davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
The Ordinance Under Which Dancing 10 Now Done
 at East Lake

at East Lake
 After having given careful consideration to the subject of the hall built for recreational purposes at East Lake, our former City Commission took the
 "REs6LvED, That the following report of this Board in acting committee of the whole the proposed municipal dance hall at East Lake Park, be and the same is hereby approved, ratified and
 I've, the Commissioners of the City of Birming- ham, having under consideration the new building which the city has erected in East Lake Park, and the uses to which it shall be devoted after having given hearing to all citizens who have asked to press themselves on the subject, and after having ourselves, have arrived at the following conclusion
 II. We decide that the purposes of the building l,i T be gropsrly expressed by the name of Public
 a2 We decide that the City of Birmingham will not conduct municipal dance hall in this building; as public service building for the accommodation of the citizens of Birmingham in all legitimate ways in which they may desire to use it for their comfort
 "l. We decide that the use of the building may bc secured by any honorable and accredited organ izaton or any responsible body of citizens for any Board of comissidsrs @ to % be used - exclusively by such organizations or body for any legitimate pur st % te culture t or S to Shs ssy not disturb the well being of the community.
 "5. We decide that the use of the building shall iaztion, club fraternity for comfort. culture or pleasure for any extended period of time to be utilized to the exclusion of the public or of any or ganization, company, club or fraternity.
 "6. We decide that the building at all times shall be under the careful supervision of the mu- nicpal police force to check eliminate anything whatsoever which shall be considered contrary to the morality and good order maintained by the city all it's public grounds"
 It will be observed by careful consideration of the above that there s according to the former de- cision, such place Pershing Pier at East Lake. The city distinctly decided to name the building Public Utility Building"
 It will be noted from paragraph four of the above that this building may be used "by any honorable and accredited organization any responsible body of citizens for any legitimate purpose of comfort, culture or pleasure to which they may desire to put it." This paragraph construed by the Board of Commissioners to include dancing and the build ing was opened with dance as all will recollect and tho building has been open for dancing at any time an accredited or responsible body of citizens desire to use it. Any responsible body of citizens" have been allowed to use this building free of cost. They provide their own music and go at will and use onv na one a hy X no te wellbeing of the community"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Commissioner of Public
 Safety

T do not believe that any honest citizen could sit at my desk for one month and hear with me the sad stories of ruined lives directly trace be the cause of the downfall of convinced as have been, that public dance hall in Birmingham will be the cause of the downfall of hundreds of girls.
 "As the Commissioner of Public Safety of our city, cannot consent to 3sopsrdise the purity of our girls and safety of our homes for the price of a Joor fee at . municipal dance hall. The building at Fact Lake is now open ..nd has been ever since its completion to all the people of Bir- minRham for any kind of innocent amusement. including dancing, by groups of honorable and responsible citizens 'n every walk of life.
 The change which the new or dinance would make would be . change from dancing by honorable and accredited groups of citisens without financial gains to the city to public, promiscuous dancing with . door fee to make money for the city. 1t is to my mind. . question of selling the morals of the city for money. If only one girl . year were lost. should consider her sold by the city too cheap"
 (Signed) W. B. CLoE,
 Commissioner of Public Safety.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

some rec rcat'on and amusement, End 1 am not opposed to dancing as such. Nor do l question the sincerity of purpose or opinion of our two city commissioners, md many others. who are advocating such place. I can only say that they have not had the opportunity of seeing as I have. in my ten years experience as judge of the juvenile court of this county the many girls whose liy.s have peen spoiled by the influence of the pub lie dance hall. In this time l have had to deal with hundreds of delin- quent girls, all 9f thsm under eighteen years of age md most of them un- der sixteen. A lnrze percentage of these girls had either found their initial experience in wrong doing by reason of the influence which had come to them through the public dance hall. or who after having be- come delinquent, found much of their amusement and recreation in attend anee upon such public dances.
 The public dance hall is peculiarly attractive to this class of girls, and to older women of the same type as wcll--some of them mnrried--to say nothing of that class of young and older men who seek that kind of companion4hio. ihis cia~s of people will certainly attend such dances if they can possibly do so and un- fortunately. they constitute much larger number than many who do not come in contact wit hthat part of our city life imagine, and many will inevitably be admitted and be al- come in contact with that part of intercourse with our decent, virtuous girls and boys, under the most dan- gerous circumstances that could be devised---in the dance.
 No supervision. however honestly undertaken or however efficiently ad- ministered. could prevent 1t. The character and kind of dancing can be regulated by supervision; but the character and kind of peopl< allowed on the dance floor, cannot be.
 No supervisor can know all the people of bad or questionable char acter in a city of the size of Birrning- ham-and even if the superviJor had a suspicion as to the applicants character. unless such supervisor had some legal evidence to support such ,1spicion. court conviction for In stance. they would not be willing to assume the risk of excluding such suspicious character from the dance floor. thereby causing a prosecution for islander. or adamage suit against the city. Such characters would al- ways be given the benefit of the doubt
 Supervision makes such place all the more dangerous. because 1t claims to do that which it cannot do-protect our virtuous girls and boys from contact with those who either seek their ruin or whose com panionship would cause the ruin of many of them.
 Tt is evident from what I have
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

said above that I cannot but regard such q place of amusement and rec reation as a mence to the welfare of the young people of our city. many of whom I believe would be induced to go there by reason of the fact that it was conducted under the aus pices and supervision of our city.
 'T most heartily approve the stand taken by the Pastors Union in reference to the establishment of this dance hall, and hope that they. and all others who believe in protecting the morals of our young people will use every means in their power to defeat the plan to establish this pub ilc dance place.
 (SfRned)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Trustees of Howard
 College

Whereas. It has been brought to our attention that their is move ment on foot looking to reopening PershinR Pier at East Lake for pub lie dancing. and
 Whereas, Howard College is Io- cated in this immediate vicinity. and
 Whereas. the Baptists of the stat, by the great majority are opposed to public dancing and would feel az grieved if the same was conducted in the vicinity of their College. and
 Whereas. VIC are expected to in- crease our assets in the near future by several hundred thousand dollars and
 "Whereas, our success in this undertaking depends on the good will of the people of the state. we
 Therefore protest against the opening of Pershing Pier for the pur- pose of a public dance place. and against all other forms of recreations or amusements of questionable character. believing that the same would be detrimental to the highest interests of our institution" BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF HOW
 ARD COLLEGE
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Ma tional, State and Local

have department called Soe ial Morality. By means of this depart ment we seek 10 educate the young against all immoral tendencies and to safeguard them from dangerous en- vironment and temptation. We work for prevention of immortality and stand cmphatically against any effort to publicly demoralize our young people by such means as public dance halls on land or water.
 For five years our state head quarters has maintained a lunch and rest room which is visited by ap- proximately two hundred young ladies day"
 tSiRned)
 MRS. L. F. HARRIS, President.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
A Few of Those Who Oppose It

cialIy do they disapprove of the pub lice dance hall. In education. the Baptists believe not only in high in- tcllectual attainment, but also in the training and development of lofty moral character. The presence of any fiuence in East Lake which does not contribute to the upbuilding of character Is not good for the students of Howard College. We do not be- lieve that public dance hall has any value in the moral uplift of the com munity in which 1t is located. or in the development of moral grandeur on the part of those who frequent it.
 "Our sentiment is that both How ard College and East Lake would be better off without the dance hall"
 JOHN C. DAWSON President.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Howard College

The sentiment of the Faculty of Howard Collere is against the pro- posed dance hall at East Lake.
 Every great upheasnl leaves an aftermath of bad moral conditions. The educ ationai institutions of the country have been keenly aware of the effect of the moral situation of the present moment on the young of the land and are seeking to meet the problems which have been presented. Howard College has entered vigorously into the moral tfAinint of the young men and women committed to Its care. Under normal conditions. East Lake is . splsndid community in which to train college students. and we look with apprehension on anything that will tend to destroy the moral fiber of the community. We believe that a public dance hall in East Lake Park will have such a tendency.
 "Baptists collectively do not be- lieve in dancing anywhere. and espe-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

CD The mothers. wives and bus mess women who have their homes in the vicinity of this dance hall and who own their property and conduct their business in that vicinity and whose wishes deserve the respect of every fair-minded citizen of Birming- ham.
 (2) All of the prominent schools and colleges and Benevolent and Dis eiplinary Institutions of Birmingham, who have young men and women en- trusted to them from adjoining coua- ties and states. call upon the citizens of Birmingham to protect them in these great institutions. Let it be remembered that In Birmingham Southern College and in Howard Col leae more than s2.0oo. 100000 are now being raised for their use and equipment Read thoughtfully what the faculties of these schools and colleges say.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Judge of Jefferson County Court of
 Misdemeanors

Tn my address to the League of Women Vo asrs just prior to the lnst city, election. I stated during the course of my address on Social Evils" in this district, that the prin- cipal causes of the present social evils were automobiling at nights by young men and women, unaccom- panied or unehaperoned. public bath ing of young men and women only half clad and public dance halls.
 T have come to this conclusion from years of study and experience and since making these statements I have seen no reason why I should reverse myself in this respect"
 (Signed)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Louie Compton Seminary

"As one concerned in the welfare of our city. I fesl impelled to cham pion the cause for which the advo- cates for The Right arc standing Just now.
 My life's interest is eentered in girls and young women, so cannot refrain from expressing my opinion on the opening of the public dance hall in Birmingham. To this I am greatly opposed. for I do not believe It IS m any way necessary to the hap piness nor best development of our girls and young women,
 Having so recently enlarged my facilities for the care. training and education of girls. feel mare than ever concerned in the moral atmcs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

vote for when this question comes up on the 22d day of May, 1922?
 If you vote for this measure you vote for something we already have the privilege Of doing.
 If you vote for this ordinance you place in the hands of the Commissioner of Public Utilities and Parks the authority to regulate the dancing at this park Under the law no
 If you vote for this ordinance you make it the duty of the Commissioner of Public Util- ities to provide the music"-not provide for the music," but provide the music" The wording of this ordinance is such that 1t seems our Commissioner of Public Utilities must at all times be present when there is dancing in progress and provide the music,
 Then again it shall be the duty of the most worthy Commissioner to furnish proper chap erones to all parties that go there to dance. He, and he alone, is to be the judge of what is reasonable.
 Is 1t possible that the City of Birmingham, which is already being jibbed by. the press of questions" and paying 50 much attention to trivial affairs" will continue to make an this?
 We cannot believe that our 'sworthy Con- missioner of Public Utilities"(?) is alone in i, his agitation of this "sr..t problem" Surely he would not, just for to carry out his pet scheme, forget the weightier matters demanding his attention.
 This newspaper has no fight to make on Commissioner Harrison for the colossal mis- taLs made in needlessly forcing the question.
 But we do resent the imputation that the working class of people want the City of Bir- mingham to finance, operate and supervise municipal dance hall in . community that does not want such m institution.
 Let the blame for the failure of this blunder fall on the shoulders of those who fostered it and not the poor working folks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Birmingham Pastors
 Union

Members of the Pastors Union. thcms.iv-x as opposed to the public dance hall"
 The above institutions have in their care tk~ education snd culture of the youth of the land. Hundreds of stu- dents from adjoining states and eoun- ties arc brought to our city and spend thousands upon thousands of dollars here. Ought not the above institutions which are raising millions to be spent here and which are bring ing pstronngc which spends hundreds of thousands annually be regarded by the citizens of Birmingham
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Chief of Police

My experience and observation lead mo to the conclusion thAt im- mofalitiss and disorders grow out of public dance halls. I think t would be impossible to discriminate between moral and immoral men and women attendiny . dance hall organized as . public. municipal dance hall"
 (Sixned)
 FRED H. MeDUFF, Chief of Police.
 Birmingham, Ala. May '. 1922.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Birmingham-Southern
 College

"The faculty of South ern College at . meeting January 2Ist. 1922. adopted the following res olutien:
 Whereas. we are entrusted by the whole state with the education of several hundred young men annual iy. we would look with great solici- tude upon the opening of Pershina Pier It East Lake as public dance hall. We are fearful that a public dance hall financed and operated by the city authorities would not be . wholesome influence for our students. We. therefore. trust that no change will be made in the present regula- ton concerning the entertainment features at East Lake"
 tSigned)
 GUY E. SNAvELY, Pres.
 ". D. PERRY See'y.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Judge of Juvenile Court
 of Jefferson County
H. B. ABERNETHY. Judge.

T wish Co say that I am strongly opposed to the establishment by the city of a public dance hall at East Lake. the more so because of It's supposed supervision.
 T recognize the need for whole
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Women's Missionary
 Societies

These res olations are 20 ngmer . ous that we cannot give space for them.
 Let us turn next to those insti- tutions which daily meet the criminal and which have the best opportunity to know what produces the criminal and whose statements ought to re- ceive the most careful consideration by every citizen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Sheriff of Jefferson
 County

Central Advisory Committee.
 Birmingham. Ala
 Gentlemen From my observe ton and experience as sheriff of Jefferson county. and as an officer for % years 1 can unhesitatingly say that in my opinion the operation of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

phere of this city to which per suade mothers to send their daugh- ters. Consequently. l am devoutly hopeful that the public dance hall will not be permitted in Birmingham"
 (Signedl
 HATTIE MORTON. President.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
Citizens of East Lake Appeal to Other Sec tions of the City For Support

RESOLVED, That we, the citi- zens of East Lake, in mass meeting assembled, protest against the proposed city ordi- nance to establish a municipal dance hall at East Lake Park, and that we petition the citi- zens of other sections of the city to vote against the pro- posed ordinance"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

83X| East Lake, which its sponsors
 claim would be for the good of the working people and money getter, as requested by MT. Harrison and Mrs. Echols as the minority members of the Board of Commissioners:
 "Be it ordained by the Commission of the City of Birmingham that dancing shall be permitted at Pershng Pier at East Lake under rules and regula- tions to be made by the Commissioner of Public Utilities and Parks and it shall be the duty of such Commissioner to provide music and proper chap eronage for such dancing and permit the same at all reasonable times"
 It will be noted in this resolution, CD that they desire the name changed from Public Utility Build ing" to "Pershing Pier"
 (2) They desire that all rules and regulations covering this building shall be under comms- soner and this one commissioner shall decide upon the kind of music, the kind of chaperonage and the times that he shall consider reasonable times, whether he shall put this time the Sabbath the week days
 The only changes that thr desired action would make in East Lake Park Public Utility Building are the following;
 CD To change it's
 (2) To take the supervision out of the hands of the Board of Commissioners and put it in charge of one man.
 (3) To give that one man absolute authority to do anything he pleases with it.
 (4) That this Commissioner is to furnish the music and proper chaperonage," instead of allow ing the people to furnish their music and chap eron, and that he is left to put any charge he may desire on his music or his door fee.
 (5) That the dances by accredited and honor able organizations and groups and parties of re- sponsble citizens is to be changed to promiscuous dance, in which immoral and disreputable people may participate for money
 (6) That instead of various brotherhoods, fra ternal orders and groups of respectable citizens from any and every walk of life being permitted to secure the use of this building for an evening in which they may introduce dancing or any other class of amusement unmolested, 1t will always be open to the promiscuous non-de-script, immoral clement and without doubt will be constantly pat ronized by them to the detriment of many pure and innocent young people.
 Do you, as taxpayer, want your highly paid City Commissioner of Public Utilities providing music and chaperonage for a public dance hall or do you want him to spend his time and energy upon those things which constructive and uplifting? THIS PROPOSED LAW PROVIDES FOR THE FORMER.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21
IN THE NAME OF THE LABORiNG MAN

benefit o reliably cas a the eocad
  aborng andwo womana be- euueSuonA
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

. municipal dance hall at East Lake would be a menace to public morals and conductive to violations of the law. Respectfully yours,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

Would you want your daughter or sister to go to q place that had to be so regulated that policeman need stand at the door 10 inspect her? Would you like to haUe other people place in your community an instifu- tion objectionable to you?
 # not-fsDo unto others as you yould haps them do unto you. ''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-21

e hf d per Ooopopui from hn ereead d @ ~ dw
 nn dmn3c ndoneno oneendus
The New York herald., 1922-04-29

explosion Of undetermined origin. sc-
cording to reports to the state Depart
ment OF Mines. No one was injured.
The New York herald., 1922-04-29

pushed him. He restrained but did not
hurt me. Meanwhile Ronese was at
tackled by one of Bentley's men, and
we fell back on our main party At
this opportune moment Chief of Police
Beanie rode up in his car
The chief made speech. saying
Nobody wants you men around here
but yourselves. The miners want to
keep on working Then Bentley started
a speech. beginning, Can't you feliers
be good losersr But just then the
tippie. waiting for the main trip and
watching us, came swa-rI,ng down to
the highway on strike.
There were a lot of US now. so we
walked up to the town, had meeting
in poolroom, and out OF 800 miners
Z14 Joined the union. Good old Jack
Bentley, N.Y. Nemesis, was so chagrined
he faded out of sight, but he boobed UP
later when we tried to organize the
miners at Jenner. We had rented a hall
over grocery. but spoilers saw us and
in a few minutes Bentley came charging
UP the road in his Ford. He and the
mine police lined UP abreast of us, on
either side. as we walked up the middle
OF the street. On the whole it seemed
to my buddy and me best not to turn
to right or left, so we marched right
pa st the hall and out into the open coun-
try. where our escort left US.
IT didn't care about making COM
plants against anybody. but the organi-
zation thinks it should be done, so ]
have charged Bentley with assault and
battery on the public highway and will
start civil action against Burgess
Sober for false Imprisonment Bentley
had really got quite chummy with me
1,a+ La Of
men he had been compelled to kill in
self defense. When he heard was try
ing to have him arrested he was most
reproachful.
Hapgood,' he said. I thought you
and me were friends. Hapgood. / am
disappointed in you. I took you for
man, but you're just a fresh kid"