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?ljr (Eambftt (CliruntrU 1109 N. Broad Street Camden, S. C. PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY JNO. M. CANNON Editor SUBSCRIPTION TERMS: All Subscriptions Payable In Advance One Year $2.00 Six Months LOO Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Camden, S. C. All articles submitted for publication must be signed by the author. Friday, April 23, 1943 GREEN FINGERS Happy indeed are those fortunate people who live close to the land wlhere they can watch and tend growing things. And doubly fortunate, are those with "green fingers" who have a winship with the elements of nature, those at whose toudh the earth blossoms forth. My grandmother was one of them. Give her a plot of ground no bigger than a pocket handkerchief and she started a garden. It was a haphazard sort of affair for her flowers bordered the vegetables and wherever there was a spare inch of earth, she started something growing. She was a spendthrift of time and hospitality but a miser when it came to buying anything she could grow. Her garden was ? also her joy and her comfort for she used to say if you had a quick temper and an impatient disposition, there was no cure like a garden?you could watch all of life in it and you learned to wait patiently for the fruit of your handiwork. This year we are urged to go back to the land, to start "Victory gardens," to plant and tend and harvest from our own soil the fruit of the earth so that we may ail be well fed. They did not call them Victory gardens in pioneer days, nor in our grandparents' times. They were just part of the family task of earning a living back in the days when people lived as families, each member, adult or child, contributing his or Iher share to the common welfare. All we are being asked to do now is just what those before us did as a matter of course. We must tend our gardens carefully this year. But in our gardens, both of the soil and of life, we must take care to plant the1 right seeds. We must watch over them, watering with care, not washing out the young plants with floods of emotion nor letting them damp out under the dank chill of indifference. We must weed out the false growths, the tares that choke, the hateful smothering things that suck the nourishment from the growing foods. In our gardens let us study the immutable laws of nature fulfilling the destiny of life itself. Let us weed out our unreasoning hatreds and prejudices and throw them on the compost heap or burn them up. Let us grow only those plants which nourish or give beauty?and let us border our gardens with the bright pinks of friendliness, the fragrant mignonette of understanding, the purple pansies of thoughtfulness. And let us remember that a garden blooms not for one alone, but for all. As Henry Van l)yke said, let us make a garden for our kind feelings with the gate ever open to those who pass by. JUVENILE CRIME There has been an "alarming" increase in juvenile crime, FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover told a committee of Congress this week. He furnished particulars that showed an amazing and dangerous state of affairs. Certain crimes committed by girls under 21 years of age have increased 64.8 per cent, up to 104.7 per cent in a year. In the same class of crimes the arrests of young men under 21 have increased 17.1 percent. Mr. Hoover told the committee that in spite of the fact that so many young men have gone into the Army and Navy that practically all the arrests are of civilians. "If conditions had been otherwise the percentage of crimes of young men would be much higher," he added. He attributed the increase in juvenile crime to hgh pay for youths, lack of recreational facilities, and decrease of home influence due to the fact that so many fathers and mothers are both working. ONE LOST IN A STORM HAS NO HOPE IF HE CAN'T BELIEVE HIS COMPASS There is an old story about a famous French scholar who decided to write a book disproving the story of Jesus, but after years of study and research convinced himself of its truth and became a devout believer. The story may be true, but the young soldier eager to learn the truth cannot find it that way. He has neither the time nor the facilities for research. If. like Thomas, he demands evidence that would be accepted in court, he will find nothing to give him peace of mind. Few things that happened two thousand years ago are known to us now. Millions of people as intelligent as we are lived and wrought, learned wisdom and died, and left no record of their passing. Printing had not been discovered. There were no books. Only governments and priest* kept written recorde^and nearly all of theee are lost. We pave frogmenta of history, chiefly the story of kings and wars, but all history is prejudiced and inaccurate and much of it is pure invention to flatter the great. The Gospel story of Jesus covers only, the few years of His active ministry and preserves only a few of His teachings and sayings. Nobody can know how much has been lost. Yet iij .the little that has been saved is man's only hope. There was a time when many of the followers of Jesus, unable to believe part of His teachings, turned back and left . Him. He turned to the twelve Hq had dhosen ami said : "Will ye also go away?" Peter answered with a question that still echoes in the hearts of men: "To whom shall we go?" Then he added : "Thou has the words of eternal life." Millions of young soldiers, brought up in a careless and agnostic era, now realize for the first time that death concerns them personally. Like old people v who know the end may be near, they are thinking serious thoughts and yearning for assurance and comfort. To whom shall they go? They have but one choice. It is Jesus?or nothing. If they can't believe in Him, nowhere else can they find and hope of another life. They can't belieye by looking for proof or by argument. They can believe only by saying: "It seems true?His words sound true?and I will believe. I will accept and follow Him, for without Him I have nothing.^'?Fountain Inn Tribune. DOWN TEXAS WAY Down around San Antonio, Texas, two government "power authorities" and the city of San Antonio put on a sfyow as they squabbled over dividing the carcass of the San Antonio Public Service Company. The public, which has to pay the bill, saw a highly-taxed private electric company disappear in the clutches of tax-exempt agencies. A Texas legislative committee delving into details of the transfer of the private properties to the public agencies, is unearthing practices that promise new records in financial fanagling. Testimony shows that large "legal fees" and "brokerage charges" were paid, in which officials of the public authorities were involved. Socialization of a major Texas utility has left the taxpayers poorer and the opportunities in the state fewer for free enterprise. Also the people have learned there are just as many feet of clay in public office as private activity, for they are all cut from the same stock. The only difference is that it is more difficult for the people to secure redress from public agencies than it is from private industry, for the simple reason that public agencies are exempt from rules, regulations and restrictions that apply to private activity, and are in themselves dominating factors in controlling the lives and activities of in#divduals, once they are established. PERMANENT PEACE IS POSSIBLE Future world peace depends to a large extent upon the Unted States?providing we do three things: First, keep our faith with the American capitalistic system by allowng individuals and businesses to survive with sufficient earnings to maintain private'jobs in free enterprise; Second, actively participate in world affairs; Third, lead the way in broadening the flow of international trade. The first is esserftial to peace because the alternative to free enterprise is state socialism, and state socialism leads to war. The dictators have proved that. The second is essential ^because our cooperation is necessary to emforce a just peace. The third is essential because nations tied together by trade are far less inclined to fight. Every effort must be made to awaken people to the fact that our leadership is sorely needed in the creation of a lasting peace and a new era of trade, just as every effort must be made to awaken the people to the fact that all of us have a common interest in the maintenance of the free enterprise system. In pleading for sudh leadership, Clark H. Minor, chairman of the National Foreign Trade Council, says: "When we look over the economic record of the past and see the ravages caused by war . . . we must be convinced that the establishment of permanent peace would be so beneficial to every inhabitant of the world that there is hardly any immediate sacrifice Which we could be called upon to make which would not be repaid a thousand-fold." "REGULATORY" ARMY NEEDS TRAINING If it were not tragic it would be humorous to see how all at once the powersthat-be in Washington have awakened to the fact that farming is an essential industry. Those who are writing the regulations .! for farmers should have more practical knowledge of the sources of food supplies than is furnished by Washington restaurants. Leading dairy organizations have long pointed out what was going to happen to our milk, cheese and butter supply. Maybe if a few of the white-collar boys in Washington had had to shovel manure and milk cows for three months as training for their regulatory jobs, there would be more dairy products today.* ' I ... "They Give Their Lives?You Lend Your Money U. S. Tnajury Dipartwunt Couittty King V?*tut~ The Fourth Estate I Conducted By JNO. M. CANNON NEWSPAPER 18 PEOPLE'8 FORUM When our founding fathertf set up their new experiment In democracy, In a world still dominated by experiment It could succeed only If this new government bad an Informed electorate. They knew that Americans would fight for their rights, but first they had to be Informed of what those rights were and whenever or wherever they might be threatened. That task they turned over to the newspapers of our young nation. They turned Jo the press as a necessary partner In the democratic government, they were establishing. And from the , beginning American newspapers have made their issues available to the public at only a small fraction of the cost of producing them. Today every family in the United States nas access to one or more newspapers. Since our political s>stem rests squarely on the decision of the people, the newspaper which conveys freely the information and arguments upon which these decisions are based Is a necessary part of that system The traditional American system of checks and balances In government includes not only the executive, the congress, and the judiciary, but also the press which functions as a check upon all three. It is no mere figure of speech to call the press the Fourth Estate in America for its function in our democratic system is as important as any of the three major branches of our government. The founding fathers felt this very strongly. Washington, Franklin. Hamilton till played a part in encouraging* our struggling press. Jefferson once wrote: "If it were left to me to choose whether we should have government without newspapers or newspapers without government. I should not hesitate to choose the latter." And this was no epigram, for Jefferson honestly believed that if tlio people had the information tliev could act wisely with a minimum of political interference. One of the interesting things about our American way is that in our country your opinion counts. If you lived In Germany or Italy you could not have opinions of your own; if you did you would not even dare to breathe them. But In America we are ruled not from the lop down; rather from the bottom up. Our political leaders owe their power as a sacred trust to the will of the majority. Our people never let then lose sight of that. Neither does the press whloh makes the opinion of the people articulate. That is democ racy. I But democracy, for successful operation, calls for an Informed, intelligen*. common-sensible people, capable of judging the truth and competent to discern incompetency in public office when it appears. Our founding fathers were wise in setting up two staunch rocks upon which our democracy could be built. Our schools, colleges and universities represent one of these rocks. Freedom of the Press and Speech represent the other. A people with the foresight to provide adequate and universal education and also the right of individual expression of the opinions that emerge from such a mentally I trained electorate has provided its citizens with a system of living which, | if adequately protected, assures ulti mately the greatest happiness and satisfaction for all. Since the birth of our nation the newspaper has provided that protection for it has continually been on the alert to protect the rights of the people, to call attention to the saortoomings or the encroachments of government. It has also been the principal medium for developing an infoa Died electorate. Most of our young people today have the benefit of at least a high school education. Many go on to college. But the newspaper continues their education for the rest of i their lives. Newspapers are truly I the schoolbooks of democracy. THE NATION'S PRAYER 1 By Rev. Charles Stelzle [ Father of all men, Ruler of the uniI verse, In Whom dwells wisdom, power, . love and authority, In this hour when ! the world is in chaos, and when Thy plans for the redemption of mankind are being worked out in mysterious ways, we beseech Thee to give Thy children everywhere a larger faith in > Thyself, a better understanding of Thy purpose and greater courage to fulfill the tasks which Thou has committed to them. We pray, especially, for the men and women of these United States. We pray for our President. Give him the wisdom which comes from above. Guide him in making the decisions which mean so much to our country and the world. Factory-Method Shoe Repair Service! Our modern methods of repairing shoes give them the appearance of a new pair with the fine quality of custom craft_ workmanship. Make your shoes carry you through the ration period by having them repaired at tho least sign of wear. ! We offer rapid service in "emergency" cases! Aliens Shoe Repair j Broad Street CAMDEN, S. C. We pray tor the oldlerT'] I und wwl*e? at the frout of tor those who are preparing for loo, who have unselfishly j Helves for home and codnu, *^| | they fl"d lu this sacrifice the bu^JH promised to thoae who. login* hj?| Uvea, will find them hkhIu i'^I fuller, richer?*in this world, as In the world to oome. ' *?*!: We pray lor tuoee who are B?r \ their country at home -the mothll5? and daughters, those who are atwSI In the factories, the men ^ on the farms, those who are rtwJ heart and brain in the crea'km^j.1 i plans and the building up of the to, *1 which will help win the war, May these ?U find In their <hu,fl tasks opportunities for servl?* American patriots and defenders SI I our country. We pray tor peace- but only twl peace which ehall come through oil victory of right over wrong, of demall racy over autocracy, of the spirit *| world-brothernood over the epiru ?. I national selfishness. fo this end bless our country la u.1 fight against the rule of those *51 atand in their arrogant domi^^Ji ovtW the people?until the day Bhi)il dawn when all men ehall be co^l rades In a .world made safe for flU holding up of democracy and rlgguj ousness, oyer which Thou shah be tfel Undisputed Huler. Edltor'iiwNote: When we entersifl Into the First World war. Dr. ChariZ] Stelile wrote a prayer which was pub. | llshed widely in the daily press of <\M country. Today, a quarter of a clTI tury later, I can think of no more sal propriate Easter message for ths2| whom you servo than to send you tfcka still timely prayer in whose pfe || know all of us, ho matter to vhga faith we owe allegiance, concur, | It seems strange, but in a battle ofl tongues no woman can hold her eij|]H KER8HAW LODGE NO. 29, A. ft *1 } Regular Communicating A First Tuesday of fejl Month. At 8 P. M. Vktt*?| pl&K Welcome. J. C. HOFFMAN. W. R I J. JL ROSS, Secretary. ... SHOULD ENEMY PLANEslJ DECIDE TO ATTACK . ,.| they'll drop their de&ty/l charges anywhere! Protect yotff|| belongings, both real and personaM by applying for War Damage Bombardment Insurance. Call o?B ud immediately for further i*H formation. KENNEDY INSURANCE!! COMPANY | WE'LL SURE BE THERE dont miss tojiv pastor V Folks Let's Put The Red Cross OVER THE TOP! DON'T LET KERSHAW COUNTY BE THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE TO FALL DOWJf ATTEND THE ; Red Cross Victory Ball :|S Redfearn Motor Coi Your Ford Dealer