The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-03


 ming of the year. Prices climbed until the middle of March, but the advance came to sudden halt in April. Since that time the market has dropped and present levels are about the same as they were year ago.
 that if it is done in this specific case it must repeatedly be done in other cases. until we may easily discard our present form of government and get under another which will be less irk- | some anly until it hits us individuals, which it must do in time. There is q vicious circle in that sort of thing.
 Program Of Radicals It is this tendency in the American people which has caused us to develop the presidency into what it has become. If the President stuck to his constitu- tional duties of administering the laws and stopped right there he would have no trouble, and mind. am not criticis- ing any individual. I could easily and well defend, as I have had occasion to do, any of the acts of my late chief, MT. Wilson. I have no criticism to make Of any president.
 'The American people are respon- sible for the condition. They demand that the President shall be three things; First, the constitutional Presi- dent; second, the leader of his party, l and. third, the boss of Congress. which IS the last thing in the world the con- stitution intended he should be-
 What do you make of the new radi- cal movements, which seem about to grasp the reins of governmental"
 T don't know what radical move- ments you refer to. I would not like to specify any by name, but I will say this about radicalism and uplifters in general: l have seen and heard q good many of them in my time. And l have found that there is one fault common to them all. They all want to revise the government downward. They want to inject their reforms from on high. 1t can't be done.
 Changes in government come in one way only-from the bottom upward and slowly. That is why these tenden- cies I have outlined to you seem so dangerous. They have come about in that way-almost without our know ing it. No political party conceived them. No leader or writer put them over on us. They have grown out of our common weaknesses. They are, in effect, overturns of government. And they are far more radical than any radical I know about"
 What remedy would you suggest Y
 Still Smokes His Pipe
 ''I think" said he, soberly, .that if the American people would quit lowing down to the President of the United States as an idol on the fourth of March and then denouncing him on December 4 as the Asiatic cholera we might begin to improve"
 The writer observed that the former vice president was smoking little dudeen, with a stem about three inches long and bowl as big as a blackberry. Some time ago." he remarked, you were quoted as having said that what the United States needed then was . 5-cent cigar. I notice you are smoking pipe. Does that mean that the country has not improved in the inter- yening period?''
 Not exactly, but it does illustrate what l said about our people wanting the effects of autocracy with all the privileges of democracy. I can't afford to smoke the cigars 1 like, so I com- promise on pipe. Now, what would like is for the government to force the tobacco importers and retailers to sell me for cents the kind of cigar I be- lieve is fitted to my exacting taste. But. of course- He waved the little dudeen in a fantastic curl as he shrug- ged his shoulders, concluding, That is merely bit of my Americanism, the tie that binds me to my fellows"