The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-18
CROSSED WIRES, SHORT CIRCUITS

tism as bad as ever. He had had too much liniment and not enough autosuggestion.
 l knew man who graduated from poultry wagon into the med ical professor. He claimed to have obtained from the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter of an h. dian princess at TIT Seventh ave- nue, some city, mysterious glass and a marvellous cake of soap. This glass placed upon the human anat- omy enabled him, he sac, to look inside a person and ascertain what ailed him. It was sort of medi- cal radio. His theory was that dis ease was caused by different kinds of blood which made different kinds of spots on the bones. The method of cure was revealed in lawsuit somewhat like this: A big iron kettle was partly filled with milk of a temperature as high as the body of human could bear it; the cake of soap was lowered, with incanta- tions undescribed, into the milk into which had been placed the hulls from walnuts of the first crop; the patient was then boiled therein for definite period of time. Marvel ous cures were reported and gener- ous sums were paid for the oppor- tunity to come under the benign in fluence of this quack. Even conser- vative doctors observed many cures, actual and permanent, whether the result of the milk, the soap, the wal nut hulls, the suggestion of the doc tor, resulting in the autosuggestion of the patient, or of plain old-fash- toned faith. I do not pretend to say.'
 To my mind, the trouble about the doctrine of mir3c.es through the ages is that we have been trying to reduce them to scientific expla- nation, or to put them among the secrets of religion. Even the Mas ter who performed them recognized the most suspicious attitude of mind. He saw clearly that many of the recipients of His bounty were actuated by merely selfish mo- tives; that it wsS not His will which they desired to be done, but their of the United States. which presents solid front tu the outside world.
 Many democrats of broad vision realize the fact that the democratic party is under test of statesman snip and patriotism in this matter. They do not wish to see the party make the mistake of opposing a necessary national policy merely because it is urged by the opposite party, which happens to be in power. One of the clearest utterances on this subject is that made by The Birmingham Age-Heraid, whose ed itor, MT. Frederick l. Thompson, has served with much distinction as member of the United States shipping board. MT. Thompson is thoroughly familiar with the de- tails of the shipping problem. He has visited Europe tor the purpose of studying the foreign features of the problem. Hh standing in the democratic party and his patriotism are beyond question. Under the title, "Not Party of Negation," The Age Herald discusses the rela- ton of the democratic party to the shipping problem, and reaches the conclusion that ir is the duty of democrats to support the pending bill
 For continuance of confidence which the American people have re- gently evidenced in the ability of the democratic party" says The Age Herald, "let it be hoped that the leaders in congress will not subject the democratic party to charge of being party of negation on the all-important question of the up- building of an American merchant marine" The Age-Herald points out that President Harding puts the issue squarely before the democrats whens he asks that those who do not approve the shipping bill should Submit some alternative remedy"
 The importance of the merchant marine to the south. the democratic stronghold, is empha. .ized by The Age Herald article as follows:
 "rhe south is particularly inter- ested in this matter. The present l:n .s. o,, v,ilouno ro-