- possible to have "a good time at a din- ner without liberal supply of drinks with a kick. but that is now an ex- ploded idea. for men come together and have a jolly time with no other beverage than Adams ale, and it flows as freely as 1t did wien good fellows were supposed to imbibe enough to put themselves beneath the table.
 Every guest we'll knew that he was n for a joyous evening. for when the T. P. As are the host 1t is a certainty that things will happen lively and they did from the moment when toast master Borden Burr took his seat until tho hour came for sdjourning And what was it all About? mighty sim pie but also big thing. and that is to see that Alabama has her place in the sun"
 No wonder that after hundred years service the motto of the state, Here We Rest" got on the nerves of lhe live bunch of travelling salesmen, whose watchword is Git up and git" and so they made up their minds to scrap the rest of the programme which for century was in the fore ground, and set up another slogan, Here we hustle" Surely it's time that Alabamjans were speeding up a bit so that the world may learn of its many attractions.
 At the beginning some one sug- gested that it would be appropriate for the crowd to sing the beautiful song, Alabama" written by Miss Julia Tut wiler:
 Alabama. Alabama,
 We will aye be true to thee,
 From thy Southern shore. where
 groweth
 By the sea thine orange tree,
 To thy northern vale where f1oweth, Deep and blue. thy Tennessee.
 Alabama. Alabamal
 We will aye be tru. to thee!
 Now. I knew that trouble was ahead, for l doubt if there was a man present woh was able to recite the first verse without any attempt to repeat the other six. Luckily a slide had been prepared with the words of the opening stanza of the patriotic poem, but it was flashed on white canvas and was so dim that only few near it coud get any help from it.
 l am in favor whenever singing is to te the part of any programme that a leader be selected. There are mighty few men who can do what is known cut in the country as "histing a hymn" It Is 8 gift to be able to pitch 1t on the right key, and is disastrous if started too high or too low. Every organization needs Noisy" Lee, for te is the guy who serves the Rotarlans when they burst into song.
 
 I do not know who made the first noise at the dinner when the attempt was made to sing the first verse of l Alabama. I am rather inclined to think it was almost community s'ng.' in which each man followed his own bent and uttered the sound which best fitted his vocal chords. There were several breakdowns before the eight lines were finished and the whole thing would have collapsed had ! 4 not been for plan" Bill Brandon, ! who retrieved the occasion by striking 'r with an old Methodist camp meeting swing which gave encouragement to the faltering ones.
 | I have not told the above to be fypercritical. but to call attention to | the fact that 1t took a world war to | stir Americans up to the point whers l commit America" to memory or at 1 tempt the Star Spaneled Banner" In crossing the Atlantic I used to be put ! to shame in the smoking room when | the Englishmen would sing heartily God Save the Queen" and then call on Americans to sing "America,'' only to learn that no one present knew tha words or the tune. If the T. P. As will get in behind 1t they will soon have all of us singing Alabama. but before it's attempted publicity any more l beg that some practicing be done | The first speaker introduced from .ha ranks of the eigat candidates for tthe United States Senate who had been I invited to be present and address the laudience was former Gov. Emme [ iGNeal. who in five minutes gave a really remarkable synopsis of Ala lama's wealth at Muscle Shoals. Judge IS. D. Weakley. the enly other candi- cate for the office in attendance | tainted a glowing picture of the varied 1 riches of the state from the Tennessee tc the Gulf of Mexico. beautifully worded letter from Congressman J. Thomas Heflin was read and applauded. It fell to the lot of Dr. N. A. Barrett. liresident of the city commission to l welcome the visitors in happy speech. Mat Murphy the man with .he pure Anglo-Saxon name" pledged tfe support of. the American Legion l'r. R. H. McCasslin. the live wire Presbyterian preacher of Montgomery. made a decided hit in his glowing eu- logy to the state. Frank I. Derby of Ward as usual sidestepped sA speech. but said he was ready to kick in.'' Ben I. Rapport of Picgens county con- vulsed his hearers with a "Yiddisher