davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
REASON By Ff HASDIs

XXTE respectfully submit that it is an outrage for
w President Hoover to ask congress to hand
$4,000 OF the peoples money to the nearest relatives
OF the late senator's Tyson of Tennessee Burton of
Ohio and Warren of Wyoming
That would be as rank misappropriation of the
public money as if it we're given to the widow of the
late King Ben Purnell
We don't know how Fyson's finances were when
he died, and don't care for the people owe their
ofhceholders nothing except the specified salaries to
which thev aspire but we do distinctly recall that
Senator Burton, who was bachelor, left an estate
of thousands. while Warren of Wyoming died worth
more than six millions of dollars.
For. the President to suggest that this outrage be
perperaed when the country is full of deserving poor
people and when the national government is neither
charity ball nor Christmas tree is little short of
amazing, and sincerely trust that congress will hit
the idea where Nellie wore the beads.
IRON this it would be but step to approprating
IL money for the survivors OF representatives and
then it would be easy to do it for the survivors of
those who died while holding appointive offices, and
then it would be perfectly easy pension for life the
whole crowd as we now unjustly pension the widows
of Presidents.
We owe nothing whatever to those who have held
public Office.
They run for the place and slap us on the back
and shake hands and play postofice with our
babies to get the job and they tickled to death
about it the of1ceholder owes the people.
To pension the widow Of worth six million
dollars while the country is full of poor widows TAX
ing in washngs to support their children is enough
to breed BosheviSm!
It might interest the heather now in the process
of being saved by our missionaries to know that while
the Rev. Thomas E. Phillips of Laurel, Del. was
preaching thieves stole the four tires from his auto
mobile.
THE reception which the Democrats of Illinois
Il gave to Governor Roosevelt of New York was no
mere hospitality, but realization that the Governor
is the best presidential nominee for 1892
Let him be reelected Governor of New York and
AL Smith will put him in nomination at the next
national convention and he will be nominated by
reclamation.
The shooting of those three bank bandits up in
Minnesota reminds that that's poor state for the
Stick-up operators to visit.
1t was at Mortified. Mimi you viii recall that
the James gang received its finish.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
.Japan's Naval Plan

Japans demand for a 10 per cent increase in her
naval ratio indicates that all will not be smooth
sailing for the London conference next month. Her
present limitation for capital ships compared with
Britain and America is the small end of a 5-5-3 or
1o-1o-6 ratio She now asks 1O-1O-7 for cruisers and
auxiliary ships, according to her delegates, who are
comforting with President Hoover en- route to Lon
don.
The trouble which this proposal will cause at Lon
Ion will depend largely whether Japan Is willing
to take the increase in the form of small auxiliary
craft Or will insist on the higher ratio also for
10OOO-ton cruisers In the latter event some Brit
ish and American naval would object.
We believe however, that Hoover and his dele
CATION will approach the London conference with
an open mind and not too rigid program, either
for or against the japanese proposal 1t should be
viewed as detail to be adapted to other details 1t
should not be considered a major issue important
enough to split the conference.
Compromises must be made by all the powers,
or there will be no agreement. If this is the worst
compromise we are forced to make at London We will
be lucky
For a Japanese 10 per cent increase would not
basically change Japans relation to the major sea
powers. With 70 per cent of the strength of Brit
ain and of the United States, rather than so per
cent Japan still would have only defensive rather
than an offensive navy
SO long as ours in strength at least, is an Of
fensive navy, not very well make last ditch
fight against the japanese proposal.
There are more important issues than these math-
ernatical arguments whether Japan is to get
a so or 70 per cent ratio, or whether Anglo-Ameri-
can parity is to be converted into absolute equality
Of tonnage.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
True to Form

When the school board, in its final days
of power, brutally removed superintendent
Miller, it ran true to form.
From the inception of the movement to
qain control of the schools of this city in
behalf of greedy and prejudiced interests,
the members showed an almost unbroken
record of mistakes. When they did good
things, they did them in such way as to
make them ineffective.
For the most part, the policies and de-
cisions outraged public opinion. 1t was IN
evitabe that the education of the youth
should suffer because of the atmosphere OF
distrust created by the board itself. 1t
would have taken a super man to counter
act the influence of the board.
Had the board soon to take Office treated
Mr.. Miller with the scant consideration
shown him, they would have met with mer-
tied censure. The action was as brutal as
it was futile.
It is probable that the political and self
ish interests which have been Influential in
the past believed that they might create
situation which would either embarrass the
new board or permit them to have some con-
troll in the future.
The incident may serve as a warning to
the new board that it will be subjected
to trickery and intrigue and that safety
will lie only in a solid and united front.
The reinstatement of Mr.. Miller is merely
a confession that the plot failed. The new
board can be trusted to handle the situation.
It has a mandate to see that the school sys-
tenn is purged of political influences of all
kinds.
Perhaps the best compliment that could
be paid Miller is that the dscredited board
attempted to GUST him. That should be of
benefit and a recommendation.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
The Tax Ont

On the theory that it is bad form to look gift
horse in the mouth the public is not apt to question
the sl60000Oo0 income tax reduction.
All of us like to pay less taxes. With political
campaign coming on it is not easy for lawmakers to
take entirely dispassionate view of popular tax
reduction
The more credit is due the senate progressives
therefore. who dared breast the public wave and op-
what seemed to them unwise.
Logically the progresSives seem to have the better
Of the argument. They use the same reasoning
h made the White House and treasury depart
mt oppose tax reduction few months ago. Coy
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18

eminent expenditures are going up and government
coming down; the federal budget surplus
Is dangerously small.
The tax cut, while it will deprive the government
of muchneeded funds, is too small to help the lower
bracket taxpayers much and will give relief to the
rich, many of whom do not need relief
Psychologically however the reduction is impera-
tive according to Hoover and the congressional ma
jorty 1t is calculated to reinspire business the
midst of the economic situation caused by Wall
Streets collapse.
If 1t has that result it is worth the price
Meanwhile, the country is lucky that the reduction
temptation has not undermined the income tax prin-
cpe Years have been required to establish this prin-
ciple the base of our revenue system Though the
present reduction to be needless cut for the
larger incomes, at least the income tax system has
not been jeopardized and taxpayers have slipped
off the federal rolls
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
Prison COmmOnSense

What would we say of doctor who prescribed
qunine for every patient who came to his Office what
ever the malady? How would rate hospital which
ordered the operation, diet and treatment for ALL
whether they were suffering from appendicitis gall
stones or fallen arches?
This is Just what have been doing in pris-
ors for century We treat alike the young and old
the feeble minded and the warped genius, the first Of
fender and the degenerate repeater.
The recent murder of Reuben Kaninsky at Sing Sing
has moved Warden Lawes to protest He recognizes
that differentiation is necessary in approaching human
problems He points out that the mental clinics in
Sing Sing and other prisons already have given
lis the basis for sane classification and special treat
ment of convicts.
Old ideas of punishment, embodied in our laws.
make 1t impossible to use this information The prison
mill grinds on reentlessly as before
Warden Lawes proposes to divide the prison popu-
Iation into classes ranging from those most likely
to reform quickly and completely to those least likely
The soundness of his proposal can not be disputed
Until something of the sort is adopted all talk about
reformation in our prisons is vain pretense.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
TT SEEMS TO ME By Hf BRoUT

to be freed from a contract which
mutually is distasteful.
If the question Of alimony enters
in, or if there are children, I will
grant there we'll may be some eIab-
crate inquiry. But a very consid-
cradle number Of actions are
brought by two people who are of
the same mind and who have no
children. In such cases, it seems
to be inpertinent for the commu-
nifty to ask them to show cause.
In many cases they do not them
selves know the cause. They simply
realize that they are unhappy and
want to be apart.
Surely they are more familiar
with their own minds than some
judicial officer who never has seen
either one before. Their parting
should be simple and dignifed.
The law, curiously enough, seems
to insist that they must be indig-
nant at one another. 1t does not
encourage actions in which friend
Illness prevails. These are called
collusiVe, and are thrown out of
court.
I don't know why. If both parties
are agreed that they should be
separated, it seems to me pre-
sumptuous for any man to say that
they may not set themselves
aSunder.
Copyright. 1929. by The Times)
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
Questions
and AnSzOers

What was the whisky ring?
A group of distillers in st. Louis,
who in 1875, with the aid of a SUI
perviscr of internal revenue, de-
frauded the government of a million
dollars annually in whisky taxes.
Where Is radio station MSS To-
Gated and what is its wavelength?
The call is assigned to the naval
station at Arlington, Va. 1t broad
casts weather and time reports, etc.,
on a wavelength of 16,840 meters.
Which of the following univer-
stiles, the University of Michigan,
Ohio State university or University
of Illinois, has the largest stadium?
The seating capacity at the Uni
VerSity of Michigan is $4,000; Ohio
State university $4,000 and Univer-
sity of Illinois. $4,000.
What substance injected into a
Christmas tree will keep 1T green
and prevent the needles from fall
ing?
We do not know Of any such SUBJ
stance, but if the tree is set in
water 1t viii keep green longer. Reg
ular holders come for this purpose,
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
F aiIure2

CONIE to think of 1t, a truly
~ logical encounter on the theme,
us Modern Marriage a Failure?"
would require some nicely of defini-
tons in regard to failure" as well
as modern marriage"
Generally speaking, preachers and
publicistS argue upon the assuInp-
ton that any marriage which ter
inmates in divorce is necessarily a
failure.
If the community has a high di-
vorce rate there is much wringing
of hands and criticism of this con-
dition as deplorable.
But the face of statistics is al
ways somewhat clouded. One never
should attempt to interpret them
without going round in back. Mar
riage may work very badly in a
community in which divorce is In
frequent.
Unions may be maintained, not
because both people are gloriously
happy, but because they have
neither the funds nor the spirit to
seek escape. Increase of divorce
quite possibly can mean that the
community has raised the marriage
standard.
Surely marriage Is not by any
means a failure when considerable
number of misnnated people say,
This is not good enough. Marriage
should be better than this"
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18

entirely by the simple provision of
providing no legal method for dl-
vorce.
1t seems to me, as an old 70
mantle sentimentalist, that only
ideal unions should be encouraged.
The state should be only too happy
to dissolve those which fall into
meanness and pickering.
For the sake Of communal
knowledge, there may be some point
in requiring the two persons con-
cerned to make semi-public ex-
PLANTATION of the reasons why they
wish to be divorced, but court of
law is a shabby and an insufficient
place to make these explanations.
Very seldom are the legal reasons
the real reasons.
For instance, In New York the
Judge demands evidence of tnfldel-
ity. Now, save in very exceptional
cases, infidelity is not cause Of
unhappiness, but a by-product.
If the victim of an unfortunate
marriage must give an account OF
himself before the state will set him
free, at least let him be encouraged
to tell the truth.
The marriage which breaks up on
account of inf1delity must have
been badly marred before the &C.
currence of the incident. It would
be much more pertinent for the
Judge to ask, why were you I'M
faithful?" than have him go into
the bleak and sordid details of when
and where.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18

NNE of the most snobbish things
" in the world is the human
mind. Very rarely will it consent
to meet another,
1t became my job the other night
to act as chairman in a debate be-
tween Bertrand Russell and John
Cowper Powys, on the subject, "Is
Modern Marriage a Failure?" Both
these brilliant men talked eloquent
ly, but never did they actually
achieve contact. Each was off, some
times even beyond the milky way.
upon his own.
If the function Of q chairman
were like that of a prize fight ref
cree, it would have been my pain
full duty to declare the co no contest
and to throw both participants out
of the ring, on the ground that they
were not really fighting.
But the duties of a chairman are
painful enough, even without this
added sponsibility. He must listen
attentively to each speaker, and
laugh and applaud at all appropri-
ate places. Worst of all, he must
sit still.
This last obligation I was unable
to fulfill, which led to the embar-
RAISING situation in which one or
the other debater would say. mfr.
Chairman" and turn to find an
empty chair. My only excuse is that
after half an hour of even The
most fascinating argument I find
myself in need of glass of water
or something.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
Some Human Beings Chew Their Cud

then regurgitates the coal oil, which
bursts into flame as it approaches
the candle.
Finally The water, which is heavier
than the coal oil, comes along and
puts out the fire.
Infants regurgitate or ruminate
easier than do adults. The process
is probably brought about by tight
ening the muscles of the abdomen
and of the stomach. There does not
seem to be any special shape or
character of the stomach which
permits this process.
Obviously this is one of those
tricks OF development Of muscula-
ture, such as is accomplished by
those who learn to wiggle the ears
or do other muscular performances
which are performed easily by lower
animals, but which have been lost
in the human.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
Truth Should BE HeInfnI

To Illustrate the high-handed methods used in
Philadelphia elections Major-General Srnedey d.
Butler told Pittsburgh audience how marines man
aged elections in Haiti and Nicaragua in the days
before the World war. There is talk OF his being
disciplined for telling tales out of school.
The general says he didn't tell Pittsburgh any
thing new. Everything he said be found in the
printed reports of the United States senate com
mitee foreign relations he says, recalling tina:
he testified for four days the subject back in 1921
Now that We are seeking to regularize our reIa-
tons with Haiti, Buffers testimony of 1921 might be
useful reading for everybody concerned.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
NJ. E. Tracy
Fred Dane, Americas Most
Dangerous Man." Shows
That No One Can Garry On
q Foolproof Crime Career.
SAYS:

JULIUS H. BARNES of the Cham
y Der of Commerce Of the United
States denies that he is fighting
Chairman Legge of the farm board
with regard to plans for handling
the grain crop, yet admits that he is
opposed to cheaper money for farm
co-operatives than the grain men
can get, or to such governmental
aid as would make it possible for
the co-operatives to provide better
elevator and storage facilities.
One gathers that, while Barnes
may not have taken an uncompro-
missing position against Legge, he
would like to have the latter change
mis- mind with regard to certain i'm
portant points, and will do what he
can to bring it about.
n
The twenty sixth anniversary of
the first airplane fight finds two
Spaniards down in Brazil after hav-
ing crossed the ocean and two
Englishmen hopping off for Cape
town.
It also finds American aviation
growing into a six hundred million
dollar industry.
Such tributes tell their own story.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18

of water and without apparent ef-
fort bring it right up again. He
swallows thirty hazel nuts and one
almond. and brings up as many
hazel nuts as may be requested be-
fore bringing up the almond.
This is probably a trick with the
almond held the mouth and the
hazel nuts regurgitated.
He also swallows three handker-
chiefs of different colors and brings
up the colors selected in order.
The investigators are convinced
that he holds these in his mouth
and that they are differently fla
vored so that he swallows them in
the reverse order OF the requested
reorganization.
He also swallows pint of water
and half pint of coal oil, stands
six feet from a burning candle, and
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
7 hin

DREWSTER. who thinks that
- there is considerable reason
for subscribing to the Wegener
hypothesis, points out that the con-
tinents are extremely thin in COM
parison to their width.
He points out that North America,
which is 5000 miles in width, is only
about thirty miles in thickness.
1.-THE continents, then. are thin"
he writes. Even so small CONT
nent as Australia, only 1000 miles
across, has about the proportions of
postage stamp.
"As for the larger masses, full
page map of the world is not far
from correct in three dimensions.
for the thickness of the paper just
about corresponds to the thickness
of the real land down to the under
side of the continent.
1.-THE continent is, therefore, not
anchored to anything. The question
is: Does it float around2 The con-
tinent is thin. The question is:
Does it crack? There is a good deal
of reason for thinking that both
these occur"
Many eminent biologists take the
same view of the Wegener hypothe-
sis that Brewster does. However, it
must not be imagined that all
biologists agree to it.
On the other hand, the continents
might be in motion, even Though
they did not originally all start as
a single continent. Any research,
therefore, which will throw light
on this problem, comes at an OPP
perfume time.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
- TL!,-SSS,sSsSS
AT BfT|4e1'
| ANNIVERSARY.
H4 ++4+H9E44144-
THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT
na1arN,for I2

THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT
December Is
ON Dec. 10, 1865, the thirteenth
~ amendment to the United
States Constitution was ratified as
part of the governments recon-
struction policy after the Civil war,
in order to secure for the lately
emancipated slaves the legal and
political benefits of full citizenship.
The amendments reads:
Neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except as a punishment
for a crime whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted, shall exist
within the United States or any
place subject TO their jurisdiction"
Today also is the anniversary of
the date, Dec. 10, 1877, of the ratifi-
cation of the Constitution by the
state of New Jersey.
And on Dec. Is, 1899, George
Washington was buried at Mount
Vernon
On Dec. 10. 1873, gold and paper
dollars had the same value for the
first time in eighteen years.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
No Naval Gain Here

Japan is willing to cut her cruiser
- quota if she is allowed to build
more small craft, preferably subma-
rines.
When you come to think of it, the
naval parleys we have held thus far
indicate a distinct tendency to scrap
big boats for little ones.
The question is, should we gain
anything by the exchange?
AS between battleships and SUBJ
marines, any one with humane
instinct would prefer the former.
Much as we may have denounced
them for it, the Germans appear to
have set fashion by the success OF
their U-boat campaign.
II n t.
Fred Burkejov, alias Fred Dane,
whom police describe as America S
most dangerous man." and who, ac-
cording to his lady friend, engi-
neered the massacre of Bugs" Mo-
ran and six companions, is shin
ing example of mans inability to
carry on a foolproof crime career.
Burke, Dane, or whatever name
ne may be sporting just now, GER
tainly went at the problem method
ically.
First, he read hundreds Of detec-
tive stories, with the idea of dis
covering and cataloging all the
lapses of mind or memory to which
criminals were addicted.
Then he supplied himself with an
arsenal and an array Of DISCUSSES
which any theater manager would
envy.
But he forgot not to tell a woman
his secrets and not to let the kill
ing habit get the better of him.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-18
The H0fIin Case

TNHE Alabama state Democratic
L committee bars Senator ].
Thomas Heflin and others who bolt
ed Smith from becoming candi-
dates in the next primary, but for
gives the $4,000 voters who followed
them.
Consistency suggests that the vot-
ers also should be barred, but con-
sistency would wreck the party in
that case.
Alabama is setting a precedent.
If candidates, or voters, can be
read out of a party because of the
way they voted one year previously,
why not because of the way they
voted fifty years previously?
One can doubt the wisdom of
such a precedent, and still be glad
to see Hef1in barred, especially if
it sticks.
The trouble is that it probably
won't stick.
The federal court in San Fran
cisco has ordered the telephone
company to assist dry agents by
giving them the addresses of pri-
vate telephone numbers.
Thus another long established
custom goes by the board to bolster
up VoIsteadism.
Pretty soon people will be for
hidden to draw their shades at
night, or lock their doors when
they go to bed.