The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], May 21, 1902, Page 4, Image 4

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

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•The Age-Herald
|s.w. ba li i; i: 1 (.Editor
ROSS C. SMITH.HusInrH Manager
Daily and Sunday Age-Herald.$8.00
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tent rate of exchange. Address.
THE AGE-HEHAl.D.
Birmingham, Ala.
- Washington Bureau Age-IIernld, 1121
O Street. N. W.
[THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN AIASAM4
- -y - - - —
There’s place and means for every
man alive.
—All’s Well That Ends Well.
Revision of Tariff.
The Republicans so fear the loss of
.'Congressional districts, especially in
the Northwest, that they have nearly
decided to offer the country tariff re
vision—on paper and on the dim, un
certain future. A subcommittee of
The ways and means committee is to
gJJ, during the recess for the purpose
of preparing a bill to be put through
on paper—in the short session. This
will enable the Republicans who fear
opposition on account of Dingleyism
-to say bn the stump that the tariff is
Jo be revised by its friends, and each
^man can safely promise whatever re*
eductions suit his district best. It is
3a,.very nice scheme, but the wary voter
knows what ante-election promises are
worth. The voter who really desires
tariff revision will vote for the men
through whom tariff reduction and re
vision must come when it comes at
all—the Democrats. All promises by
the Republicans In that direction are
rfetueless because the tariff-created
trusts fully control that party when
Rs representatives meet at Washing
ton.
There is not a trust in the land
that Is not based on t^e tariff, and if
ttie meat trust and the hard coal trust
do not open the eyes of the people to
the real nature of Dingleyism It is
difficult to see what will. The greed
Of the trusts may after all work their
ifuin. It Is certain at any rate that
Ijingleyistn is doomed, but its downfall
■Will not antedate the victory of the
democratic party. That must come
first, and there are not wanting Blgns
that a sweeping Democratic victory is
near at hand. The election of a Dem
ocratic House of Representatives next
fall will point the way. This is what
the Republicans fear, and are endeav
oring to avoid.
Alabama's Easy Condition.
Under Governor JelkB’ careful super
vision Alabama is living on Easy
street. It is estimated that there will
be on hand when the Legislature meets
In December about $400,000 more than
the treasury held two years ago when
Governor Samford became Governor.
The result will not be due to an in
crease In the tax rate, and It will be
accomplished In the face of heavily
Increased payments to the old soldiers
|f the State, to the public schools, and
■Jp the constitutional convention.
5 The convicts are now so well man
aged that they earn a net profit of
$150,000 a year, a sum far In excess of
previous earnings. The insurance de
partment is also turning in handsome
sums, and the valuations of property
arc rising year by year. They stood
lh 1896 at $242,000,000, and In 1901 at
$286,000,000. They may go to $300,
000.000 this year.
Let us hope these conditions will not
lead to extravagance In the Legislature
next winter. This Is an additional rea
son why the people should select their
own Legislators in every county and
Senatorial district by direct action.
\Ve want no Legislators next winter
that owe their seats to political bosses.
Let every one go to Montgomery know
ing that his credentials come directly
flam the people, apd that he Is respon
sible to them alone, and must look to
them alone for support and approval.
Poll Taxes and the Ballot.
The poll tax of Alabama is $1.50 a
year, and as an election penalty it is
cumulative, while the poll tax of Louis
iana is but $1 a year, and the payment
of it in the two years preceding an
election Is all that is required. It is
not cumulative back of the two years,
whereas In Alabama all back poll
taxes from the adoption of the consti
tution must be paid In order to entitlo
a man to vote.
Comparatively mild as the Louisi
ana provision Is, already a movement
has sprung up looking to its repeal,
and the subject will come in the Leg
islature now in session. The legisla
ture cannot, of course, change the
constitution, but It can submit a prop
osition to the voters, thus enabling the
actual voters who have paid their poll
taxes to act upon it.
The New Orleans Picayune opposes
the proposition, because the negroes
will soon be able to read and write,
and the poll tax qualification will be
the only defence against a renewal of
the black peril, The small sum re
quired thus becomes the only safe-'
guard for the maintenance of white
supremacy.
In this State the poll tax has been
freely paid, but In Louisiana it has not
been, and large numbers are disfran
chised by it, and the situation is rather
acute. As a rule the blachs are barred
out by it, but so are thousands of
whites. The Louisiana provision is a
clumsy one, for a man is not permitted
to pay poll taxes at any time, as he
can In this Btate, but he must pay
them in each of the two years preced
ing an election, Once disfranchised,
he must wait two years before he can
be reinstated upon the poll lists. In
this respect the Louisiana provision is
a real hardship. In Alabama a man
can pay arrears at any time and be
come a voter. In Louislna he cannot.
In this respect the Louisiana iaw
should b? amended, and the probability
is that the cumulative feature of the
Alabama law will In time be curtailed
in order to prevent the formation of
j a large disfranchised class in the State.
An Ideal Trust.
The coal operators who will not arbi
trate, because they prefer to starve the
miners into submission, constitute the
most absolute trust in this land. They
own 95 per cent of the hard coal lands,
and all the transportation from the
other 5 per cent except wagons. This
trust is called the Temple Iron Com
pany, and It meets annually to appor
tion percentages of production and to
name the terms upon which consumers
will be permitted to consume its coal.
We give the names of the members of
the Temple Iron Company, and the
present production allotment of each;
Producer— Per cent. Tons,
Reading company.32.2 17,710.000
New York Central.12-7 6.9S5.000
Erie line*. 7.2 3.960.000
Lehigh raljway. 15.65 8.607.600
Lackawanna. 13.35 7,342,500
Pennsylvania . 11.4 6.270,000
Outsiders..... 7.5 4,125,000
Totals.100.00 55,000.000
This trust names the price of coal in
the chief markets in each month, dic
tating the time of its removal, refusing
to sell except through its one accred
ited agent, and permitting him to
name his own price for delivering
coal. In the cost of delivery is the
agent's profit.
A trust of this nature is a trust of
the postomce stamp variety. It for
tunately does not extend to Alabama,
which is a soft coal State, but it can
be Viewed from here as an illustration
of a trust when a trust dares be what
it desires to be. When a trust be
comes absolute and sure of its own
ground it simply but sternly refuses
to arbitrate. It prefers to dictate.
This trust is impregnable. The
tariff keeps off all foreign coals; the
Republican party stands behind it on
account of its campaign subscriptions,
and it snaps its fingers at strikes be
cause it can readily recoup all losses
from consumers. Not more than six
men in New York control the Temple
Iron Company. Not more than six con
trol the beef trust. Between the two
trusts that control the moat and fuel
of many States the people may begin
to see what the trusts and the tariff
really mean. They are getting their
eyes open against 1904.
The sole survivor of St. Pierre was
a wicked murderer, whose dungeon
saved him. The wicked are not pun
ished in this world, at least the trusts
are not.
The Armour beef house in Chicago,
which was recently burned, is to be
replaced, and this calls for another
boost in the price of meats.
In this period of sympathy the Phil
ippines should not be overlooked,
where the ant-hill cure vies with hydro
pathic assimilation.
The ueef trust brought on the hard
coal strike by advancing the cost of
living, and it should be dealt with ac
cordingly.
The women pistol toters are at a
loss what to do, now that muffs have
been discarded on account of the
weather.
The beef trust may boost prices
again, because one hundred bulls were
killed to grace King Alfonso’s holi
day.
The coal trust that would not arbi
trateiseems to be kin to the beef trust
which has adopted the Vanderbilt the
ory.
The Coal Barons are pulling them
selves together, and will soon be doing
business again in the first division.
It Is the consumer who gets the
blow when capital becomes greedy or
labor unreasonable. He pays all.
President Palma finds plenty of pa
triots in his adopted country who are
willing to serve for a salary.
Mark Hanna holds that his friends
are innocent until they have been
found guilty more than once.
The sleeping political volcanoes
need not wake up for 1904. New tim
ber is wanted this time.
Denmark should sell her islands
speedily lest they become volcanic and
disappear altogether.
'ihe plutocrat’s ten-ton toy claims
the right of way in the streets.
General Miles’ compulsory retire
ment has Itself been retired.
They are oeglnning to see in the
Middle West that It is after all the
tariff that creates the trusts.
Miss Mary MaeLane of Montana has
beaten Miss Ella Wheeler Wilcox at
her own game.
The trouble with Tammany Is not
too much Johnson, but too much Rich
ard Croker.
The Tenderloin in New York is nat
urally interested in the beef trust is
sue.
Automobiles should be calmed Into
gentleness and lawful speed schedules.
Tammany also blew off its top.
WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT.
From the Hamilton News.
We publish a few extracts from Ala
bama newspapers anent the state prima
ry. They express the views of the editors
and no doubt express the sentiments of
nine-tenths of their readers. The people
want a primary, and If they don’t get It
much trouble Is ahead of us.
THERE MUST BE A CHANGE.
From the Thomasville Echo.
The workings of conventions have be
come so corrupt that there will necessar
ily have to be a change soon. The peo
ple have cast about for remedies and have
tolerated the dishonesty practiced In the
conventions till forbearance has almost
become worn out. .
THE PEOPLE RULE.
From the Cullman Tribune-Gazette.
Over this way the primary plan la so
popular with the masses that the politi
cians dare net oppose It. The day of the
professional politician has past into ob
livion, and the people have taken charge
Of the governmental affairs. Henceforth
all candidates backed by professional
politicians wil be snowed under by the
masses. In short, the politicians must
"go away back—and sit down.”
IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
From the Ozark News.
But the press in the state seems to ad
vocate a state Democratic primary, and
we suppose the Democratic party Is be
hind it. This being so we think the state
executive committee should most certain
ly order one; we think It will be a mis
take if they do not. We have no idea
they will be so foolish as to order a
white primary, and they may not order
the other, but we think they should do
so. There are many Populltes in this
county and in the state who will act in
the future with the Democratic party,
and we are glad to know it; because they
are good citizens.
ADONAIS BROUGHT $2125.
From the New York Tribune.
Shelley was the bright particular star
of the second and last day of the sale
of Part 6 of the Thomas J. McKee libra
ry at Anderson’s Wednesday. A presen
tation copy of his "Adonals,” bound by
Riviere in full claret levant, with the
original covers bound In and bearlhg the
inscription in Shelley’s own hand, "To
my dear friend Leigh Hunt, P. B. S.,”
and also a presentation Inscription by
Hunt to Thomas Love Peacock, brought
the price of $2125.
Other copies of rare editions of this
poet brought $500, $710, $340, $230 and $625.
The highest price for a Swinburne was
$170, for a presentation copy of "The
Queen Mother” and "Rosamond.” Six
volumes of Livy, issued from the Aldine
Press between 1518 and 1533, brought $190
each. A presentation copy of one of
Oscar Wilde’s lnte French playB brought
$25. A rare book, the works of Henry
Ward, Comedian, containing the auto
graph of Peg Woffington, which Au
gustin Daly hunted for in vain, was sold
for $170. Thirty dollars was the highest
price for a Wordsworth.
ALABAMA EDITORS.
From the Rockford Argus.
Yes, brethren, It certainly looks as
though thlB would be a Democratic year;
ditto 3904.
From the Sheffield Reaper.
The way to bust the corn trust Is for
Alabama farmers to raise more corn and
leBS complaint.
From the Sheffield Reaper.
When the school boys tackle the Phil
ippines It will be as fully theorized as If
the Illuminated crested Carmack had
done It himself.
From the Prattville Progress.
The rumor that the English tobacco
trust will come over and fight the Ameri
can monopoly on Its own grounds Is the
worst pipe dream yet liberated.
From the Scottsboro Citizen.
The average paper in Alabama Is too
large for the town in which It Is pub
lished. A paper about the size of a sheet
of fooUcap Is what the average country
town needs.
From the Ashland Standard.
The news dispatches from Washington
state that Senator Tillman figured in a
sensational controversy over the Philip
pines. Senator Tillman mixed up with a
sensational affair! Is it possible?
From the Sheffield Standard.
There Is great demand for labor on the
farms, but numbers of young men, white
and black, prefer to play base ball and
trust to Providence for an occasional
square meal. Enforcement of the va
grant law is the only remedy for this
condition.
From the Gadsden Journal-Tribune.
The Southern League baseball chibs
seem to be unable to play n game without
calling In a policeman. The umpires and
players very freely call each other
•'toughs'' and "rotten rascals," and while
both are probably right, there will be no
league In the South If it Is kept up.
From the Huntsville Dally Mercury.
Touching the forthcoming meeting of
the Alabama Press Association, the
Montgomery Journal suggests that
"style, grammar and autobiography"
should have been the subject of a paper.
The Journal can supply the deficiency by
organizing an editorial home study circle.
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
From the New York Press.
Love deferred maketh the man bad.
Knowing vice Is to take a little stock
In It.
Red-headed girls are hi] right If you
dont’ Inherit them.
Heaven will forgive the man who Is not
good If he only will not be bad.
The way to keep a woman Interested In
you is to keep her curious about you.
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE
Poker and Bridge Whist.
"While many garars of cards are well
adapted to gambling none of them comes
up to poker,” remarked an amateur
sport.
“Bridge whist is a fine game and is
played a good deal for money, especial
ly In England among women who like to
gamble. But of course It lacks In pleas
urable excitement old poker. A good
poker player is never lonesome In any
part of the United States. He can al
ways get up a game that will be more
or less diverting.”
The Knights of Columbus.
A council of Knights of Columbus will
be Instituted In Atlanta next Sunday and
Mr. John W. O’Neill and twenty or twen
ty-five other members of the order In
Birmingham will be present to assist In
the Initiation.
The Birmingham council will have its
next initiation some time In June. The
class of candidates will be a large one,
numbering not less than sixty. The
growth of this comparatively young or
der hpa been phenomenal.
The Cumberland Presbyterians.
“The general assembly of the Cumber
land Presbyterian church now in session
at Springfield, Mo., is having, as itusual
ly does, a most harmonious sessions,”
said a layman.
1 he Cumberland Presbyterians are
very active and progressive and few -of
the Protestant denomination are doing
more far reaching work. While they
came out from the old Presbyterian
church and while they continue the pres
byteriai polity, they are in matters of
doctrine, more like Methodists than
Presbyterians. The church derives its
name from the Cumberland country; now
middle Tennessee, the scene of early re
vivals under the auspices of Cumberland
Presbytery. Its formal organization dates
from 3810. A large majority of its found
ers wefe Scotch-Irish.”
The 8tate Fair.
The executive committee of the State
Pair Association, having practically set
tled the question of ways and means,
will soon go to work soliciting exhibits
for a fair next fall.
“It Is understood that Mr. Eugene Fles
will be elected manager,” said one of the
directors. “He will fill the bill well. He
will have charge of detais and will have
an assistant who will be paid to devote
his entire time to the work in hand.
“It is the purpose of the committee to
make the next fair the best ever held In
Alabama. The exhibits will be more va
ried and the fair will be better advertis
ed than ever before.”
Car Building.
“Birmingham's advantages as a car
building location are so great,” remarked
a much traveled and observing man at the
Moss, “that it strikes me a paper read
at a recent meeting of the St. Eouis Rail
way Club, will prove extremely interest
ing to readers of The Age-Herald. The
substance of the discussion is this:
“The greater availability of lumber as
compared with steel has thus far prevent
ed the general use of steel in car bodies,
and immense quantities of large capacity
ears, whose bodies are composed of wood,
have been added to the equipment of the
railroads during the past two years; and,
judging from the large orders already
placed, the addition will continue for an
indefinite period, forcing the retirement
of foiling stock of smaller capacity or
restricting its use to branch lines.
“In order to give the required addition
al strength to wooden cars of greater car
rying capacity eight sills aiTe now used
instead of six, as was the general prac
tice when 40,000 capacity marked the
limit. The sills are made of larger sec
tion and end sills are also made of larger
proportions. The number of truss rods
has also been increased from four to six
and sometimes eight in number, and
from 1 to 1H. Inches and sometimes 1%
inches in diameter, and the depth of the
truss is usually increased. The chief
strength of a box car built of wood must
always be in the under frame, and the
above additions to sills and trussing have
been added and Increased with this ob
ject in view. This has resulted in in
creased weight of cars, so that the pro
portion of dead weight has about kept
pace with the increased tonnage capacity.
The increased size and length of longi
tudinal sills of long leaf pine have made
the selection of longer timber necessary,
and must result in a much smaller per
centage of native lumber being available
for use in car building; and while the ;
present conditions of business have tend- j
ed to prevent the general Introduction of
Eteeli in car-body construction, the con
clusions clearly shown by the require
ments of traffic are, both from the in
creasing scarcity of timber and the de
velopment of steel making and its suita
bility, that it must soon become the ex
clusive material for car-body and under
frame construction.
“Within a short time we have seen the
wood body transom, the wood truck
bolster and the spring or sand plank dis
appear, and have seen steel substituted
with the most satisfactory results possi
ble. From the earliest days of railroad
operation efforts have been made to sub
stitute pedestal trucks composed of com
posite steel forms, and many of them are
in use, but now there is a revival of and
recurrence to the original diamond frame,
the merits of which have become so evi
dent that they have passed beyond the
stage of argument."
Sunday Night Concerts.
A series of Sunday night concerts will
be given in the new open air theatre at
East Lake with exceptionally fine talent.
The first concert will take place June 15,
and the programme will he made up of
Memoll’s Mass No. 2. Mr. Memoli will
direct. He will have a large chorus and
a large orchestra and a brilliant perform
ance may be expected.
Mr. Justin Thatcher has been engaged
for the second or third concert and other
well known and popular singers will be
heard during the summer.
Life Insurance.
The Insurance Press of New York in
Its Issue of this week, devotes five pages
to valuable life Insurance statistics. It
is stated that $1GD,000,000 was paid out
by life companies, “first to furnish loans
on real estate and thus add capital to
some of the active business interests of
the country and to satisfy a, desire for
a home."
These are the amounts collected In llfo
Insurance payments In some of the
Southern cities in 1901: Louisville, $1,19?,
970; Richmond, $728,7C0; Atlanta $641,013;
Memphis, $578,403; Montgomery $350,836,
and Birmingham $22G,596. Those arc the
figures based on special returns to the
Insurance Press.
About Persons.
Maj. W. W. Screws and Mr. BenJ.
Screws of the Montgomery Advertiser are
at the Metropolitan.
• • •
IV. P. Agee of Selma is at the Morris.
* • *
C. W. Todd of Baltimore is at the Mor
ris.
• • •
G. B. Randolph of Anniston is at the
Morris.
• • •
A. B. McEacljitT of Tuscaloosa Is at
the Morris.
• • •
W. C. Wallis and D. B. Hutchins of
Sylacauga are at the Metropolitan.
■ • •
Theo. Seay of New York is at the
Metropolitan.
• • •
J. A. Adams of Montgomery is at the
Metropolitan.
• • •
Chris Schuelng of Cullman is at the
Metropolitan.
* * * /
J. E. Stanley of Leeds Is at the Metro
politan.
• • •
I The Hon. John B. Knox and the Hon.
J. J. Willett of Anniston are at the Hill
man.
• • •
J. H. Hartley and daughter of Mont
gomery are at the Hillman.
• * *
W. F. Everett of New York is at the
Hillman.
m • m
A. P. Roche of New York Is at the
Hillman.
• * •
J. J. Gray Jr., of Rockdale, Tenn., Is
at the Hillman.
THE KING 13 A BUSY MAN.
London.—Since King Edward’B pro
motion from the position of heir appar
ent to that of sovereign, a good many
rather significant changes have been ob
servable In his character, and none of
them Is more striking than that which
has taken place In his attitude toward
his work.
At present there probably are few bus
iness men In his kingdom more meth
odical and businesslike than His Majecty
and not many capable of getting through
a big pile of work In such an amazing
ly short time. He was hardly back from
one ,of his recent trips before he had
callet his council together, discussed Im
portant state affairs, gave his sanction
to several diplomatic appointments and
paid an unusually large number of priv
ate visits, not to mention going all over
the plans for the alterations which have
been made In Buckingham palace at
Windsor.
This propensity of the king's for hust
ling has simply electrified those who
used to come In contact with him as
Prince of Wales. At that time he made
the lives of hls various distinguished sec
retaries a burden to them. It was like
pulling teeth to Induce him to settle
down to work on the different accounts
that it was necessary that he review or
to attend to hls Immense correspondence,
and harder still to make him keep hls
. many appointments, even to make sure
that he turned up at the different priv
ate and state functions at which hls
presence was Indispensable.
Comnaratlvely speaking, King Edward
has not made so many changes In his
retinue or In the various palace staffs,
but for every one that has been made
there has been some businesslike reason.
When It came to head chopping the king
showed himself no respecter of persons.
Queen Victoria had given the charge of
Windsor castle to the Duke of Argyll,
but the king wanted to have the man
agement In hls own hands and so he
placed Lord Esher, one of hls moBt
trusted servitors, at the head of the
castle affairs. Queen Victoria’s beloved
"Highland attendants” and "Indian ret
inue" and likewise her German secretary
and the two ladles whose duty It was to
read to her are no longer on the royal
payroll. There Is no longer a "first
clerk of the kitchen,” and Queen Vic
toria’s old chef has been deposed In fa
vor of a skillful caterer whom the king
as Prince of Wales, had In hls service.
SPEEDING TO HIS MOTHER.
Washington Correspondent of Memphis
News.
Corporal Amos Adams, late of Company
B, Twenty-third United States Infantry,
was In the city one day this week for
a few hours, en route from Plattsburgh,
N. Y., to Ills former home at Blrmlng- I
ham, Ala. He enlisted more than three
years ago at Birmingham, and went Im
mediately to tho Philippines, where he
was In the first encounter with the In
surgents, and afterward served with his
regiment In the Sulu archipelago. He has
just got an honorable discharge, with
the extra mark of '‘excellent.” He had
to lie over In Washington a few hours,
lie Is a stalwart specimen of young
manhood, who enlisted when barely
within the age minimum limit. "I have
been all around the world,” he said, "but
I have Been no city so fine and beauti
ful as Washington." Friends urged that
he stay over a day at least and see
something moro of the city. "No,” he
said, "I'm going straight to Alabama. I'
want to see my mammy."
THE CHALK LINE PERIOD.
From the Marlon Democrat.
It Is with no small degree of pleasure
that the editor of the Q/mocrat Informs
all political gypsies that he never voted
any tlrket on earth but the Democratic
ticket. He has known people to steal
ballots, to rob men of honest votes cast,
and never murmur a word, owing to the
fact that white supremacy would be
threatened as charged by the vote steal
ers. But your humble servant Is free
now, and Just let him Inform some polit
ical saints, that If they don't want their
wings cropped, they had better walk a
chalk line.
THE FINAL OUTCOME.
From the Chattanooga Times.
There were 11.000 arrests made by the
police authorities in Birmingham last
year, which, considering tho fact that
the city by the lact census numbered less
than 40,000, Is doing pretty well. As Tho
Age-Herald observed, “one In every four
of us was sent to Jail." With a little ex
tra effort the Magic City's finest might
corral the whole bunch, making It four
out of a possible four, and take the belt.
SO IT SHOULD BE.
From the Lamar Democrat.
Everybody throughout the state seems
to favor a primary election for all the
officers, so let us have one.
WAR CLAIM QUESTION
AGITATED IN CONGRESS
Washington, May 20.—The war claim
matter which Is so agitating the general
conference of the Methodist church,
South, now In session at Dallas, broke
out In the House of Representatives last
week In a sensational manner. The bill
under discussion was the Washington Gas
Company bill, which Representative
Jenkins of Wisconsin followed and se
verely criticized Mr. Sims' position, and
In tho course of his remarks used this
language. "He (Sims) Is only consistent
when he is voting for the M. B. Church
to rob the treasury of the United States.”
Upon the conclusion of Mr. Jenkins
remarks Mr. Sims got the floor on a ques
tion of privilege and resented bitterly the
institution that he had participated in any
conspiracy to rob the treasury for the
benefit of tho Methodist church. He gave
a history of the claim and the represen
tations which were made to him which
led him to support the bill. He asserted
that had he known the true status of the
transaction at the time the bill was pend
ing he would never( have supported it;
that he In common with every member
who had voted for the hill had been
misled about It.
Representative John Wesley Gaines of
the Nashville district, the author of the
original bill, then got the floor under
unanimous consent and made the follow
ing statement, which was listened to with
deep Interest by the house.
"1 exceedingly regret that the gentle
man from Wisconsin (Mr. Jenkins) should
have said of my colleague (Mr. Sims) that
'he Is only consistent when he Is voting
for the Methodist church to rob the
treasury of the United States.^ In ex
plaining his relation to the passage of
the bill providing for the payment of this
claim my colleague states that he based
his support of the measure upon Informa
tion received from me and from the letter
which he has Just read, written me by
Messrs. Barbee & Smith.
"Now I desire to say that the claim is
meritorious, as I will shew later on and
which I demonstrated when the matter
was pending In the House. I introduced
the bill for its payment which became the
law.
"The Information which I had In refer
ence to the payment of this large fee to
Major Stahlman was received from
Messrs. Barbee & Smith in person, while
the letter they wrote me led me to believe
very naturally that Major Stahlman was
In Washington on other business, which
was the case. I then thought and still
think that he would Incidentally, or as a
friend of the church, aid In the passage
of this till.
"Messrs. Barbee and Smith stated to
me that Stahlman was to receive no
compensation for his services atid Major
Stahlman said to me himself and to
many others of this house that he was
not to receive one cent for his services.
"Relying upon this Information, It was
natural for me and proper to repel the
charge that this huge fee was to be paid
Major Stahlman. I had known Dr. Bar
bee a number of years; he was my
neighbor; he had been the pastor of the
church I attended, officiated at my mar
riage and at the burial of several of my
people, while Mr. Smith was my Sunday
school superintendent.
"I relied implicitly upon what they in
person Bald to me and what they wrote
me in this letter and I submit, Mr.
Speaker, if I cannot rely upon men of
this class, men whom I knew to bo hon
orable and upright, upon whom could
I rely or should I rely? When I receiv
ed this letter from Messrs. Barbee and
Smith, I determined to lay aside, as ]
did, my personal feeling toward Major
Stahlman, entertaining as I did no
friendly feeling for him. He Is a distin
guished Republican, living In my district
who had bitterly op'posed my election to
Congress, ns did the newspaper which
he owns, an administration sheet, I may
add.
“But I laid all this asldo and did all 1
could honoraSjly for the palsage of this
bill. I saw Major Stahlman almost daily,
and we boarded at the same hotel. But at
no time did he tell me that he was to be
paid any fee. I knew he was In Washing
ton often and I thought was then on
some railroad business pending In Wash
ington, and I naturally believed that his
offices In the matter were purely as a
friend of the church. I knew Ills family
were members of the Methodist church at
Nashville and that be affiliated with that
church, and hence, ns he said, ho was
working for the payment of this claim.
These facts nlone, laying aside the letter
of Messrs. Barbee & Smith, naturally
led mo to believe that his action In the
matter wns as a friend of the church.
"I have given twice a statement of my
entire history with the passage of this
bill. I did so under oath, once before the
senate committee and recently In a depo
sition. My record In the matter, 1 gladly
gave the public when called on to do so.
It Is open for every one to read and I re
affirm here that all that I have stated in
these two statements.
“Had 1 known that this enormous fee
was to be paid Major Stahlman or any
one else for lobbying for this claim be
fore Congress I would not have voted far
the passage of the bill and I certainly
would not have misled my friends, the
members of Congress. In the manner that
1 did when they asked me If the charge
that this fee was to be paid was true and
1 said to them that there was no truth
in the charge. I was misled, as you must
see, and I am grieved that I misled my
friends, members of Congress.
“Now a moment as to the merits of the
claim. The United Btates army while In
Nashville used and consumed an Immense
amount, about $480,000 worth of property
of the Methodist Episcopal church south.
The amount paid by Congress was $288,
000. Gen. Clinton D. Fisks said this was
a just claim. Major A. W. Wills, a Re
publican, who was in Nashville at the
time this property was taken, and who
Is now, and has been several times, the
postmaster at Nashville, espoused this
measure; Indeed he was very active in its
support. The Hon. John C. Houk, a Re
publican once a member of this house.
Indorsed it. So did Captain J. W. Baker,
a leading Republican of Nashville, and
so have many other leading Republicans,
as well as Democrats. The bishops of
both branches of the MethOdlst church In
dorsed It, Including the colored bishops.
I could give you a list as long as my arm
of leading men whose names appear here
In The Record containing the debate of
this bill when pending In the house. The
claim was absolutely meritorious. The
history of the claim Is odious now, be
cause of the deception practiced in pro
curing Its passage, as I have stated, and
as the Senate hearings on this matter
clearly disclose. I thank the house tot
the opportunity granted me for making
this statement.”
FOUR KILLED IN WRECK.
Construction Wrecked on High Trestle
Near Ardmore, I. T.
Ardmore, I. T., May 20.—A construc
tion train was wrecked today twelve
miles east of Ardmore on the Choc
taw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad, In
which four men were killed and 17
seriously injured, four fatally.
The dead: Charles A. Black, Tish
mingo, I. T.; James Dolan, Fort Smith,
Ark.; J. R. Gaines, residence un
known; Jim Hopegood, Tishmingo,
I. T.
Fatally hurt: A. M. Oliphant, Tish
mingo; James Wear, residence un
known; E. D. Clark, Arkansas;
Hopejoy, Texas.
A score of the injured men were
brought to Ardmore for treatment. J.
R. Gaines died shortly after he reached
the city. Conductor Roberts was badly
hurt, but will recover. The wreck oc
curred on a high trestle, the work train
dashing 25 feet down an embankment.
The engine remained on the track. A.
M. Oliphant, who Is probably fatally
hurt, Is a prominent attorney of Tish
mingo. He was riding in the caboose.
PNEUMONIA CHIEF DANGER.
Average Duration of Life Rapidly In
creasing.
From tho New York Sun.
People are growing healthier and lives
are becoming longer In thl9 country, If
the msdlcal 9tatlBtlcs can be relied on.
According to figures published In the last
week, life has been lengthened by an
average of t.l years in the last decade.
In 1390 the average length of life In the
United States was 31.1 years. In 1900 this
mean average had risen to 3,r>.2 years,
chiefly by reasofi of the decrease In mor
tality among tho very young.
The three diseases which have caused
the most deaths In recent years are pneu
monia, consumption and heart disease In
the order named. Deaths from tho flrat
cauBe have Increased slightly, and medi
cal science has made comparatively little
progress In finding a specific treatment
for It.
Pneumonia Is an infectious disease like
tuberculosis. Although It Is not so con
tagious as are many other diseases, the
sanitation of houses, schools, shops, fac
tories, plnccs of business and amuse
ment, In medical opinion, undoubtedly de
termines to great extent tho vulnerability
of the system to it.
Ate 69 Eggs an Hour.
From the New York Herald.
Belgium mourns, for the champion enter
of the country Is dead. An extraordinary
man he was. One day ho entered Into an
agreement with a hotel keeper, according
to which he promised to pay a fixed sum
for a dinner, but stipulated that ho was
to have all the food he wanted.
The sum fixed was small, and great,
therefore, was the disgust of the hotel
keeper when he discovered at the end
of the dinner that the guest had eaten
two stewed rabbits and a whole calf's
head.
On another occasion ho ate for a wager
twelvo yardB of sausage and black pud
ding. Ho recently accepted a challenge
to cat oeventy hard boiled eggs In an
hour, and he almost accomplished this
feat, since he devoured slxty-nlnc In tho
specified time.
The fact that he lost tho wager, how
ever, and through one egg, preyed on
his mind and he became sick. Doctors
were summoned and said that he was
suffering from indigestion, but his friends
say that it was nothing but worry over
this one egg which made him sick, and
which Anally brought him to his grave.
WILL CREATE DIVISONS
From tho Bessemer Workman.
Tho Democrats of Alabama named tho
executive committee, and to these same
Democrats must each and every member
answer for his action; and if the wishes
of the people are overridden upon whose
head will the odium fall? By declaring for
a convention, the executive committee
will take the Initiative In creating a divi
sion in tho party that will be far-reaching
in its effects and prove uisastrous at the
very time that all should unite and en
deavor to give a full, free a-nd honest
expression of sentiment, and work for a
pure ballot and a fair count.
KITTY NEIL. ‘
By J. F. Waller.
Ah! sweet Kitty Nell, rise up from that
wheel,—
Your neat little foot will be weary with
spinning!
Come trip down with me to the sycamore
tree;
ITalf the parish is there, and the dance
is beginning.
Tho sun is gone down, but the full harvest
moon
Shines sweetly and cool on tho dew
whitened valley;
While all the air rings with tho soft, lov
ing things
Ea£h little bird sings in the green shad
ed valley.
With a blush and a smile Kitty rose up
the while,
Her eye in tho glass, as she bound her
hair, glancing;
'TIs hard to refuse when a young lover
sues,
So she couldn’t hut choose to—go off to
the dancing.
And now on tho green the glad groups are
seen,—
Each gay-hearted lad with tho lass of
his choosing;
And Pat, without fail, leads out sweet
Kitty N*il.—
Somehow, when he asked, she ne’er
thought of refusing.
Now, Felix Magee put his pip&s to his
knee.
And with flourish so free sct3 each
couple In motion;
With a cheer and a bound, the lads patter
the ground;
The maids move around Just lika swens
on the ocean;
Cheeks bright as the rose, feet light as
the doe’s,
Now coyly retiring, now boldly ad
vancing—
Search the world all round, from the
sky to the ground.
No such eight can be found as an Irish
lass dancing!
Sweet Kate! who coud view your bright
eyes deep blue.
Beaming liumldly through their dark
lashes so mildly,
Your fair-turned arm. heaving breast,
rounded form.
Nor foci Ills heart warm, ana his pulses
throb wildly?
Younp Pat feds his heart, as he gazes,
depart.
Subdued by the smart of such painful
yet sweet love:
The sight leaves his eye, s. he cries with
a sigh.
"Dance light, for my heart it lies under
your feet, lovst"