davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
THE SCIENCE OF LOAFINC

A close student of educational svs- tems is reported to have said that "a will to loaf is being taught in the schools" If this be true, a lot of time, energy and money are being worse than wasted. The primary pur- pose of education is to teach folks how to work effectively. Any educa- tional scheme which would train pu- pills how to shirk work is a failure. To the man of energy and ambition loafing is one of the hardest of tasks, no matter how bulging his roll or how mistaken his views of what constitutes a gentleman. There are certain classes, groups, adherents of ennui as a profession, who need no instruction in the art of loafing. Winter resorts are full of them, and they are found in large numbers through the Cana dian Rockies, the Maine woods, Cali fornia and elsewhere in the summer, not to speak of those who stalk over Europe half their time in efforts to forget the clock.
 Then there are many who busy themselves part of the day in order that they may watch the train come in and view the heads of travellers poked out of the window to ask, What place is this?" Not few sit for hours watching a cork in the hope that it may show some signs of ani- mationy while summer resorts attract thousands whose only industry con- ssts of sending back home postcards telling of the necessity of 1.-two blank cts every night" Mention might be made, too, of the fellow who makes the rounds every day to find out whether his friends are at work, and to help them kill time by hanging around for extended conversation on things in general. He works in his way.
 Why extend the list of those who have reduced loafing or unnecessary activities to an exact science? The
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24

"woods are full of them" There is no need for the schools to maintain special effort to develop this science Even in city one never knows how many people have time to spare until brass band strikes up on the corner, or 8 fellow leading bear with ring in his nose shows up in a busy center. The nation needs ne instruction in fighting off the will to work, The thing is becoming natural with a con stantly increasing number, and each one can tell exactly what's the matter with the country. The will to work is one of the first requisites of an ed ucation, which, in turn, produces in- centive to more and better work. Loafing may be an art There are various grades of hobos from the blind d-baggage" type to the fellow who finds it irksome to figure his income tax, exclusive of his non-taxa- ble securities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
MOTHERS OF FAMOUS
 MEN
The Mother of Sam Houston

When one knows what sort oi mother was the mother of Sam Houston one understands how it came about that Sam Houston was the intrepid pioneer, the builder up of the great southwest, the man whose name is honored in the city of Houston, Texas.
 Sam Houston was man who feared no one. The mother of Sam Houston was a woman who feared no one. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Paxton. One had only to look at her to know her char acter. She was a woman of strong muscles, of great size, and of most determined ways. When her hus- band died and left her with six sons and three daughters, sine made no appeal to the public fer help. Instead of that she harncased up the oxen and set eff into the wilderness. She crossed the Al legheny mountains and made her way into Tennessee. There she set herself and her children at work, and cleared land, meanwhile keep ing a watchful eye on the prowling
 
 days was frontier place. She built herself a cabin and proceed ed to make herself at home. Sam Houston was then a boy of thir- teen. All this made a deep inn pression on him.
 There was one woman in the world for whom he had the utmost respect, and that woman was his mother. He thought: If I can be a man halfway equal to my mother, I'll be a great man." He set himself that ideal, and out of that ideal he made himself the great pioneer, the builder of great section of the United states. Everyone loved his mother; for all found her worthy of respect Her big Irish heart went out in sympathy to everyone who was 1T trouble. As someone said: Sue was twice the man that almost any one of her men neighbors vas" When history speaks Of the grit of Sam Houston it ought to speak of that heroic mother of his! America has had few women to equal her.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
CITY COMMISSION RESPONSIBLE

The people of Birmingham are not looking to the railroads to apply promptness to the building of the via ducts and subways that have been specified and agreed on, but to the city commission, their governing body chosen by them to attend to the inter ests of the people. The primary ob- feet and concern of the railroads IS to operate freight and passenger trains and earn the profits incident to that service. They are private cor porations and their energies are bent on that which immediately affects revenues to be derived from thelr business. They are admittedly in no hurry to go about the work of viaduct construction which calls for extra ordinary expenditures, however much the contrary policy would contribute to their enjoyment of public favor, an asset by no means to be despised.
 The commission, on the other hand, is in duty bound to regard the con struction of the viaducts as an lm- mediate and pressing need of the peo- ple. It is connected directly with the safety and convenience of citizens in dividually, and with the commodlous and economic conduct of commerce and industry. There is unexplained delay. For time it appeared as though real headway was being made to build the viaducts, and the people came to believe that long ere this con struction would be well begun. That roseate forecast has not been realized, but. on the contrary, first one delay and then another has been allowed to intervene.
 None of these delays, so far as the people have been able to see, has been warranted, but all have come out of pure dilatoriness on the part of some of the railroads. It is the duty of the commission in it's supreme authority as representative of the sovereign rights of the people, to place its hand on these delays and put stop to them. If some of the railroads persist in their recalcitrancy, there are means of bringing them out of that position and forcing compliance with the mu- nicipal program. The commission must answer the question whether it is run ming the affairs of this city or permit ting the railroads to run them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24

the assurance of receiving In return a direct benefit,
 Seeking new means of additional taxation, while a large percentage of property owners and others of the state are lodging and escaping their just public burdens through under assessments, is in direct disregard of the theory and principle of taxation as an equitable distribution Of the public burdens, If property all over Alabama were paying taxes on sixty per cent. of it's value, there would be no need for any special levies to meet the public expenditures. In adopting a measure to raise the needful public revenues it were well that the legis- lature bear this in mind as basis to work on,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
- A WRONG TAX PRINCIPLE

Proposals to impose heavy addi- bile accessories and gasoline on the ground that they are luxuries are wrong in principle and unsound. Au- tomobiles are not luxuries, but i'll great measure necessities. A very high percentage of motor vehicles are used for the ordinary transaction of business and needful activities. To
 impose a special tax without any ben eft to those on whom it is levied is an
 unfair burden for which there is no
 Justification or excuse. The principle of taxation is an equal distribution of tn public burdens for the public good. That principle was violated when a special tax was imposed on gasoline consumption and the proceeds placed in the general fund. There was no more reason why the owners and op- orators of automobiles should pay a tax on gasoline to go into the general fund than that consumers of sugar or flour should be similarly taxed for a similar purpose. The gasoline tax is a special levy presumably for a special purpose, and should be used for the construction and maintenance of roads. Under such an arrangement those who pay the special tax would not object because they would have
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
CHICKENS AND GARDENS

The Bessemer police department has announced intention of rigidly en- forcing the ordinance which prohibits chickens to roam at large in the city limits. This may seem at first blush a small matter, but it is not. The flowers that housewives plant and train in their front yards and the vegetables and fruits that are calti- vated in the back yards constitute one of the chief charms of the home life and nothing makes home more of a home than these products of nature. It often happens where fowls are al lowed to roam the streets that the labor of weeks is destroyed in short time. One hen with two chickens can ruin a flower garden inside of a few minutes, and destroy vegetation that represents weeks of cultivation. There cannot be city beautiful where stock is allowed to trespass on the lawns and gardens of those who seek to make a city beautiful and estab- fish really attractive homes. Allow ing ones chickens to roam at large and ruin the handiwork of neighbors is a most unneighborly act and it strikes at the home life of commu- nity. Those who persist in being a nuisance in their neighborhoods have no defense against proper police regu- lation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Are Getting Unruly
Nashville Banner)


 The farmers are getting unruly and see in rampant radicalism the only method of securing congress sional aid. Europe has no money to buy from them, only manufac- tured products to exchange for our money, which they must have to buy our grain. The tariff law keeps out all European manufac- lures, therefore the American far mer is helpless, impoverished and almost hopeless. His only resort is radicalism and Magnus Johnson and Shipstead of Minnesota Brookhart of Iowa, LaFollette of Wisconsin, Howell of Nebraska and that sort are the character of men that are being elected to the senate. Whatever they may do in the way of legislation. the modern farmer believes cannot be as bad as the party in control has been doing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Has Been Gold-Brickeh
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

est. Louis Post Dispatch)
 One thing has become obvious. and that is that the farmer has been ingloriously gold -bricked on the tariff. Instead of helping him, it has hurt. It has failed to keep up the prices of his products, but it has upheld the prices of the manufactured articles which he has to buy. Dollar wheat would be good enough for the farmer if he could buy good pair of shoes for $3.50 and a suit of clothes for S15. But under the beneficent auspices of the Fordney- -McCumber tariff, he gets eighty cents for his wheat and pays as much for sugar clothing and shoes as he did when his wheat brought $2.30 a bushel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
TODAY=THE SEAPORT

The people ot Alabama confidently expect early enactment of suitable legislation authorizing the carrying forward of the program of seaport de- velopment, so heartily indorsed by the voters at the last election. Already the commerce of this state enjoys in numerable rate benefits due directly to the seaport's influence. The low rates thus brought about have enabled the industries of Alabama to keep producing at periods when similar in- dustres elsewhere have been forced to suspend or greatly to reduce their output. Both imports and exports of Alabama enjoy these advantages of cheap transportation which are trace able directly to the leverage afforded by water haulage. Rate reductions are in progress at this very time, and will proceed as the port becomes bet ter equipped to handle greater tonnage and is established as a still more com manding commercial influence. The profit is divided among all the people of Alabama, for prosperity cannot de- scend upon the productive industries of this state without bringing its con- tribution> to every citizen within the state.
 The legislature is charged with the responsibility of examining the plans submitted and of placing it's seal of approval upon such as bid fair to carry out the program of port devel- opment in accordance with the great est good to the greatest number. The harbor board has worked hard and earnestly, and has called into consul ability. Although not themselves ex- perts, the commissioners have had the business intelligence to enlist in their employ those who are expert. In their administrative capacity the harbor board members have acquitted them selves well. Their program deserves the careful study of the legislators, and no item should be rejected unless it is shown beyond doubt to have been injudiciously included. The legis- lature's duty in the premises is to further the work and not hinder it, through any ill-advised notions of false economy. The best economy is to bring about port and terminal eff ciency, in order that ships may be attracted by the very superiority of the facilities and equipment at Ala bama's seaport.
 The inseparable companion of in dustry is commerce. Neither can ex- ist without the other. Those who pro- duce in excess of their requirements must find their way to wider markets. That is Alabama's situation today. She has become a state which produces for export in a constantly swelling vol ume. In order that the mines, quar- ries, mills, factories, foundries and farms may continue to expand their multiple and diverse output there must be provided the means whereby the surplus products may be expedited to places where they are in demand, no matter on what portion of the globe that may be. Alabama's legisla- ture today stands in the enviable po- sition of being able with wisdom to create and expand an empire. The responsibility is great but the op- portunity is-greater. Let the legisla- tors stand and deliver.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
PEOPLES FORUM
Menace of Great Majorities

l To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The political monaco of great | maiorIties is more to be feared than an election by the skin of the teeth. It strikes at the elected and the elector as well. Theodore Roosevelt was elected by an over- whelming majority and from the consciousness of 1t the Big Stick" was born and Teddy went down to defeat with 1t in his hands, vic- tim of over confidence born of a great majority. In 1920. 1000, 900 majority amazed the friends and stunned the opponents of Warren c. Harding, and he has carried that mad dog mandate of wild | election in his heart until 1t seems to him righteous thing to stifle the voice of the people as they cry out against the murder of the League of Nations in the house where 1t should have found friends. It takes no prophet to see that his course will bring the 7,000,00 majority rolling down upon him to smother him at the ballot box. The voice of Minnesota presages it.
 Last year the good people Of Alabama, forgetting and forgiving all the records and affiliations of the past, in a great burst of unity and fellowship made w. w. Bran- don governor by a majority that would have flattered king Prac- tically all votes were for him and apparently no one stayed at home It was state wide testimony to be proud of and he was, and Is, and thereby hangs the tale of his undoing. When in the last few days he has sponsored measure and method that would put the king of the Canabal Islands to shame. He in effect says to the good people who so unanimously voted him in. go to your homes. You cannot speak through your legislature in general session on the subject of convict leasing for two whole years yet. You must endure the scorn, the jibes and reproach of the other states until your servant gets good and ready to end this disgrace as of his own initiative, of his own might and power.
 It takes no prophet to foresee that while it may be a long road from his humble home to the gov ernor's chair, if he continues to stifle the voice of the people in the exercise of their constitutional rights it will be a mighty short, quick step back to his law books. While he will continue to remem- Der his great majority and bank upon 1t, the people have already forgotten it and he must make good as just plain Bill Brandon, openly and above board, fair and square, or at the next election the people who so uproarously elected him before will whistle him down the wind to prey at fortune. Verify, great majorities have ever been great menaces to the elected. to the party and the state.
 w. B. LADD.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Will Be Heard From
(Columbia State)

NSoluI Did oldtt)
 Senator Capper of Kansas was strong for the Fordney- -McCumber tariff. He, threw the farm bloc to it's support it was a measure to work wonders for the farmers; it would give them high prices for their products. The farmers have not yet said what they think of those promises, but they will doubtless be heard from later. They have experienced high prices, but those tags were attached to the articles which they have had to buy. They have not mar kets for their products They see the balance of trade turned against them, and this country importing heavily and exporting compara- lively lightly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Their Minds Disabused
(Dallas NeWs)

(DaIIaS NeWs)
 Events have conspired in a pe- culiarly eogent way to disabuse the minds of the Western farmers of the notion that legislative con trivances and contraptions could be made to confer prosperity on them, or that the operation of nat ural laws could be suspended or regulated by act of congress. Their minds would be proof against disillusionment if they had not learned the futility of those patented prescriptions which are offered to them under the solemn guaranty of politicians in love with their jobs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
PRESS COMMENT
 ON THE FARMER
May Take n "Flyer"
(Chattanooga Times)

The farmer knows that some- thing is wrong. He doesn't believe that political union with labor will right it either; but he has found that neither of the old par ties has been able to afford relief i; he is likely, therefore, to take a flyer" along with labor simply to convince the old parties that the end of opportunism has ar rived and the day of doing things because they are right and essen tial for the welfare of the country has arrived.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Mir. McAdoo md Railroads

To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 read with interest your edito- rial of Friday in which you dis cussed MT. McAdoo and the rail- ways. l think you omitted an i'm portant factor in the discussion, 8 fact which was probably not known outside of financial circles at the time, viz: that when the government took over the rail- ways they were, with very few exceptions, bankrupt, and their condition would probably have precipitated a financial crisis in short while. SUBSCRIBER.
 Montgomery, Ala, July 21, 1923.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
At the Wrong End

VT IOTIUd IImeS- n1On)
 That Missouri man who, on ac- count of jealousy. killed his wife, his mother-in-law and his sister in-law and left the man in the case untouched began at the wrong end of the line.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Supply and Demand
(Tampa Tribune)

' dIIpd IT IIUUIItJ
 With 27,009,oo0 bushels as the worlds surplus of wheat, wheat is below the dollar mark per bushel, while what that one dol lar will buy is about 47 cents worth. In all ages the farmer has had to pit his wits, trained in making things grow, against the wits of the townsman, trained in making the prices of what he sells and what he buys. The American farmer has to contend against the great generals of supply and de- mand-and the supply has eX- ceeded the demand for wheat by 27,000,000 bushels.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Foundation of Growth
(Tuscaloosa News)

No one who goes over the as- sessor's books of ten years ago and those of today can fail to realize that the present growth of Tuscaloosa county, her progress and prosperity. are based upon a foundation of past growth anu that it has but been gaining inf- petus to a point where Tuscaj- loosans are forgetting the past in observing the promise of the fu- ture.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24

It is hoped that the California poet ess who asserts that she married the sun does not feel sense of humility that she never sees her husband after dark.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
The Friendly Spirit


 The friendly spirit is something worth cultivating. Such a spirit Is a fine compliment to any town, when people can say of Wetumpka her people are courteous and so- ciabie. Just this week we heard man say that the people of We tumpka are more soeiable than they used to be, that there are less of the clannish and special so- ciety sets than there were few years ago. You don't hear much more about the 400 set" in We tumpka, said this same man. Can higher compliment be given Wetumpka?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
10 FAVORITE BOOKS
(As chosen by Maurice Switzer,
 former editor of .JudEc)

Outline of History (Wells). Three Years Before the Mast (Dana).
 Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini.
 Pickwick Papers (Dickens). The Lunatic at Large (Clous- ton).
 Short Stories (Poe).
 Barrack Room Ballads (Kip- ling).
 Byrons poems.
 Socratic Dialogues (Plato). Sherlock Holmes - Doyle, in DoylNs re-spiritualistic days). Copyright 1923, in United States and Great Britain for The Herald by the North American Newspaper Alliance. All rights reserved.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
Able to Help Themselves

IUTUtHVIIIt AUVOCaL9)
 Jefferson is lamenting because the county was cut off the high way construction program. Jeff ferson should get reconciled. as Butler is. This county doesn't ex- pect to see it's name among the favored few Butler and Jeffer- son are two counties in Alabama with reputation of being able to help themselves.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-24
THE PARAGRAPHERS
Would Re Prepared

General Pershing wants Ameri- can girls to pick their husbands from the national guard. In case of gun play after the wedding hubby would know how to hunt cover,