The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, June 11, 1943, Image 5
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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%