davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
SENTENCES ILLOGICAL
(Thomas Mott Osborne in tn
 Atlantic MnnthlNN


 Atlantic Monthly
 A sensible prison system might be the most effective form of burglary insurance.
 If deterrence is our aim, it fol- lows logically that all sentences to prison should be indeterminate. Our present system is as absurd as if the doctor, on sending a patient to the hospital, should fix in ad- vance just how long he should re- main.
 The particular crime, which has resulted in the criminal being caught and punished, may or may not be a good index to his charac- ter or his criminal efficiency. A man may have committed fifty serious crimes before he is caught in minor one. There is nothing more topsy-turvey than the com parison of characters and sen tences of the inmates of a prison : if the sentences were drawn by lot they could hardly be more ab- surdly inequitable-not so much in relation to the charges tried as in relation to the mans real char acter and exploits. If we sent men to prison to re- main there as long as necessary to secure the safety of society. if is obvious that some men should be held for life, while others could safely be let out at once-thev would never commit another crime.
 In these latter cases, however. the effect of a quick release upon other potential criminals must he considered. In all cases 1t is the deterrent effect which must gov ern.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
POOR BOYS WHO
 BECAME FAMOUS RY Frederick Honk Law
Daniel Lambert

Misfortunes 6o not matter half so much as the way one takes them. It is hardly possible to read anywhere the story of any great man who led an entirely fortunate life. In fact. the record of all success is very largely the record of mastering misfortunes.
 Among the people who have be- come famous there are many who did little except to do the best they could. From Thumb" the dwarf. was famous not only be- cause he was the smallest of men, but also because he made himself an interesting personality. The Emperof Gaius Maximus of Rome, the tallest of men, became em- peror largely because he was tall, but he made himself infamous by wicked deeds. Daniel Lambert of England came into attention be- cause he was the "fattest of men," Unlike Maximus, he did the best he knew how, made a favorable impression, and left pleasant memory. He is said to have weighed nearly seven hundred and forty pounds. He was so huge in size. that there were many doors through which he could not pass. As for travelling in an ordinary carriage. that was quite out of the question. He could not even sit in the chairs used by other people, for fear of breaking them down. He was what Shakespeare called "a mountain of flesh"
 Everyone in London in 1907 went to see him in the place where he posed as freak" They found him stolid and cheer ful, doing the one thing he could do, and doing it happily.
 How did you get so big?" everyone asked him.
 Don't know" he would gasp out. Used to be like other folks ran races, wrestled. fought. Father kept jail. I was the only one there to grow fat. Oth- CTS grew thin. I kept jail. too did it fifteen years-got fatter all the time"
 The jsiler's son was the butt of constant jokes upon his in- crease in size. "Ie eats all that the prisoners ought to get; look at them; see how thin they are!" people said. As a matter of fact, 1t was quite the other way. The huge jailer did the best he knew how, took proper care of his pris- oners. and bore abuse with good nature. From being like every one else as boy, and leading a perfectly normal life, he began in early manhood to take on weight until at last he left his position and became freak" He died Tn 1909 at the age of thirty nine. good nstured until the last. He had worked honestly and lived honestly. That was success.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
PoINcARE AND THE RUHR

Too much weight should not be at- tached to the unofficial utterances of Premier Poincare in public addresses to the people of France regarding the proposed committee to consider Ger. many's ability to pay reparations. Ire premier is politician as well as a statesman, and may we'll say i,fcr- mally to his people what he would not say in serious diplomatic conference. One of his tasks is to keep up the cour- age and resolution of the French. Tn the fervor of eloquent presentation and persuasion he may well resort to emphasis and exaggeration to make his rhetorical points, Nevertheless, certain facts stand out with rocklike rigidity as port of the undertaking French policy, premier or no premier. One is that the stipulations of the treaty shall be enforced. Another is that Germany shall not be permitted, through her calculated and deliberate policy of evasion, to escape payment A third is that the Ruhr shall con- tinue to be held as a guarantee of German pledges until those pledges are redeemed.
 It is interesting in this connection to note that the reorganization of the Ruhr industries has been quietly proceeding all the while with French thoroughness and persistency. The Germans refused to work the mines and factories, but they are resumine operations, either with the former workmen or without them. Since the German government has withdrawn its subsidies from the idle workmen therC is indication that they prefer work ing even for the French rather thar continuing miserable existence whicf their own government affords no hope of relieving. If the deadlock con tinues there is good reason to believe that the Ruhr will resume its activity and productivity on its former scale Perhaps the French will regard the Ruhr as a stewardship, subtractins from the receipts the sums due then and keeping an accounting which shal later be given Germany and the world as to this stewardship
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
POSSIBLE TAX REDUCTION

An observant contemporary de- clares that a treasury surplus is the worst enemy of government economy. The remark was called forth by Sena- tor Shoots attitude toward the so- called dangers of tax revision, which he seems to fear because of the pos sible action of taxation extremists, once the subject is opened, in under taking to force their views upon the majority. While there is a possibility that under the conditions taxation measure such as the next congress would approve would have perhaps less to commend it than the present law, there is another phase which de- serves careful consideration as bearing upon the public interest in striking contrast with political expediency.
 There are usually political and eco homie hazards inherent in tax revision, but they are, or should be, subordi- mated to the major consideration of the public welfare, which is closely as- sociated with and dependent upon a just and businesslike system of taxa tion. Senator Shoot is reported as saying that something like half a bill lion dollars year could be safely re- duced from the present federal income taxes. If that be true, relief from the taxation burden should be se- riously undertaken by administration leaders as advocated by Senator Borah. There is no economic justification IT defense for the imposition of half billion dollars of unnecessary taxes for another year merely because of politi- cal expediency. Some eight millions of citizens who would bear this bur den will resent the gouge; for that is what it would be under the circum- stances.
 There is reason to believe that at the close of the present fiscal year there will be a substantial treasury surplus, perhaps as much as five hun dred millions of dollars, as result of the program of economy to which the administration is committed, along with larger government receipts than were expected, to say nothing of the automatic reduction in war items. Observers of congressional action know what this means. It is virtually an invitation to members of congress to become active in pork-barrel eff forts. Such situation offers strong temptation for treasury raids. No sooner will it become known that there are treasury receipts of several hum dred millions in excess of appropria- tions than many new pressing needs, which were not formerly thought of, will be discovered, and many appro- priations authorized to absorb all available funds, with resulting reck- less governmental extravaganza. The surest way to avoid this is to reduce taxes and thereby permit these large sums to remain in the pockets of pri- vate citizens and in surplus accounts of business enterprises. That is sound economics; the other course is un- sound politics. They are as far apart as the poles.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
MOTHERS OF FAMOUS
 MEN
The Mother of Alfred Bruneau

"Alfred. play to me a little while. My eyes are tired. Play one of those soft, quiet pieces that you were playing the other day"
 Little Alfred Bruneau picked up his violin and began to play The mother sat by her work, her hands still holding the brushes and the painters palette with which she had been working. Her eyes closed, and she leaned back tn her soft, cushioned chair as though she were dreaming. She might, indeed, at that moment have dreamed of her son in the future. Such moments as these when she asked the boy to soothe her with his violin music were step-stones that led to the future. Without knowing it.. she was training her boy to become the master of music that he became.
 She herself was an artist. She loved to make beautiful combina- tions of lines and colors, and to create pictures that the world had never had before. She was Qulel, ueNOIeQ to her WOFkp dIlu very patient. With every fibre of her being she tried to make herself more and more proficient as an artist. The result was that she gained no small reputation as a painter of pastels.
 The man whom she had married was 8 musician who made his best success with the violin. Both were artistic, one loving music and the other loving color. AL fred Bruneau, their son, grew up in this atmosphere of the esthetic. He tried to follow both his father and his mother. Whether he had turned to painting or to music he would have felt the influence of both. As it was, he became one of the greatest of French com posers of the nineteenth century, making evertures, melodies, sym phonic poems, songs, lyrical dra- mas and requiems that brought delight to thousands. In carry ing on his work he heard, as it were, his father playing the vio- lin and saw his mother bending over the colors. Happy is the boy whose father and mother both together set him an example that will lead him to success.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
MILITARY TRAINING NEEDED

Arguments by persistent pacitlsts sthat under the country's military train i;np of 1917 and 1918 a sufficient nucleus for the national defense would < he provided for many years are re- sfuted by General Pershing's statement that within another year there Will De loss than six hundred thousand vete- rans of the World War of draft age available for defense emergency. A large majority of the four million vet lerans of the World War are beyond the draft age and the age of highest military efficiency. In few years the entire force will be unavailable for military service, and unless the spirit Inf the national defense act of 1920 is ,promptly carried out, the country will have lapsed into the state of unpre- naredness which characterized the pre- war period.
 Arguments of pacifists that the country has many trained soldiers and sailors in civil employments who could be quickly organized into effective fighting units take no account of the fact that it has been five years since the armistice was signed, and that such a period in the life of military age works momentous changes. General Pershing's warnings make it apparent that military preparedness should be a continuing policy. Suspension of training for short period is followed by unfavorable results for the future. Training necessarily comes from the regular army whose principal peace time function, is to build up the citizen reserve. If the army is not large enough to perform this service, the reserve organization suffers accord ingly. After every war the national defense has been scaled down on a false theory of economy. Experience has demonstrated the need for reg ular army nucleus adequate to the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
REFORM IN CONVICT TREATMENT

That the conditions in the Banner
 convict camp were as bad as reported
 Is proved by the quiet but thorough
 reform that has been going on ever
 since the press exposure of these con
 ditions and the yet uncompleted grand
 jury investigation of the entire con vict situation in this county. The de-
 termination of the press, the circuit court of Jefferson county and the or ganized citizens not to halt the in- ' quiry and the demand for reform until justice is secured have had no 1 little to do with the reform. The hear l ings of the grand jury are still under ! way, and there is evident resolu- iS Sion on the part of the prosecution not to stop until responsibility has
 been fixed and punishment meted out where punishment is due. The press ! still demands that the inquiry be | thorough and that leasing be stopped. { The organized citizens are now com- i nnitted more unreservedly than ever ! to the abolition of leasing and to the { general betterment of penal conditions in this state to conform to the best systems in force elsewhere.
 Prison reform is not the outgrowth of maudlin sentimentalism, as some opponents of reform have alleged. It
 is based on the soundest of economic reason and social philosophy. Prisons,
 as they were and in some places now iexist, have been actually the allies of
 crime and the incubators of further
 crime, through herding criminals to-
 gether amid brutalizing surroundings calculated to increase rather than allay
 the resentment against society. The
 majority of convicts, after term of years, will be released again to re- 'sume their ways of crime. This makes : it very expensive to taxpayers, for the public cost of crime is far greater lthan the cost of penal reform.
 Criminal tendencies are often cur
 able. They are due usually to mental or physical disturbance. A proper regimen of prisons administration will
 of itself often reform the milder cases. .Other cases yield to specific treat i,nent. The result is that such con-
 yicts released from prison usually have
 no desire to return to their former slawbreaking. This saves society more
 money than. it costs. All enlightened
 and intelligent government is firmly converted to the principle of proper ;conduet of penal institutions and sproper conduct of penal institutions
 and proper treatment of prisoners The recent halt in the progress of
 prison reform in Alabama was sure indication of the lack of understand
 ing on the part of the new admins .tration. The reforms now in progress
 reveal a process of enlightenment within the administration. It is hoped fthat the reform will comprehend the lentire penal system of this state. The earnest and organized citizens mean Ito keep an eye on the situation and Ito demand that the application of in- Intelligence to prison administration ishall be no passing thing, but shall be- lcome a fundamental part of the states prison policy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
Pull For Better Things

The man who spends his time worrying about things that are lost is surely wasting not only precious time. but energy that should be expended bringing new and better things for the district and in improving and taking full advantage of those we have. Yes. we have no car works. But think of the things that we have and the many more that we can have through the proper effort.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
Drivin' Vs. Speedin' fNAxrr UA-I- Ss.N

An automobile visitor to the Catskills, anxious to learn some thing of the speed rules of the dis trict, approached the local con stable.
 Nav, we don't bother much with them speedin chaps, but. O course if one comes through here tearin' up too much. we go after him an arrest him for reckless drivin'.'
 Reckless driving" queried the stranger why not for speed ing?"
 "Wawl y'see, if we rest em for speedin' the fines go to the state. If we pinch Fem for reck- less drivin' the fines are collected by the judge here"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
Wouldn't Stand For It (MontgomerY Times)

The politicians could not per- suade the legislature to so change the primary law as to allow the bosses to again name the candi- dates, and the Opelika News gives that body this deserved praise: ITO the credit of the late legisla- ture be it said that the politicians could not influence it in favor Of tampering with the primary sys- tenn of nominating candidates. They found that the people just would not stand for it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
Competition Helpful (Florence Daily News)

Honest competition like an hon. est confession is good for the soul" There is nothing that will make you feel more like you have accomplished something worth while tban to show the result of your work in competition with your neighbor and have it pro- nounced good by an impartial and competent judge. And on the other hand, if you are made of the right .metal-if you are ia good sport-you will also win by losing. The new determYhation to be there next time is worth as much as a present winning. Con- petition is the thing--whethe you win or lose is miaor mat ter.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
SMILES
Irish Imagination

IP1ttsburg ChronlcIe-TeIegr
 The conversation had changed from one thing to another, finish ing up with nigh buildings. The American thought he had them all beaten when he said there was building in New York so high that it took person at least twenty four hours to get to the top.
 Sure" said Pat, there's a lit- tie building I was working on some time ago in good ould Dub lin, when one Saturda' morning about II o'cloc. I dropped my hammer from the top, and sure and begorra, when I went to work on Monday morning the thing hit me on the top of my head"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
A Matter of Civic Pride (AI,l,r,o Ce1-N

Good will for your town brings more and more customers. The more customers that come the more chances you have to sell your wares. Speak a good word for your town and for every busi- ness in your town. If you knock any business or enterprise in your town you are lending your influ- ence, what little you have, to pull ing against your town. Every business here is part of Anda- lusia,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
A Brighter Outlook Admission Star)

The determined fight that is be- ing made upon the boil weevil and the increasing price of cotton to above thirty cents within recent weeks, gives new aspect to Southern farming. The outlook for the farmer is not nearly so discouraging as it once was. In fact, if cotton should hang around thirty cents for some time, and the boil weevil be put to flight, the farmer in the South could easily be the most prosperous ag- rieulturist in the world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
Value of Health Statistics

In the building of a great center or population at the Tri-Cities there is nothing more vital than the matter of health statistics. One of the first things that peo- pie want to know who are con- templating making their homes in a new locality is whether or not there is special hazard from dis ease. and what of the major hu- man ailments are most common there. Any locality which does not make the proper showing on the national health chart is laboring under distinct disadvantage in so far as it's appeal to the home seeker is concerned.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
There With the "saIve"

Although the couple living near the writer in the north end had only been married a few years, he had already learned to forget many things. One day recently he returned home and was met by his wife at the door. She ap- peared disappointed at something.
 What's the matter?" the hus- band inquired.
 To-day is my birthday and you've come home and forgotten to bring me birthday present."
 "Oh," replied the man, after q moments hesitation. But. dearie, how can I remember? You look as young as you did last year."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
Good Cheer a Blessing Piedmont Journan

Don't let the devil. the world, fate nor anything else cheat you out of cheerful frame of mind, good will toward your fellows, and the determination to make the best of everything, and above slI to be happy. You are passing along the sweetest paths of hu- man existence-open the windows and let Gods sunlight stream in, and-it will just as surely pour out. It has to come in before it can go out. And it's a blessing both ways.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
WELL. WHY IS HE.

After an experience of several years and a very close observa- tion, we have decided that the at titude of the average automobpe 0 driver may be all summed up thus: Whatinells anybody else on this road for. anyhow?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
A PRACTICAL MIRACLE
 (Boston Globe)

A Sunday school teacher was trying to tell her children of the wonderful story of Jesus feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, and said that no one else would have known what to have done with so many to feed and so little to feed them with. One little girl spoke up and said: My mamma would have known what to have done. She would have made some bis- cults"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
AIM AT HAPPY AyERAcE

IFdyette, MO-, AdVertlser)
 No one believes that the perfect husband. if any. could live happily with the perfect wife, if any. Therefore we would advise you to do the best you can with what you've got if you're sure you've got 1t.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03

The suggestion that some day it will be possible to run a pension bu- reau without a hint of graft or fa- voritism must have grown out of the notion that the millennium is ap- preaching.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03

If one-half the world stopped en- gazing in agriculture, both halves would soon learn that they were out of living.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
His Two Extremes
 (Washington Starl

The most primitive and the most advanced methods of getting about fall to the lot of Secretary Denby, whose accident will for a short time compel him to use cr-utches when he is not travelling by dirigible.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03

The Alabama court of appeals has ruled that dipping-vats may be guarded against dynamiters. Thus protection of property against those who would destroy it is theoretically legal in this statn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03

training needs of the citizens yearly coming of draft age. That plan has not been followed. Continued failure in this respect means a state of un- preparedness for defense.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
THE PARAGRAPHERS
The Most Successful Ones (Tampa Tribunel

Speaking of "Separatists;" a friend of ours says the most sue cessful ones he knows are those who operate on his bank roll.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-03
One Thing Overlooked (DallaS NeWs)

Mrs. Lloyd George seems fully adequate to manage her distin- guished husbands itinerary and prescribe his diet, but she seems to have forgotten to order hair cut for him.