Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE ATLANTIAN 11 Great Problem Unsolved Statesmen Fail to Decide Whether Whiskers Are a Greater Detriment to a Man Than a Bald Head—Eloquent Arguments Confound Judges—Resolution Goes to House Ways and Means Committee. Whether whiskers are a greater detriment to a man than a bald head is still a mooted question. Four of the ablest men in public life debated the subject before the National Press Club here last night. Speaker Champ Clark of the House of Representa tives, called on in the emergency, de clared he couldn’t see any use in either whiskers or a bald head, and referred F. M. BULLOCH, One of the Best-Known Dis patchers on the Southern Rail way, Having Been in the Serv ice More Than Ten Years. the whole matter to the Ways and Means Committee of the House, which now has the wool and hair schedule under consideration. The bald-headed side of the ques tion was in the hands of Senator Rob ert L. Taylor, of Tennessee, and Rep resentative Nicholas Longworth, of Ohio. The chin curtains found their champions in former Senator Thomas H. Carter, of Montana, and ex-Speaker Cannon, of Illinois. Messrs. Taylor and Longworth entered the ring amid cheers and applause. Their hairless domes sparkled beneath the radiance of myriad electric lights. Senator Car ter and Uncle Joe came with their whiskers combed for the fray. The shouts that greeted them were deaf ening. Dr. “Pure Food” Wiley of the Department of Agriculture was chosen as timekeeper, and each exponent was allowed ten minutes. Scott Bone rep resented the Press Club as referee during hostilities, but gave away to Speaker Clark at the end. The au dience was gathered from every part of the country, and included most of the prominent men of Washington. The absence of a verdict prevented any money from changing hands. Representative Longworth was the first speaker. He declared that he did not believe that a hair on the head was worth two on the chin. Neither was he willing to assume that a bald head—provided he should be consid ered bald—was in any sense a handi cap either in public or private life. Mr. Longworth claimed that on his birthday every man has a choice be tween hair and brains. His choice, he declared, was apparent. “The condition of the disputants on the other side is utterly inexcusable,” as serted Mr. Longworth. “In olden days whiskers were excusable—they were sworn by—but nowadays they are only sworn at. There is no excuse for such whiskers as those that adorn the chin —or chest—of the former senator from Montana. I claim that whiskers are unsanitary and I appeal to the timekeeper to uphold me.” The time keeper called time. Mr. Longworth insisted that he had been interrupted and that these interruptions should not be taken from his time. Dr. Wiley insisted that the interruptions were the best part of the argument. Senator Carter was introduced as “Exhibit A” for the whiskers. “No man," said he, “ever voluntarily wore a hald head. A bald head is an affile tion, a standing joke, a physical in firmity. We pity, but do not blame our opponents.” Senator Carter in sisted that the beard was the real thing. He ridiculed moustaches and declared they first called out the name of whiskers, as they whisked back and forth in the breeze. “No fair maiden," he said, “ever feared a prom ise from a bearded man. The beard is a badge of manhood. A bearded man needs only opportunity. The first man to cut off beards was Alexander the Great. It was a brutal measure of warfare—to prevent antagonists from seizing the soldiers by the beard. Let us all wear beards and there will be no more warfare in this troubled world of ours.” Senator Taylor, who has a great rep utation as a performer on the Chau tauqua circuit, was warmly greeted when he arose to uphold the honor of the shining dome. He wore an air of profound seriousness and smoothed his hairless peak as he leaped into a flight of oratory. “Away up among the mountains of Tennessee,” he said, “where bald peaks point upward to ward the sky and where the - bald eagles circle around them, forever r New Accounts Invited ^yHATEVER YOUR REASONS FOR opening a bank account, whether the account be large or small, the ATLANTA NATIONAL BANK asks your considera tion; assuring you in return, absolute safety for your funds, and the very best of banking service. The officers of this bank extend to patrons every courtesy warranted by their business, balances and responsibility. They will be pleased to have a personal interview or enter into correspondence with those de- siring to open a new account or to establish additional banking relations. Atlanta National Bank C. E. CURRIER, President F. E. BLOCK, Vice Pres. J. S. FLOYD, Vice Pres. G. R. DONOVAN, Cashier J. S. KENNEDY, Asst. Cashier J. D. LEITNER, Asst. Cashier - — J teaching the lesson of liberty, only a few short summers ago, I was born bald-headed. My father before me was extremely bald. When I opened my eyes and looked upon his burnish ed dome, I imagined the whole world E. W. SWANN, Baggage Master Charlotte Divis ion Southern Ry., and Member of B. of R. T., Stonewall Jack- son Lodge, Charlotte, N. C. was bald-headed and then when my mother pressed her soft cheek and chin to mine I did not dream there was in all this earth such a thing as whis kers. But as the years rolled on a splendid shod, of hair sprang up on the top of my head and waved in tri umph above my classic brow. Curls hung about my temples like a halo of glory, and when I looked in a mirror I dreamed that I was beautiful. But alas! those raven tresses Like autumn leaves began to fall. They fell until my head resembled That thing they call a billiard ball. “Ever since I lost my hair,” Senator Taylor concluded, “I have always had a horror for hair and a contempt for whiskers. I have always admired bald heads because they are the symbols of purity and innocence, and if I could get the ear of the ladies I would say to them: ‘Suffer the bald-headed men to come unto you and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ ” Mr. Cannon, declaring he had never been funny in his life—at least not consciously so—quoted from a writer who recently was in Turkey and who declared the saddest man he found in the empire had a bald head. He was the harem guard. “He that hath a beard,” said the former Speaker, quot ing Shakespeare, “is more than youth and he that hath no beard is less than a man. Hair upon the face always has been an evidence of manhood.” When Speaker Clark was called up on to settle the dispute, he said that Uncle Joe had protested against his presence at the party, on the ground that he neither had whiskers nor a bald head. Mr. Clark said he wouldn’t have missed the debate for the world, despite the fact that his wife didn’t