The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-09-07
TODAY
Candle for the Dragon.
Negro Heroes"
Good Men and Safety.
Catch the Beggar.
By ARTHUR BRISBANE


pRthixe with the old woman OF whom
Montaigne tells. She burned one
candle to St. Michael and another
candle to his dragon. She wanted to
be safe on both sides.
We don't know what happened to
the old lady but can guess what will
happen to the republican party II
the drifting continues
The republicans are wondering
how much their majority will be cut
down In tho House of Representa-
tives. The probability Is that there
won't be any republican majority.
And that will be bad. as this country
needs working machine.
Boldly, young negro. "a years old,
killed two detectives. He was cleo
trocuted and buried in New York on
Labor Day Thirty thousands Of his
race visited the undertaker's shop
where he lay exhibited. Thousands
lined the streets as his coffin passed
Those that were able to crowd into
the church and see Boddy's mother
and other relations were told by the
Clergyman that Boddy's last words to
his relatives were: 60 homo. will
meet you in the Kingdom"
There is good deal of meaning
in these facts, meaning depressing
to those Interested in tho Negroes
progress But while remembering
the young negro that killed two and
that his people unwisely chose to
honor, don't forget another negro,
the only human being except Peary,
that went to the North pole. Per-
haps IL more negroes had the OPP
portunity in the right direction that
Peary gave hts negro companion,
there would be less of q negro
problem.
In IL months the Pennsylvania
railroad has carried 152,0oo.ooo pas
sengers without killing one Of them.
a. fine record. The railroad is praised.
deserves it. But the railroad man.
ayers well know that the safety Is
not due to officials sitting in re-
volving chairs or to financiers, sit
ting beside tickers, that run and own
the railroads.
The fact that 152,o0o,0oo Amer
leans Travelled without loss of life
on one railroad in one year means
that the workmen on the railroad are
good workmen.
Engineers understand their bust
ness. switchmen, signalmen, those
that walk the tracks looking for
loose spikes or rails, telegraphers
and all the others are faithful men.
They deserve praise. and the own
ers al railroads should be careful
how Ahest annoy them, setting up
artificial outside repair shops to
dodge union wages. and careful how
they introduce incompetent ''scabs"
to take the place of these good men.
One hundred and fifty-two million
passengers and not one killed in one
year means good workmanship and
such workmanship should be well
paid.
Since that legless beggar in New
York was found to have a dress
suit, automobile and chauffeur" beg
ging has been poor in the big city.
All the able bodied beggars have
retired and abandoned business for
the present. Only few old. blind
or crippled were rounded up by the
police.
1t is admirable to see this outburst
of energy. on discovering that a
beggar was getting s10o day more
than he ought to get.
Why doesn't somebody get equally
excited about the monopolistic gen.
tiemen that get many millions a day
more than they ought to get? They
go right on collecting, nobody in
terferes.
But when a man with no legs
pushes himself along the sidewalks
with his hands, begs and is found
to be comparatively well off. there
is excitement. Not everybody is able
to rob all of the American people
all of the time.
The bank resources of this nation
are more than s2o.oo0.eoo 900. Comp
troiler of the Currency Crissinger
says so. We lend to everybody;
don't need to ask Europe for the
$4,000. 900, 900 owed US there. And
we are thinking of lending $4,000. 600
to the colored republic Of Liberia.
We buy European bonds by the hun
dreds of millions. We seem to have
plenty of money.
But we haven't any to give SOL
diers that went to war, lost their
jobs. their time and their oppor-
tunity.
At Calcutta where Hindoos and
Mohammedans live and Great Britain
rules, the Hindoos and the Moham-
medans have just had another re-
lisious fight. The Mohammedans
were celebrating what they think is
New Years day. with procession.
The Hindoos. not asleep. profited by
the occasion to loot the Moham-
medan bazaar. Then they started
killing each other