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1 / / rr THE XEWBERBT SUN The Spectator Once a minister remarked that the laymen had walked un and that the Ministers would have to brush up, intellectually, because of the awaken ed. Perhaps so though we laymen are still willing to let the Minister carry the burdens as of old. But we who are lawyers must now watch how we walk and where we tread be cause the laymen are wa ghirg us m the balance and finding us V'r.nhng, as happened to Belshazzar, you will recall. If memory serves its rt.iibly the Babylonian Monarch had eaten and drunk so much that when he saw the handwriting on tht wail he though he was suffering the jitters and had looked too long upon the wine while it was red. There are laymen and laymen. And there is and are the laity. As to Medicine and the Ministry, I am a layman - and “lay” low - not wish ing to use the word “lie” for fear of an inexact interpretation. Now comes a layman in religion and law and medicine, but a profes sional in finance; and he comes to say that the Legislature would be a more efficient body if it had more farmers, physicians, demists, mer chants, automobile men, industrial ists, insurance men, editors, rail road men, truckers, and the like,' and fewer lawyers and politicians. Why? What’s wrong with the law yers? Is anything WRONG? Or, is there a failure to do things right? Perhaps our friend might liken the lawyers to the old preacher whose flock had wearied of his efforts and. had signalized its wish that he should leave it for other pastures. He did n’t understand what it was all about and asked some pointed questions. “Don’t I orate?” ‘Don’t I magnily- fy?” The response was “You sure ly does, but you don’t say WHERE IN”. Why do we have so many lawyers in the Legislature? Because the people elect them. Well, obviously. Why do the people elect so many lawyers? Because more lawyers off er themselves than do others. Then the ancient idea persists that fluent speech and glib “come-backs” are proof of a man’s abilky to serve in the Legislature. The truth is that oratory and smooth talking are very rare >n the Legislature and in low es teem. Why do not farmers and others of fer their servicies to the State? Th e pay is one thousand dollars for the session. Not so bad, eh ? Not half bad, as the English say. There is no “feeling” against the lawyers, as I understand our critic, but the interests of the State far transcend the experience, knowledge or sympathies of one class. If the State is to grow and become the com monwealth of our hopes, and of its possibilities, then South Carolina needs all the training, experience, and outlook of all its capable sons. The new day for this State will be in agriculture and industry; and, in a large measure, in the specialization and processing of farm products. Therein w e have both Agriculture and Industry hand in hand. It would appear desireable that the State have the guidance of some men whose ex perience and vision enable them to serve helpfulh . Greatly as v admire our physi cians, and applaud their noble min istry of healng, we would not wish a law-making body largely of physi cians. Even apart from whatever community sanitary measures and personal hygiene standards they might impose, we would fear that theiir absorption in one great phase of our common good might militate against the other vital concerns of an expanding economic order. In saying that I am a'most disposed to take it all back, with apelogies, when I recall the vigorous and help ful participation of physicians in tht Farmers and Taxpayers League. Dr. “Chester” Smith, of Williston; Dr. D. M. Crosson, of Leesville; Dr. B. G. Pitts of Lydia; Dr. Robert Wilson of Charleston; Dr. Carl Epps of Sum ter - and others - were among the first and foremost of that valiamt as sociation. We do not need a Legislature of merchants, or pharmacists, or farm ers, or travelling salesmen, or news papermen, or radio managers; but the Legislature would be better able to serve all the developing intrests of the State if all the intrests were well represented. Theancient idea of having lawyers to make the laws is to exagerate th e service of putting ideas into form. What counts most is the idea, not the form. The Legislature has So- liritors to ,put the ideas into formal bills. Five or six lawyers would be sufficient representation of the legal profession. The great war for a fourth term is being organised, with skirmishes along the several fronts. The real war, that is the war we are fighting against Germany, Italy and Japan, is supposed to engage all our thoughts, but tht real war has been used, and is being used, to strength en the ties between the New Deal on one hand and Organized Labor and Che Nonthern negroes on the other. Some weeks ago there was a flare-up in Congrss over the printed stuff which the Government is circulat ing throughout Europe. It has been alleged that the United States is plastering Europe and Africa with pictures and eulogies of Mr. Roose velt. In other words, Mr. Roosevelt is America. Some Congressmen think think this an important presentation in the name of our war program. I have before me quite an expen sive book or magazine with the head- ng “THE NEGROES AND THE WAR”. It is a glorification of the negroes and their pant n the war. It is full of pictures, and is, beyond a doubt, an expensive production. If it had been published by the Colored people themselves, at their own ex- anse, no one would question it. for he Colored people have a right to rejoice in their progress and in their participation in the war. But it is the Government of the United States whicih glorifies the negroes and sends out the booklet. The O.W.I. (Office of War Information) gets this out and says of it: “Official Publication of the Office of War In formation—U. S. Government Print ing Office 1942”. On the fly leaf appears this inscription: “This book has been prepared to celebrate tihe achievements of Negro-Americans in many fields and to recognize their important contributions, in all fields, to the fighting of the war. . . . Hand this booklet to someone else when you have finished.” I quote some of the contents so you may see the subtle appeal per vading the book. Under a picture showing a Colored house-maid at work appears this: “For many years WE have (picked cotton, done the housework, carried on strong shoul ders the work-day burdens. Beyond these limited opportunities there are now new horizons.” “WE hav e done this”; “We have done that”, etc., runs all through the book, until you find what the Government has done. So “WE” and “THE GOVERN MENT” ar e together—and so they are. I quote further: “Thousands of us were able to survive (the Depres- pared and distributed this booklet at their own cost, it would be an express As I said, if the negroes had pre- sion of pride which no White man could quarrel with; but for the Gov ernment of the United States to do this is obviously an appeal to race consciousness — and race support. And the support isn’t merely to sup port a war effort; it is unmistakab ly shot through with political appeal. After reading all this how does it sicn), even to make progress, because ■ show the negro and the war? What a friendly Government . . . took a hand.” Says this booklet; “Of the 121,500 homes contracted for in city areas, approximately 40,600 are, or will be, 'occupied by negro tenants. Although negroes are about one-tenth of the population, the Government is as signing them about one-third of the new houses.” A housing project in’ Chicago cost ing $9,638,000 is shown, with Colored families in the apartments. The booklet is full of pictures and accounts of negro athletes, insurance men, professional! men, merchants, articles, ipiugilists and baseball play ers. One of 'the pictures shows three boys—-two white and one colored at lunch in a New York school. And they tell us that this is the Democratic Party? If it is, can you recognize it? Of course the picture of the Presi dent appears, with a tribute, and Mrs. Roosevelt is shown addressing a Colored audience. Another illustration carries Glia: “On the land the negro farmer’s life improves steadily with Government help.” And then again we see a shanty and a neat house portrayed side by side with this inscription: “The old shanty and the new home built with a Govemment loan.” it shows is the negro and the New Deal. ★ ★ 'What '1/044. Buy 'With WAH BONDS 5 Ocean Navy PtMgt vrm —J. ■-».,. ■■ ■-■ NEGRO EMPLOYEES AT TEXAS PLANT PUT ON SAME SCALE AS WHITES When Pearl Harbor burst upon us I our great expanse of territory was protected by a one ocean navy of about 350 first line ships with an j man. addition of an approximate number Dr. building. Washington, June 6—The War Labor board, seeking to give negroes economic parity with white workers performing similar jobs, tonight held that wage differentials based solely on race are invalid. It unanimously ordered abolition of such differentials in the case of the Southport Petroleum company, Texas City, Tex. It granted wage in creases to the company’s negro em ployes to place them on par with white workers in the same job classification. The decision was in harmony with President Roosevelt’s recent move to give greater effect to the admin istration policy condimning racial discrimination in employment. He reorganized his committee on fair employment practices and appointed Msgr. Francis J. Hass, of Catholic university, Washington, as chair- gardless of color, race, sex, relgion, or national origin.” NEW GUINEA SAW MILL BY ARMY MEN RUN Now we are in a five ocean war and we are required not only to pay for the building of enough ships of the line but also for hundreds of Lib erty ships and auxiliary craft. The amount of money you invested in War Bonds when we had a one ocean nflvy was all right then, it isn’t enough now. Buy more and more W'ar Bonds. Frank P. Graham, public member of WLB, said in an opin ion accompanying the decision that the increase was made “without re gard to the little steel (wage ceil ing) formula, but with regard sim ply for the democratic formula of equal pay for work equal in quan tity and quality in the same classi fication.” “This equalization of economic opportunity is not a violation of the sound American provision of dif ferentials in pay for differences in skills,” he said. “It is rather a bit of realization of the no less sound American prin ciple of equal pay for equal work as one of those equal rights in the promise of American democracy re- Somewhere in New Guinea, June 5—“The Papuan Bored Lumber com pany” is the name of a New Guinea concern which American soldiers have started with a sawmill made from a wrecked airplane, two aban doned 'trucks, a worn out tractor and parts from an unused copper mine. The company, with the slogan “Operated by Slap Happy Slab Sit ters turns out lumber for an army air force bombardment group. •Major Herbert Imbt, of Strouds burg, Pa., is president. Parts of the sawmill are of Japa nese, German, Australian, British and American origin. Ninety-six cents out of every dollar gpes for War expenditures. The other four cents goes for Government expenses “as For Freedom's Sake •?uai.” This is a family war. Put S& your War Bond buying through 1 the payroll savings plan on a family plan, which means fig ure it out yourself. Any Excuse You Can Find For Not Upping Your Bond Buying WiB Please Hitler » I “ and you'll always have tobacco inyour old tobacco box!” I ^X T h«m I was a kid my father used to 1 sing a song that ended up with this refrain: \ “0h, save np jour money and pul it in your sox And you’ll always have tobacco in your old tobacco box!” ' Well, the words stuck with me, but I | guess the moral didn’t. { * , No matter how hard I tried . \ . no t matter how many good resolutions I made /. . . I always ended up even. If I made { more money, I spent more money. Finally, I resigned myself to it—sold myself the idea that I was the kind of fellow who never ’ could save up any money. . But it’s all different now! About 10 months ago, I started buying War Bonds on the Pay Roll Savings Plan. Figured it was the least I could do for Uncle Sam ... to be kicking in my 10 percent every month to help pay for the ways and means of licking the Axis. That’s the only way I thought about it . . . until just recently! Now, all of a sudden, I’ve discovered that—for the first time in the history of Yours Truly—I’m saving dough. Every month, rain-or-shine, hell-or-high-water, I’m sticking away a War Bond, a bond that’ll bring me back $4 for every $3 I put in. Those Bonds are beginning to mount up now. And I’m going to keep them mount ing up. For I’ve discovered what a swell feeling it is to be saving money . . . saving it on a plan that’s regular as clockwork and twice as sure. About the time those Bonds start coming due, my kid’ll be ready for college. So you can guess what I’m going to do with the money. And maybe I’ll sing my father’s song to myself . . . only changing it a little: “Oh, save up your War Bonds and pul them in your sox And you’ll always have tobacco in your old tobacco box!” SAVE WITH U.S. WAR BONDS EVERYB0DY...EVERY PAYDAY... AT LEAST 10%