davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Two; EaiIures

Russia. according to all reports. is due to have a terrible time this winter. As it ends it's first five-year plan and starts it second. there is not enough food in sight to feed the nation. And this is country known as the worlds bread basket before the present Soviet regime.
 First the Communist ezars meehanized the cities for mass production. then they started to do the same thing for the country. boasting that they would accomplish in a few years what has taken us generations. They sntsgonized the farmers. They turned the Russian agricultural system topsy -turvy. They may not get through the approach ing crisis without another revolution. unless they modify their methods.
 There is no inclination in America to gloat oyer this Russian failure. Our own troubles have made us sympathetic. And indeed. our own astonishing failure stops us from criticism Russia today cannot feed her people because she has not produced enough food for them. We, apparently. cannot feed our people through normal processes. without charity, because we have produced too much!
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Byrd On Thrift

Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, bipolar hero. in his present capacity as president of the National Economy League. is stumping the country for public thrift His organiza- ton wants reduction of at least S2. l50,- GOO, 900 a year in local, state and federal government costs.
 In an address to farmers in Chicago he asks their help. and denies that the campaign is directed particularly against World War veterans. The League, though. he explains does stand firmly against veterans pensions for disabilities not connected with war service -- a policy which was adopted im- mediately after the war with the acquieseenee of the veterans themselves, and was departed from only two years ago.
 'The majority of the veterans are think ing straight he says but there is minor lity that does not understand the gravity of ''its demands. If ths present vetersns laws
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16

Down in Brooklyn they go in for bor- rowing on big scale. When Fred Krause wanted to take his girl for ride recently he borrowed trolley car. He had been motorman once upon time, so the yearn- ing to get behind the controls was natural. He was arrested. of course. and fined by the court. "Chivalry." maintained the judge.
 lis all very well in it's place. but you see all your gallantry went for nothing. Your girl didn't even come to court to see what happened to you" And upon that jarring reminder Mir Krause may browse when he gets behind the bars.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16

Mayor Rankin of Hartford in his annual message to the Board of Aldermen this week made several good suggestions with regard to municipal policies. One we think bears repetition right here in Waterbury where SO many taxpayers find their burden more than they can carry these days. The mayor pointed out that quarterly payment of taxes would help many taxpayer and also in the long run increase the amounts collected. Ger tainly if the federal government will give this privilege to income tax payers, any municipality ought to grant similar rights. We feel sure that many a taxpayer could pay in four semi-annual amounts, where two or even one are sure to embarrass some of us. Just a glance at the requests for tax abatements should make this suggestion con- vincing.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Our Daily Washington Letter
IRKED BY BLIND VOTER LABEL
BY RODNEY BUTCHER

pay wartime prices for gas. lights and water.
 "The forgotten man has seen Hoover turn to the representatives of the power and banking interests for advice in extending relief.
 You say the forgotten man looks with fishy eye upon Roose- welt now that he Is elected. No, he does not look with fishy eye on Roosevelt. He looks with fshy eye on such men in the democratic party as Jack Garner, yice-presi- dent-elect, wealthy banker of Texas, who fought the bonus and the LaFollette-C Costigan bill, to do- mated millions to the corporations and then tried to put g sales tax on every article to be purchased by the forgotten man, including power bills.
 "Wili MT Roosevelt listen to the federation of labor. representa- tive of millions of organized. for gotten men and millions more not organized; the representatives of the rank and file of ex-soldiers. their families and friends, or will he listen to the sweet song of All Is we'll sung by the bankers, the chambers of commerce. foe of every wage earner, and the repre- sentatives of the power trusts and railroads who are now exploiting millions more forgotten men?"
 What all this indicates as to tho relative blindnes of the Forgot ten Man" seems to be ap good field for argument.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
A Book a Day
At The End Of An Era
by BRUCE CATION

It is doubtful that any society ever felt more settled and secure than England felt in the closing decades of the nineteenth cntury.
 England was the worlds banker and the worlds greatest factory. Tho sun never set on the empire. English ships carried freight for all the world. Power and prosper ity were blended in an amalgam that looked as if 1t should endure for centuries.
 But the whole business, really, was just about to end.
 An interesting study of this period is contained in "The Vic torian Sunset" by Esme Wingheld- Stratford.
 Here Is an author who manages to defend the Victorians and, at the same time, to criticize them more deeply than the critics against whom he defends them.
 He points out that the Victorian era produced an abundance Of artists, statesmen and thinkers and that 1t was by no means as hypo- critical or as snug as we ordinarily believe. But he insists that it's one great fault was that it completely failed to recognize the vast prob lens which the age of Tnachinery had brought into the world: and because 1t failed. the world that 1t inhabited has gone down in utter collapse.
 "The Victorian Sunset" is a thoughtful and readable survey of tho closing years of great era. Published ?, sn by Morrow tt retails at
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
The Right Way

Residents of the state of Washington are Ezoing about this task of getting rid of pro- .hibition and taking on some other form of sliquor control in the right way. At the ~November election the voters of that state tturned out in overwhelming numbers against srhe state dry laws. Recent polls reveal, s'howeyer. that these same voters aren't m flavor of throwing open the door to unli- licensed sale of liquors in their state. They .want control and they want it in their own ssway. which. perhaps may not be the way sfhat people here in Connecticut want 1t. sThat's what is known as states rights and sit's what has been thrown in the face of tprohibitionists for the last ten years.
 For one thing poll just conducted re- kvealed that in questionnaire secured all those solicited were in agreement on the nine {topics. They wanted sale of beer. wine or sliquors conducted in government stores on- sfy. They demanded that liquor buyers ssecure licenses. They opposed the saloon They further rejected beer saloons. They ieven voted down beer gardens where food also could be served. Sale of beer in restau- rants was also defeated. Even the sale Of slquor by packages in grocery and drug sstores was voted down. On the question of encouragement of maximum or minimum iconsumption to create state revenue the answer was minimum
 We don't doubt but what polls in other
 states where people showed an interest in sthc wet and dry issue this past fall would also ireveal the same general trend of opinion. lThat is the people of one state would have Ia definite idea or opinion as to what their Epartieulsr state should do in the event that \ Congress should repeal the 9th Amendment and the problem of dealing with liquor manufacture, sale and importation be thrust bodily upon the several states Right here in Connecticut we couldn't say offhand swtat direction sentiment would take. We ssshould hazard a guess, though. it would be towards the government store plan. It's "a subject on which the Legislature. conven- ling in January. might well spend some time. ..'rhe change from prohibition is inevitable. sJ. cts be prepared for 1t.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
So They Say

Too many good people are sitting on air cushions and doing nothing while boys play cops and robbera and holdups in the streets and learn how to become gangsters. Mrs William Shrimplin, presi-
 dent, Knigs County. eN. Y.) w.
 c. T. U.
 could drink light beer all day and not become intoxicated. It might warm the stomach a little, but that is not intoxicating. ---Representative w. H. Stafford
 (rep, Wis) before congression- al committee.
 Damn isn't profanity. When l say some high-binder is damned liar" that means he is Q con- summate liar.
 Governor w. H. ("Alfalfa Bilp')
 Murray of Oklahoma.
 
 What is there so mysterious about a woman's figure in these days that they have to show them undressing on the screen. Mrs Nell R. Wallace, city amuse-
 ment inspector. Birmingham,
 Ala.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Is This Desertion?

' Rumor has it that several members of .president Hoover's cabinet will offer their Designations within the next month. It IS ,hard to see what advantage there can be to .any member now to resign. There IS less sthan three months remaining now before the Inauguration of the democratic president scleet at which moment the Hoover cabinet Twill automatically go out of existence. Only ssin the case of Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur may real excuse be offered He has until December 3l to take advantage sof leave of absence from Leland Stan. ford University at Palo Alto. California. If .he fails to return his post is gone. We think his resignation can be exonerated.
 As matter oe fact it is generally believed ..that Secretary of the Interior Wilbur pre- .sented his resignation to President Hoover some time ago. He may even have given 1t Ito him before the November election. so .that in any event he could not be said to have been prejudiced by the results. How sever. there has been no White House in- Formation on this topic. probably because the president was busy with election and now with international debts. Then he must find a successor 10 LIT WHDuI, eNe" for the short space of two months. And who is there who wants the empty honor of serving two months as cabinet member!
 If this hadn't been an election year it IS believed that there would have been ver- ftable avalanche of resignations In the Hoover cabinet. The president started these changes himself when he named Andrew Mellon as ambassador to the Court of St
 James and elevated Ogden l.. Mills to the Treasury Department secretaryship. Late in the summer Robert Lamont left the Com meree portfolio to return to business. Sec retary of Agriculture Hyde is also listed among those who wanted to get out. Now he indicates he may stick to the bitter end. 1t was also believed that Secretary of the Navy Adams would not finish up the
 Hoover administration in his present post. but he undoubtedly will now. It would be too pa1try for the Cabinet to dissolve now
 without some such grave reason as pr Wilbur offers loss of your life's work.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
To-day's Selected Poem,
CAROL FOR CHRISTMAS, 1882

(By Tristan Marc in The New York Times God rest you merry. gentlemen,
 Let nothing you dismay-- Yet some there are who will be cold
 Upon the Holy Day, Unless God rest you merciful
 As well as blithc and gay. God rest you merry, gentlemen,
 And give you right good cheer: And though the feast be simmer than
 In any former year, Yet sharing 1t with those who lack
 Will make 1t doubiy dear. And If your coats be frayed and worn
 Which once were new and fair, Remember there are many men
 Who have no coats to wear, And there are women who now feel
 The chillness of despair. God rest you merry, gentlemen
 Yet hold no vain display: Let now your gallant hearts be known
 Tn more gallant way. Remember Christ our Saviour
 Was born on Christmas Dayi
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Woman Suffrage In India

The Indian round table conference in London has been puzzling about woman suffrage. That is good place to do the puzzling - where the British suffragettes were rampaging around twenty years ago, making speeches and smashing mail boxes and threatening to burn buildings. Will the women of India do that if they are not granted political .equality' Not for some time. anyway.
 There is limited suffrage for men in ln- da at present. and far more strictly limited suffrage for women, in the ratio of one woman to 2l men. The Indian Franchise Committee wants to raise the ratio to one in A. which inevitably suggests the Ontario beer ratio which Canadians call "four-dis- appoint -four" Would the women of India feel that way about it?
 An interesting question arises wherf British marquis suggests genuine equality by automatically enfranehising the wives and widows of male voters. Opponents ob- ject that such equality would serve no use ful purpose. because wives always vote the same way as their husbands" If this IS true. if women are indeed merely political rubber stamps for their husbands. why double the number of votes1 Woman suffrage is based on the theory that woman is an individual. who will express herself politically as such.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
NEA Service Writer


 Waahington-Some of the voters in the recent presidential election are writing in to protest against the suggestion that our old friends Forgotten Man" didn't know what he was doing when he decided, not to say won, the election by sound- ly trouncing the party in power.
 Doubtless that Is what a corres- pondent deserves when he advan- ces the theory that the Forgotten Man" votes blindly when he sup ports the politicians who assured him they were responsible for the nations prosperity and equally blindiy when they let him down by failing to deliver the goods and allowing him to suffer the conse- quences.
 The theory is based. on the fact that the electorate is seldom cred- ited with percipience and discrim- ination expected by obviously prej- udiced beneficiaries and on the certainty that if the Forgotten Man" acted on his wisdom in bury in MT Hoover, he must have erred sadly in defeating certain of his friends among republican can- didates at the primaries or the elections.
 But the Forgotten Man." inso- far as he has been willing to ex- press himself to your c0rrespond- ent, indignantly denies the charge that he Swung blindly.'' Hise eyes were wide open, says he.
 one such protest comes from a ttn t1yva Os.AHotAN fV1 a QAnf h a Wy1 city. He abvously consideres him. self one of the "forgatten" group, though he says he has been for-- tunate enough to have a job thus far.
 He used to publish a small week. ly newspaper. ... (Receiving q letter from a linotype operator is the sort of unusual thing core. spondent brags about to other cor respondents.)
 Your are mistaken" says he. "He (the forgotten man) struck out knew who he was after---knew striking out against tho gigantic companies. the railroads. the bank CTS and the telephone company. To him they represented the republi- can government--the government which will demand the sacrifice of a mans life and family in its ser vice during war time, but when that man and his family arc hun gray and cold will bayonet him and gas and bomb his wife and babies,
 "The forgotten man sees the banker whose bank closed, taking his life savings, walking the street in fine raiment or driving . large shiny new automobile. ]. while the forgotten depositor walks in soleless shoes, threadbear clothes and empty stomach. searching but rarely finding a few days work in order to buy loaf of bread and
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
AND REoRGANIzA-
 TION
(Hartford Court)

The opposition of congress to the proposals of the president for re- organizing the departments of the government has not yet taken defi. nite form, but of its existence no doubt can be entertained. It springs from Q variety of motives, 1.-the reluctance of congress to sanction any reform that might de- crease its patronage, the unwill. ingnes of the democrats to cooper ate with the president in any un- deftaking for which they might ob- tain the solo credit if postponed to a later date, the fear of politi- clans of both parties that local interests might DC adversely af- fected by a shift of authority, ns in the case of the proposed trans- fer of control over rivers and har- bors from the department of war to the department of the interior.
 As'yet, virtually no criticism has been heard of the plan on the ground that it would not promote efficiency and economy in govern ment, which are the primary mat. ters in which the public Is inter. ested. Perhaps objections on such grounds can be made, and if such Is the case, congress not only would have the right but the duty to inc tervene. What 1t ought to under- stand is that interference on any other ground will immediately pro- yoke storm of popular resent ment. The taxpayers of the United States rightly demand tightening of the great burden that they are now bearing. Reorganization as now proposed would not lift. the load entirely from their shoulders. but it might lessen 1t considerably. Hence, they will insist upon it un- less valid evidence can be brought forward to show that other meas ures ought to be preferred.
 Under the arrangement set up last spring, the president was au. thOrized to order reorganization, to go into effect unless congress ruled otherwise within sixty days. Hence, congres vii be obliged either to let the orders stand or to rescind them. Should 1t choose to rescind them, 1t ought to give It's reasons for doing 50, plainly. With the taxpayers in their present frame of mind, excuses of a politi- cal or of partisan nature will not be satisfactory. To Justify the re- jection of the plan offered by the president, congress vii be obliged to demonstrate clearly it's short- comings, which 1t can do best by offering program of its own. In
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16

mus be said. It is fan growing tree and
 reaches a great height in a comparatively short time. thus serving a distinct purpose in any iandscsping scheme. It is also dee orative and forms fine hedge or barrier. But it is shallow rooted and its roots grow
 just as far underground and along the sur face as the tree towers towards the sky. It is this tendency to go exploring that gets the tree in wrong. Its roots break cement walks and walls enter drain pipes disrupting all sorts of service and in general proves nui- sance. Every root breeds more shoots. We can we'll understand city outIawing the tree. We'll watch New Britain's progress.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
METHoDo or REPEAL.
(New York ,rin,es)

Since more than fifty resolutions on the subject are already pend ing, congress will have a wide choice of methods in repeating or amending the Eighteenth Amend ment. Speaker Garner favors out5 right repeal. The resolution on which he hopes to have a prompt vote in the house provides for submission of the question to state conventions. This is the method advocated in the democra- tic platform. The only qualifying clause In the Garner resolution is proviso that repeal must be rati- fled within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by congress.
 Representative Beck questions the wisdom of this method of pro- cedure, not because he is less eager to be done with national prohibit ion but because he thinks the 0ar- ner plan twill make the process of ratification more difficult and hazardous" His own plan calls for a fundamental revision of the Eighteenth Amendment rather than It's repeal. He would permit those states which choose to be wet to exercise complete authority, over intoxicating liquors within their own borders; but he would also retain in the constitution an express denial of the power of congress "to authorize the ship menf, transportation or ifnporta- ton Into any state of intoxi- manufacture. sale transportation or use of such Iiquors has been prohibited by the laws of such state" That is, he would guarantee those states which wish to remain dry against the risk of Invasion" by wet neiEhbors. Such guarantee, : he thinks, would greatly speed the process of rati- fication.
 A third scheme which will doubt less be brought into the discussion before congress has finished debat- ing the Eighteenth Amendment is that of Senator Glass. Like the Beck plan, it provides constitution al protection for dry states; but 1t also provides that the Wet States shall regain liberty of action solely on condition that "sales of intoxi- eating liquors .s for consumn- ton at the place of sale( commoii-: ly known as saioon) : are prohibited" Under this arrange fnent the federal government would still be vested with power to police wet states in order to prevent the reappearance of what is common ly known as a saloon," and many of the demonstrated risks and dis advantages of the Eighteenth A. mendfnent would thereby be re- tained. . Aside from questions of political expedicncy. the only difference be- tweens the two latter plans is whether legal protection for the dry states shali be expressly af- | firmed in the constitution. or be left in hands of congress. which already has power to deal with it under the commerce clause.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16

New Britain legislators have the courage of their convictions. Some weeks ago they discussed at council meeting statute to outlaw poplar trees within the city limits. This week the council voted to have the Corporation Counsel prepare the proper ordinance to the effect that all poplar trees be banned from the city. Just how the authorities will get around removing trees now growing remains to be seen. Surely there must be some authority in the city that prevents ruthless chopping down of trees. However. our sympathies are not with the poplars. Although they enjoy great pop ularity among certain tree growers they are far from valuable assets to any community. And when you say that about any tree it's quite an accusation. For the poplar this
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
A CoNTEMPTIBLE GESTURE
 (New York Herald -Tribune)

What Representative McFadden. of Pennsylvania. says or does ceased to have any possible inc portance some time ago. Whether regarded as q common scold or q malevolent busybody. his actions have become so consistently wrong headed and meanspirited as to constitute a disgrace to his district and his state.
 The only interest in his action of yesterday, therefore. lies in the list of representatives who voted against tabling his resolution of impeachment. The democratic leadership of the House acted swiftly and correctly. The seven democrats who voted with Mr Me-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16

Fadden were thus opposing their own party leaders. Just what intel- lectual vagary led to these votes we do not know But 1t should be of special interest to New Workers to note that two of them came this city. The two were Anthony J. Grimm. of the Bronx. and Loring M. Black, Jr. of Brooklyn.
 We think New Workers will be slow to forget these two votes in aid of a vicious and disgracefuI performance. Respect for Mir Hoover was never higher than in the present. His tasks of the hour are among the gravest he has had to face. To make this contemptible gesture was as unpaffiotic as it was futile. May Messrs Black and Qriffin live to regret their votes in support of itI
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Here, There And EDer,uOhere

any event, reorganization ought not to be defeated in the present ses- sion for reasons satisfactory only to congress. If congress cannot put up better plan of It's own, 1t ought to shut up, letting the plan of the president stand.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16

ass not changed. Uncle Sam will 60 bank mpt. Tn, cost of the World War veterans alone will eventually amount to SS0.000.- 900. 1000. four times the cost of the World War.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-16
Personal Health Service (By William Brady, M. D.l

Signed letters pertaining to personal health and hygieue. not disease diagnosis or treatment, will be answ cred by pr Brady Address him. care of the Democrat ending stamp and addressed envelope.