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The Watered Messenger I Published Every Tuesday by CHAS. W. BIRCHMORE, Prop. Entered as Second Claas Matter at the Postoffice at Camden, S. C. Subscription $1.50 A Year in Advance Tuesday, ftiarch 1, 1932 A SAFE PLACE FOR MONEY We like the plan, fathered by Col. Prank Knox of the Chicago Daily News, for an issue of "baby" Govern ?~ment bonds to be offered to every body in the effort to induce people who are afraid of banks and of other forms of investment to take th.eir money out of hiding and put it where it will earn something and be useful. These bonds, we understand, arc to be issped >n denominations as lov as fifty dollars, and will pay interes at about 3 percent. If they are no'. safe? then nothing is. For thesi bonds to become worthless would mean that the government of thi United States had collapsed, ant there is no fear of that even amon* the most timid. We hope that somt scheme will be worked out wherebj they can be offered at every . Post Office. We s'till think the best place to pu'. money is in a sound bank, but we can't criticize very severely the peo ple who say they do not know how tc tell whether a bank is sound or not Wo are hopeful that the financial re lief measures adopted at Washington will put an end to bank failures, but in the long run the whole bankinj: structure will have to be revised. The great majority of the bank: which have failed in the past three years should never have been per mitted to start business. Many of them were established over the pro tests of responsible financiers, whos( objections were overridden by th< political pull of the bank organizers. There should be no connection what ever between banks and politics, and no politician should ever be permitted to have a traceable interest in any bank. Politics is an industry whose operations are in the nature of fav ors; banking is a sacred trusteeship of other people's n^oney.^d no hon est banker can have a single favorite. X STOCK MARKET GAMBLING \ W'e think we are perfectly safe in saying that the business depression has "scraped bottom" and that the upswing has begun. It is certain that there is a much greater feeling of confidence among manufacturers, business men and bankers than there was a month ago. The remedial leg islation which has been enacted at Washington has already had a deep psychological effect upon the busi ness and financial world. The best proof that these efforts ito put a stop to the process of de flation are regarded by men who know about Buch thinps as being ef fective, is the fact that men and in stitutions of great wealth who have been holding back their funds wait ing to be 'sure that the bottom had been reaced, are now actively invest ing ag^in. But on the heels of the^o investors follows an army of specu lative sharks, whose activities may succeed in undoing the beginnings of restored confidence. These are the traders who rush in whenever the shares of any corporation show signs of strength, and buy merely to sell again as soon as they can make a 'dollar or two profit. The New York Stock Exciiango is an important institution, in that it furnishes the only open market irwto which anyone who wants to buy or sell securities can go to make hi* pales or purchases. But a large part of the trading on the Exchange is pure gambling. These gamblers care nothing about the welfare of the na tion; they seek only to line their own pockets. And it is too bad that whenever there are encouraging signs of restored confidence that they should come in and kill vit by first running the market up and then, when they sefl to take profits, put ting it down again. Wb believe that these stock gam blers have done more to retard the reaumpton of normal business than > *ny other one influence. We hope that the nation as a whole will not 'eonttnue<to regard the day-to-day fluctuations of security prices on the dfeoek Exchange as rejecting any thing more than the operations of garablera* but we are afraid that too many people think the nation's pros perity is dependent upon the price of atocks, Which have no more relation to the actual values, of the properties behind them today, when they are ab surdly low, than they had in 1920, Jvfeen they were ridiculously too high. V TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT We saw some startling figures the other day. If they are correct, and we have every reason to believe that they are, since they were compiled by the New York Sun, a responsible newspaper, then we have reached the position in this country when one tenth of all the people are on the public payroll. One hundred persons out of every thousand are tax-eaters! That in cludes national, state, county, muni cipal, - township and village em ployees, Add to those the number of pensioners and persons being sup ported by old age relief funds, in poorhouses, prisons^ and insane asy lums, and it is easy to believe, as I Senator Metcalfe of Rhode Island as serts,, that every six people in the United States are carrying a seventh on their backs.* That is the penalty we are paying fci* our easy policy of letting "gov ernment" do everything. It is be cause of this enormous host of tax eaters that the burden of taxation has become almost too heavy to bear. There must be public officials to en force and administer the laws, of course. There is no escaping from a certain percentage of public em ployees. But the inescapable tenden cy of our willingness to let profess ional politicians run our public Af fairs is to increase the number of jobo at public expense. Politicians 'iold their power by "taking care" of their supporters. We think ft is '"oolish to expect them to change 'heir own methods voluntarily. But we also think that unless there is a speedy curtailment of the cos': of government, state, national and locai, there is going to be a general upris ng of indignant taxpayers who will , throw all the politicians, of all parties, out of their jobs and compel I them go back to earning an honest j living. MOVIES. Some small European nations have prohibited the showing of "Mickey Mouse" in movie theaters on the ground that this animated cartoon is "mentally unwholesome." Few in telligent people will agree with that. On the contrary, I think such amus inpi productions as Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies are not only the best sort of comedy entertainment but they are almost the only original form of art which the movies have developed. In such pictures as those, and in newsreels and travel picturel, the movies give something which the stage cannot offer. Much of the oth er stuff shown on the screen these days consists of poor substitutes for real plays presented by real actors. They do bring the drama ? of a sort ? within the reach of everybody, but that is not to say that every type of drama is wholesome for everybody. | I sympathize with the effort of Mr. Will Hays to "clean up" the movies,' I but I don't think he is making very much headway, to judge by some talkies I have seen lately. There is! lome excuse for a play which deals ! with more or less delicacy with ;M it sex relations, when it is confir. to a single theater and audiences of pre sumably sophisticated adults. There is no excuse for vulgarizing the same play until even a child can sense its rawest implications and then show ing it to audiences of millions of children in the movies. % Gold Mine* Worked I^Mtg Ago The gold mines of South Africa linve apparently been worked from nntlq ulty, nnd must In nriclent times have supported a very large populntlon nnd n much higher civilization than It linj? ?nown up to our times. Beginning To Take Notice Again ? * By Albert T. Reid BROTHERS CHRISTOPHER I spent the week-end with my friend Bill Brown, whose famous health farm is just across the river from West Point. On Sunday morn ing we went to mass at Father Paul's j and afterwards the good father came 1 to the farm for dinner. He told me how he had started his church and boys' school twenty years I ago with little backing, and how, ' though the bills sometimes mount to terrifying heights, the money has al ways come from somewhere at the critical times. i "We live by faith," he said, and his face waB a benediction. I "This year has been harder,", he continued, "because we hav? had so many Brothers Christopher." i "Brothers Christopher,", I repeat ed. "That is an order with which I am not familiar. Who are the Brothers Christopher?" "Some call them tramps," he an swered, and smiled at my look of he explained, "and all sorts, of men pass by. Some have left their jobs; some have quarreled with their wives; some are life-long victims of the wanderlust. We have a house for them in which they may sleep, arid no questions asked. They may come to the kitchen for their meals, and if they know any trade they Albany Post Road," may help us with their building oper- | ations. When they have stayed with i us as long they want, they move on. j "We took our motto from the. I words of the Lord, "Inasmuch as yt j have done it unto one of the least of i these my brethren, ye have done it 1 unto me.' In that spirit we regard j them not as tramps but as brothers I of our Lord, Brothers Christopher." Listening to his pentle accents, watching the light of benevolence in his fine eyes, I felt encouraged. I reminded myself that we are often misled by the facts that sin gets most of the advertising. Sin is dramatic; so are warfare and crime. They occu<py , a promi nent place on alimost every front page, while a million quiet acts of human kindness are not and never can be reported. Life itself is the Albany Post Road. People hear of H only as a highway of business and pleasure, made oc casionally notorious, by a ghastly ac cident. Yet quietly, by the side of the 1 road, is Bill Brown with his farm, where tired men lose their tiredness; and Father Paul with hts friendly hand and cheering word for the Brothers Christo. Jpher. Few 'Qu?.k?* in Britain About one In every tvvftnry-eighl enrthqnake.s recorded In (ho world Is felt In the British Isles. J. T. HAY Cotton and Fertilizers Ru'tledge Street Camden - So. Carolina COMFORT for COLICKY BABIES . . . THROUGH C ASTORIA'S GENTLE REGULATION The best way to prevent colic, doctors say, is to avoid gas in stomach and bowels by keeping the entire intestinal tract open, free from waste. But remember this: a tiny baby*? tender little organs cannot stand harsh treatment. They must bo ?cntly urged. This is just the time lastoria can help most. Castoria, you know, is made specially for babie* and children. It is a pure vegetable preparation, perfectly harmless. It contains no harsh drugs, no narcotics. For years it has helped mother* through trying times with colicky babies and children suffering witn digestive upsets, colds and fever. Keep genuine Castoria on hand, with th% name: CASTORIA BUD V BUB By Ed KRESSY IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY I chool Lesson (By RKV V. U. K1TV5 WATER. D. D., Mem ber of Faculty, ' Moody Bible Institute of ChlcaKO.) (?. I'JSJ, Western Newspaper Union.) Lesson for March 6 JESUS WASHES HIS DISCIPLES' FEET V _ LESSON TEXT? John 13:1-17. GOLDEN TEXT ? Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, t>ut to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. PRIMARY TOPIC ? Jesus Washes the Disciples' Eeot. JUNIOR TOPIC ? Jesus Perform! & Humble Task. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP IC ? Jesus Dignities Lowly Service. YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP IC ? Tho Spirit of Christianity. I. Christ's Amazing Love for Hl? Own (vv. 1-3). Jesus was fully conscious of what was immediately, before him. He knew that the cros$ with all its shame and anguish was upon him. He knew that his disciples would shamefully forsake him In a few hours. He knew that one of that number would bo the instrument in the hands of the Devil in his betrayal. He was full v con oclous of his deity. He knew that all things were In his bunds. Despite all this, he displayed great patience and manifested untiring love. He did not withdraw bis love from them because of their weakness and the shameful failure which be knew would soon be made manifest. He not onlv loved them to the end of his earthly min istry, but loved them unto the "utter most." "Loved to the uttermost" means that he bestowed upon them his love even to the extent of taking their place In death. II. Christ Washing the Disciples' Feet (w. 4-11). lhis act was symbolic of his amaz ing love for his disciples. Jesus did not regard his hands too holy to do this menial service. 1. Steps in tills service (vv. 4-0). a. He rises from supper. b. Laid aside his garments. c. look a towel and girded himself, i d. Poured water into a basin. e. \\ ashed his disciples' feet. f. Wiped them with the towel wherewith he was girded. These steps symbolize Christ's en tire work of redemption. His rising1 from supper represents his rising from his place of enjoyment In the heaven-' Jy Rlory. Ills laying aside bis gar-j meats symbolized his putting aside! his vesture of majesty (Phil. 2:7, 8).| His girding himself symbolized tils' tuklng the form of n servant (Phil.! 2:7). The water In the basin? l.?s' cleansing blood. Ills washing of thei disciples' feet ? his actual cleansing, of them through his Word (John 15:3;! Eph. 5:20). His taking his garments again? his returning to his place and position of glory. | 2. Peter's Impetuosity and ignor ance (vv. 0-0). When he realized what the Lord was doing, he refused to have his feet washed. When he realized the peril of refusal, he de sired to be fully washed. He went from one extreme to another. 3. The significance of this servlco to those who participate in It (vv 8-11). a. It is a spiritual cleansing (v. 8). Fellowship with Jesus is'only posslblo as we are continuously cleansed from our sins. The cleansing here Is not the wnshing of regeneration, but that of snnctlfication. Even those who are regenerated need the continual cleans ing of Christ's blood in order to havo fellowship with him. He that is re generated ; that Is, washed In the blo#0. of Christ (symbolized by water baptism), does not need a Vepetitlon of the act, but he needs the cleaslng of sanetlflcntion (symbolized by the wnshing of the feet). b. A badge of brotherly affection (v. 14). This act showed bis aban donment to the service of bis dlsri ples. This Is a lesson that Is much needed today. True love i? tested by the service it renders. c. A proof of humility (v. 15). This wns a lesson much needed by the dis clples, and much needed by us nil to day. They had Just been disputing ns to who should he the greatest In the kingdom. Thus their selfish am bition was expresning Itself. On every hand we see expressions of pride, vanity, and even arrogance, In | those who are professed followers of the lowly Jesus. d. Equalization (v. 10). As the dlscipleq were thus served by Jesus ( hrist, their vain ambitions were re buked. To enter Info this service In the Spirit of Christ Is fo encounter a leveling of humanity. III. An Example for Ui (vv. 1410). ('hrist the Lord of all became the servant of nil, and his disciples aro under solemn obligation to follow him In their service to others. This obllgntlon rests upon tils lord ship (v. 14). GEMS OF THOUGHT Eull redemption removes remorse. ? ? * Christ cnn clinnge sadness to glad ness. ? ? ? Sin Is like n river which begins I* n quiet spring and ends In a stormy sea. ? ? ? Jesus on enrth ? hi* path, his spirit, 1ils ways -Is the measure of our walk and obedience, il ,umj ? V **