davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-02-21
Spires of the Spirit
They Say

"They say that necklines are to be
somewhat lower, skirts trifle longer
and considerably fuller" This edict
was announced some time ago in an
American magazine by the fashion die
tators in Paris. The slavish haste to
comply with the "They say" DEGREES as
to what one must wear, see, hear. read
and eat puts obedience to the Ten
Commandments In the shade.
In our contemporary life the adver-
crude and rude, enforceS standardiza-
tion. There are almost irresistible pres
sures to stereotype popular responses.
A keen observer Of the mid-20th
century scene does not exaggerate
when he says: "The uniformity ex-
tends not only to dress and manners,
but, to speech and thought. Indeed.
speech and thought are so conditioned
as to be for millions practically auto
matte. individuality of expression and
independence of Judgment are in danger
of being lost arts" In the religious,
political and educational realms, lead
erS who are above or ahead Of the
crowd are constantly in danger Of be-
ing liquidated unless they bend and
bow to the great god Conformity. It
was that brand of tyranny that Robert
Louis Stevenson had in mind when
he. remarked: ITO do anything be-
cause others do 1t, and not because
the thing is good or kind. or honest
in its own right, is to resign all moral
control and cataipcy upon oneself
and go post haste to the devil with the
greater number"
The arrogant dictators who hide be-
hind the facade of They say" have
residences other than the turreted
towers of the Red Kremlin. But there
is another and a very vital thing to
be said about these two mighty mono
syllables. They say" They form a
Mammoth Cave of echoes which often
have sinister consequences. The they"
in the "say" at first may be the murmur
of but one pair of lips. But the whisper
grows to thunder as what is said is am
plifled and multiplied until, at last.
sweeping on in momentum, it is shouted
everywhere. When one. perhaps inno-
Gently, assumes the role of bearer to
others Of what 'They say no creden-
tials need be presented. no Identification
of the they" need be attempted. The
unnamed they" whose assertions may
have power to devastate the reputation
Of the one involved. remain safely
anonymous. They say" and. 10. the
Evening star., 1954-02-21

carpets, pictures. books and sufficient
furniture to make his home bright and
comfortable. He should have good food
and should keep his children in school
until they are 16, and at the same time
should be able to lay away something
for old age and sickness. The unSkilled
workman might have these things for
$500 year in cities of from 5000 to
100000 inhabitants, but in larger places
he needs more" Mr.. Mitchell advo-
Gated an 8-hour day, favored unions
in the Government Printing Office and
the Post Office Department, but not in
the armed services. and insisted that:
"The unions do not molest the non-
union worker in any illegal way"
The Star of February l3, 1904, quoted
the London Saturday Review as say,
ing: THE vigor and pur-
English ity of a language can only
Joroon be preserved by the fash
ionable class, the class
whom in matters social everybody imi-
takes speaking it well. But how can
English be well spoken when some of
the greatest ladies speak the idiom of
Massachusetts, through their noses and
large proportion of the men cough
the idiom of Frankfort from their
throats? The constant babbling Of
broken English at dinner tables and in
drawing rooms is becoming quite IA
tiguing, and as a result the English
speak their tongue worse than it was
ever spoken before. Everybody knows
the temptation to speak sort of baby
pidgin- English to a foreigner, in the
strange hope that it may be more in
telligible to him. This and the slang
taught us by the Yankees have reduced
the English language as spoken by
smart people to q base jargon."
Evening star., 1954-02-21

out himself to buy oysters for them.
his servants being too proud to do So"
Goethe, it seems. had tame snake.
Sir Walter Scott wrote all his finest
works before breakfast" Shelley could
spend an entire day floating little paper
boats on any water he chanced to be
near" Byron and Montaigne shared
an aversion for Fridays. Hobbies and
Rousseau were afraid of the dark"
Caesar and Thomas Aquinas were made
i'll by thunderstorms. Queen Elizabeth
and Talleyrand could not bear to have
the word death uttered in their pres
ence." Spinoza delighted to set spi-
ders hghting." Cromwell sometimes
cast aside his Puritan gravity and
played at blindman's buff with his
daughters and attendants"
X
The Star on February 20. 1904. print
ed an interview with John Mitchell,
president of the United
John Mitchell Mine Workers. written
interviewed by Frank G. Carpenter
following a meeting at
the Ebbitt House. After discussing his
own experience in the mines, beginning
cents a day, the famous trade union
leader, replying to a question about
"the lowest pay for an ordinary work.
man." said: Every man should have
enough to keep his family, educate his
children and lay a little aside for the
future. Six hundred dollars year Is
the least that should be paid the un-
skilled common laborer. AS the class
of labor rises the man should receive
more, and the pay should vary accord
ing to his location. The ordinary man
should have more than 5000 in New
York or Chicago. Every man should
have enough to supply the necessities
Of life, and in the latter cities the
necessities cost more. think
every man should have q house with at
least six rooms. He should have
a bathroom, parlor. dining room.
kitchen and enough bedrooms for
decency and comfort. He should have
Evening star., 1954-02-21


suspecting target.
lege in Aberdeen are these words:
They say. What do they say? Let
them say" Admirable sentiments
these to be gazed at day by day by
college students. That inscription
carved over an academic archway
constantly suggests to youth facing the
verified verdicts Of the centuries that the
rumors and gossip wrapped up in the
''They say" Of today are like the grass
that witherth. "They say. Let them
say" is phrase freighted with scorn for
malicious whisperings over the back.
fences OF irresponsible gossip. They
say" is the most vicious anonymous
slanderer which preys upon the sons and
the daughters of men. Its stock in trade
often is half truths, utter falsehoods and
twisted interpretations and insinuations.
Frequently these two words hide fangs
as deadly as those of viper, as devas-
tating as the poisoned pen of a charac-
ter assassin. Once uttered, 1t is given
credence and passed on its blighting way
by other lips not too reluctant who as
cribe as the source of their information
none other than "They say,
"They say" is the symbol of a mock
trial where the accused has no recourse
to representation or jury. Here the
accuser deals in charges. and not in
evidence. He has to prove nothing.
His protection is simply to point to this
nameless source of sensational informa-
tion. the familiar They say" which
may be- the epitaph Of another's repu-
tation. The formula is quite simple:
Have you heard about So-and-So?
Evening star., 1954-02-21
A Serious Omission

Under the District public works program as
now being drafted, the Federal Government
would lend as much as $40 million for water and
sewage system construction. Higher water rates
and new sewer tax would service these loans
At the same time, the committee struck out the
authorization for $40-million loan for general
fund improvementS-SchoolS, institutions, etc.
Instead, it almost doubled the tax increase pro-
posed by the Commissioners, with the idea of
keeping the general fund on strictly pay-aS-
you-go basis.
The advantages of pay-aS-you-go are those
Of keeping out of debt. Money required to serv-
ice the debt will be available for other purposes
But such advantages do not Offset the disad-
VantageS. It is unfortunate that the committee
In charge Of the public works program did not
write into the enabling legislation an authorize
ton for some such loan as $40 mllion-even
though that authorization might not be needed
Immediately
There are times when the pay-aS-you-go
system becomes unavoidable in practice and
when attempts to make it workable impose
heavy burdens on the payers of current taxes.
The existing situation is an example. The whole
reason for the public works program is an
accumulation of unmet needs of the past, the
cost Of which, when considered as a single sum,
is staggering. Under wise borrowing, money
becomes available to meet that cost, while the
burden of repayment is shared by future, as
well as the present, generations of taxpayers.
Without the privilege of borrowing, building
programs must be kept within the limits of cur
rent revenue, with little opportunity to catch
up on accumulated needs while meeting new
demands. Nearly every city in the country has
borrowed to pay for public Improvement.
Ample precedent exists for such loans by
the Federal Government to the District. The
terms should be so lenient that they would rep
resent, in part, the Federal Governments own
obligation to the American Capital. The prin-
ciple of borrowing from the Government was
originally important part of the present effort
to finance public works. It's omission, in so far
as general fund expenditures are concerned, is
a regrettable one, and may turn out to be
serious handicap. Too often, in the past, Con-
gress has accumulated surplus" of general
fund revenue over expenditures and then applied
the surplus to reducing the Federal payment
instead Of financing improvements. Such sur
pluses" did not represent an absence of justi-
fable expenditures on needs. 1t meant that
the needs themselves were ignored Loss of the
borrowing privilege in financing public works
from the general fund increases the possibility
that what has happened before can happen
again, and that the District will again be left
holding the bag-paying heavy taxes and get
ting nowhere in meeting its needs in public
facilities
Evening star., 1954-02-21

the poundmaster for the disposition of
impounded animals
The true essence of the Proposed
Commissioners Order is not to make
available animals (which would other
wise be destroyed" but to limit the
period during which animals may be
held at the pound. 1t is only when this
time period is drastically limited that
the dogs would otherwise be de-
stroyed."
The real issue of policy is whether
the District shall continue to operate
public animal shelter or whether this
shelter shall be converted into a depot
for the supply Of experimental animals.
Other facts indicate that such change
of policy would not necessarily sup
plant existing sources of supply, thereby
merely substituting pound dogs for
dogs which are now obtained CONNER
cially; instead. it would supplement
existing sources of supply and increase
the number of dogs presently being
subjected to experimentation.
Mildred Maroney.
Evening star., 1954-02-21

The Senate vote confirming Albert c. Beeson
as member of the National Labor Relations
Board may have provided new and significant
yardstick for the measurement of administra-
ton strength on Capitol Hill. For despite prot
estations to the contrary, partisanship and
party discipline became the overriding consider
ations in this bitterly contested ISSUE And yet,
in chamber in which the Democrats actually
outnumber the Republicans-48 to Al with one
1ndependent-the G.. o. P. won a three-vote
victory IN whicho only one Republican. the some
times rambunctious LANCER of North Dakota,
deserted his party. And while independent
Senator Morse of Oregon also voted against the
Republican nominee, four Democrats crossed
party lines-three of them voting for confirma-
ton and one being paired in favor.
This display of Republican solidarity, and
Of appeal to small but important margin of
Democratic votes, becomes more impressive upon
analysis Organized labor, for example, had
presented virtually solid front against the
nomination with barrage Of protests from the
AFL, CIO and the powerful independent United
Mine Workers. Yet several Republicans facing
admittedly hard fights this fall to retain their
seats-in Michigan Massachusetts,, New Jersey
and Kentucky for example-made their choice
TO support President Eisenhower rather than
bow before the labor pressure. Democratic
undoubtedly reopen the controversy "from time
to time before next Novembers elections was
hardly necessary to assure that it will remain
as a campaign issue
Meanwhile, Mr.. BeeSon who was named
only to fill out partly expired term, has only
about 10 months in which to show whether the
spirited fight was either necessary or justified.
Although much of labor's opposition was based
upon Mr. Beeson's record as an industrial rela-
tions director and his approval of the Taft
Hartley law, the final Democratic attack shifted
away from these points and was concentrated
on charges that he had testified falsely at
committee hearings. Whether this was so
or not, and the question was not settled
by either the Senate debate or the vote follow
ing, Mr.. Beeson is about to become the third
Republican on five-man quasjudicial board
The national interest is likely to be much more
affected by Mr.. Beeson's attitude toward labor
management problems than by how competently
or frankly he conducted himself as q committee
witness.
Evening star., 1954-02-21
Holiday for All Fothers

The whole family looks forward to
the anniversary of the birth of George
Washington. On February %. the fa-
ther of his country gives the fathers
of our country day off with the kids.
While dad is watching the children.
mother is downtown trying to buy holi-
day bargains. When George threw a
half dollar across the Potomac. it went
pretty far. but not as far as a car for
96 cents.
When mother comes back with the
bargains, dad is overwhelmed. Cut
ting down the budget takes second
place to young George cutting down
the cherry tree. Jonas Clifton.
Evening star., 1954-02-21
BY Frederick Brown Harris
Minister, Foundry Methodist Church;
Chaplain. United States Senate.

They say" It may be
Only a faint suggestion,
Only doubtful hint.
Only a leading, question
With special tone or tint:
Only lou 4 lDonder'-
Nothing unfair at all.
But the aDtisper OroaDs to thunder
And scdthing bolt may fail.
Yes. you may slay with "They say"
Those barbed words have slain their
thousands. History fairly shouts that.
Looking Over lifetime spent dealing
intimately with his fellows. DR.. Henry
Van Dyke said: "How easily we pick
up the Juicy morsel Of gossip-quite
careless Of any investigation of its
origin. We shake our heads sadly
and pass 1t along, adding a quaint
little twist Of our own lest 1t lose any
thing in the telling" Yes. we pass on
what "They say" with lifted eye
brow, significant smirk, and some
bodys name permanently Is ,tarnished.
do you know what they are saying
about your preaching" asked pain
fully orthodox lady Of that prince Of
preachers, Frederick Robertson who in
matters OF belief was conformist.
Il don't care what they say" replied
the great prophet pulpiteer.- The .irate
sister then demanded: do you know
where don't care brought a MANI"
Eyes Instantly replied Robertson, ito
a cross" The ecclesiastical racketeers
Of the day saw to 1t that the air was
filled with the damning "They say"
about Jesus. They say He has a devil.
They say He blasphemes against our
church and our religion. They say He
stirreth UP the people. They say He
consorts with the riff-raff, with pub
iicanS and sinners"
famous student of the life of Jesus
comments that that "They say" con-
tains the most precious bit of Slander
that ever slipped from Shiny lips. Why?
Because that very accusation shows
the kind of a person that the Master
really was. He refused to allow any
fences Of false pride to separate Him
from those to whom His great heart
went out in brotherly understanding.
Those two beams Of crossed wood at
the place of Calvary tell the story Of
what They say" did to Jesus. All the
nails that spite hammered into His
quivering flesh, as hate hung mans
Best Man to that shameful cross were
stored in the false witness Of They
say"
Evening star., 1954-02-21
Recognize This?'

Congratulations on your Recognize
This?" quiz-a remarkable idea. Have
been living in and about Washington
stump me!
l hope you win combine all in a
booklet form for the benefit of those
who miss some and lose others-when
completed. William H. CheeSman.
Evening star., 1954-02-21
Pound Policy

A Proposed Commissioners Order"
would change the existing policy for
operation of the District pound, par
ticularly with respect to the disposal
Of impounded animals. 1t is said that
this order would make available for
medical research and instruction the
animals which would otherwise be
destroyed"
The statement is misleading. AS a
result. public controversy on this sub
ject tends to center around the ques-
ton Of principle-whether dogs and
other animals should be used for re-
search. The question of principle is a
question whether such practices are
cruel. and whether the cruelty is justi-
fed by the objectives on behalf of the
human species.
Apart from this difficult and compli-
Gated question of principle, there is a
question of fact whether dogs which
the Commissioners would offer for re-
search and instruction would other
wise be destroyed.
Available statistics on the operation
of the pound indicate that the dogs
which are presently being gaSsed by the
city are almost entirely confined to
day-old puppies. dogs incapacitated by
old age. or dogs which are diseased or
which have been injured in the streets.
Such dogs are not wanted by medical
institutions; instead. they seek healthy,
relatively young, mature dogs.
Under the existing pound policy.
these sound dogs are either reclaimed
by their owners or are placed in new
homes. and the extent to which they
are potentially available to medical in
stitutions depends on the period of
time which is left to the discretion Of
Evening star., 1954-02-21
agreed to aid this group in financing station

here.
Abandonment of its go-it-alone scheme does
not preclude participation by the school board
in Washington's worthwhile educational TV
experiment. 1t can participate by accepting the
associations invitation to collaborate in the
enterprise, at least to degree consistent with
pubnc-school policy and with present or pro-
posed laws Educational television ought to have
a place in public as well as private education.
Evening star., 1954-02-21
aPen-names may be used ii letters carry
Driters' correct names and addresses
All letters are subject to condensation.
Letters to- The Star. .

prayer that Thou wilt keep the United
States in Thy holy protection; that
Thou wilt incline the hearts of citi-
zens to cultivate a spirit of subordina-
tion and obedience to government; and
to entertain a brotherly affection and
love for one another and for their
fellow citizens of the United States
at large" Chauncev G Day.
Chaplain. District of Columbia
Society, Sons of the American
Revolution.
Evening star., 1954-07-03
House Action Sought
On Veterans Pensions
Rx III. A..oeintsd Pres,

Representative Radwan. Re-
publican, Of New York has
launched a drive to force House
floor action on a bill to increase
veterans pensions and disability
awards by about 10 per cent.
And Representative Rogers. Re
publican, Of Massachusetts, said
Congress Is treating the veteran
like q "stepchild."
Mrs. Rogers, chairman OF the
Veterans Affairs Committee, said
yesterday the neutrality-suspicious.
bill would cost only about 5000
million next year. It was ap-
proved unanimously by the COM
mittee May %, but Mrs. Rogers
said the House Rules Committee
which clears legislation to the
fioor-has refused to hold q
hearing on the proposal.
Mr.. Radwan introduced his
resolution as a preliminary step
in trying to force the bill from
the rules committee. The next
step would be a petition, which
would have to be signed by a
majority of the 435 members of
the House.
Evening star., 1954-07-03
Church BuysSite
In GIenridge Area

Ascension Lutheran Church
has arranged to purchase a new
2.1-acre site on Ardmore road
one block off Route so In the
Glenridge shopping center.
The new site II half-a-mile
from the present church.
Established In 1945 as q mis-
sion Of Trinity Church. Mount
Rainier. membership at Ascen-
sion Church has increased from
60 to 166 in the last three years.
The Sunday school numbers 307.
"A year ago, the congregation
built a new parsonage in order
to use the old one adjoining the
church for Sunday school
classes. Now even these increased
facilities are inadequate.
The Rev. Henry G. Schroeder.
pastor, has announced that Trim
ity Church will finance the land
purchase with q gift Of $4,000
and underwrite the balance, as
q mission venture.
Evening star., 1954-07-03
District Delegate Active.
u. S. Worker Retires
With 36 Years Service

. Mrs. Inez E. Thomas. statis-
tical coding analyst with the
Office Of the Army Surgeon Cen
eral. retired this week after 36
years service.
A graduate Of Washington Col
lege, Chestertown, Md, Mrs.
Thomas served as teacher and
principal of a school in Somer-
set County, Md, for eight years
before joining the Government
here. Mrs. Thomas had worked
for eight surgeons general. Mrs,
Thomas had commuted from
Baltimore for the past year. Be-
fore that she lived here at 4311
Eighteenth street NE.
Evening star., 1954-07-03
Church Rodio and TeIeviisiion

Tho following religious pro-
I grams viii originate In local
stations tomorrow:
Television.
/ am. WNBW The Rev. Will
liam Inderstrodt. Of Westmore-
land Congregational Church. on
Inspiration. =
1880 am, WRCe' 'Ir1Spira-
tion" with the Rev. William IN
derstrodt, Of Westmoreland Con-
gregational Church.
7:3O am, WWDC Mass for
Shut-ins' from Georgetown Uni
versity Chapel.
$3.50 an. WPGC- Bradburrl
Memorial Church, the Rev.
James s. Glascoe, minister.
8:45 am, WARL - "How
Christian Science Heals" by the
First Church Of Christ. Scientist,
Boston. Repeated at Oils am. on
WMAk.
8:45 am, VOL - Methodist
Bishop q. Bromley Oman on
Light for Life
8:55 am. WGMS The Rev. c,
Leslie Glenn, rector Of st. Johns
Episcopal Church. Lafayette
Square, speaks.
IL am, WPGC-The Rev,
Quinton S. Ivy directs services
at Parkway Baptist Chapel.
II am. WFAN-Petworth
Baptist Church program. the
Rev. s. Lewis Morgan. jr.. pastor
IL a. M, WOL"Your Neigh
Dor Wants to Know" q new pro-
Evening star., 1954-07-03
Lufherans viii Hear
Visiting Church Leaders

Lutheran pastors Of the Wash
ington area will meet three visit
ing church leaders tomorrow
night at the Lutheran Church Of
the Reformation. 212 East Cap
itol street.
The three Lutheran theologi-
ans are en- route to the meeting
Of the World Council Of Churches
in Evanston. Ill. DR.. Regin Prem
ter, chairman Of the Lutheran
World Federation Commission on
Theology and professor of theol-
ogy at the University of Aarhus,
Denmark. will preach at 8 pm.
Preaching at $3.50 pm. will be
DR.. Vilmos Vajta, director Of the
department of theology Of the
Lutheran World Federation and
assistant professor of theology
at Lund University, Sweden, and
DR.. George Forell, professor of
philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus
College. st. Peter, MINI.
Evening star., 1954-07-03

| gram sponsored by the Washing
ton Board Of Rabbis. A panel
will answer questions on Jewish
life put by Christian Sunday
school children.
IL q. m, WARL Second
Church of Christ. Scientist. pro-
gram.
s11::3O q. M. WEAM The Rev
Paul j. Harren speaks from Me-
mortal Baptist Church. on "The
Arlington Church of The Air" !"
| 1850 q. m, WWDC DR.,
James II. Miers breaches from
The Fourth Presbyterian Church
1880 a. m. WOOK FIRST
Trinity Lutheran Church pro-
gram: rebroadcast at 1905 p. m,
lon WAN.
1880 a. M, WOL,-The Rev,
Wilson Holder, pastor Of Cen
tennial Baptist Church, speaks
on The Gospel Wings Broad
cast"
8p. m. WWDC-Dr. James H
Miers and the Fourth Presby-
terian Church program.
8 p. M, WWDCThe Rev
Peter Eldersveld, radio minister
Of the Christian Reformed
Church, speaks.
10 p. m, WMAL,-Central
Union Mission "Hour of Power
program.
10:15 p. M. WOOK-A report
on a Howard University school,
integration workshop on FAITH
Of Millions" Catholic good vii,
program.