The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, May 26, 1944, Image 7
FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1944
SPECTATOR
*W
THE NEWBERRY SUN
page nvt
What does the average man enjoy
mort in a newspaper or radio pro
gram ? The war is absorbing, of
course, but do the people read the
full accounts in the papers, or do
they read just the headlines? Is
farming the most interesting topic?
Politics is the gredt Ameircan
game, I think, and more people en
joy political discussion than the de
velopment of any other topic. Politics
is a great leveler, for men of all
ranks and professions have it in their
blood.
This is our great political year,
with all kinds of politics, from the
municipal brand to the party type.
We have to be sure to get the right
'men for town office, so the high
priests of the party must put their
heads together. Those not charter
members of this priestly clan call the
righteous planners a “ring”. A
“ring”, as I understand it, is a group
of planners on the other side. Our
slide is usually the “patriot” group,
while the other side is a “ring”.
When office-holders work together,
that is not cooperation; that is ring
rule. When they fight among them
selves that is a breaking up of the
ring.
This year we have party politics,
and enough to gratify almost any
one. Soon there will be County, Con
gressional, Skate and National Poli
ties—a lot of politics for every man.
Our people are not inclined to take
their polities in small doses; they like
large portions and well-seasoned.
They like the speech or the written
article which tears the hide off the
other side. No mild language will
suit; no calm discussions of principles
or great issues. Oh, No! They like
to see the orator red in the face,
perspiring, sarcastic, vitriolic. They
want him to “put it on” the other
fellow with devastating force. People
don’t want political “bunts”; tney
want the ball knocked ove rthe fence,
with a resounding crash that will be
music to the bleachers.
Some days ago an editor expressed
the opinion that the people are more
interested in farm advice than poli
tics. As a farmer, I appreciate the
value of advice on farming, but as
an ex-editor, I recall the keen de
light most men have in a fight.
Years ago while editing a county
paper, I went on a long trip to study
and observe the boll-weevil. I wrote
accounts for my readers, telling about
the campaign for diversified farm
ing, hog-raising—and all that—but it
didn’t seem to impress the people
very much; but whenever I discussed
politics and political figures, the men
“sat up and took notice”.
It is a bit disheartening to write
on serious subjects, on the great and
enduring realities—and find yourself
ba'rking at the moon. But whenever
you take a handful of mud (figura
tively, of course) and plaster some
one in the face, yi
tention. Some of the people will be
piously shocked, while others will be
uproariously delighted. You can de
pend upon it, they won’t be indif
ferent. We may not all like to fight,
but most people enjoy hearing all
about it.
Years ago we had an exciting poli
tical campaign in this State. Men
left the plows to attend the meetings,
one reason being the speeches of a
man who looked like a bantam rooster
and acted like a game-cock.
This year men will leave their
fields and stores and offices to hear
the candidates if any candidates will
have enough oratorical fire-power to
blast his opponent to bits and spread
him all over the landscape.
household. Both ideas are fictitious,
because the government walked into
a store and seized it ’without a war
rant, or any other legal procedure,
and then asked the courts to enjoin
the owners from interfering with the
Government! So the home and pri
vate store asre not castles at all.
However, let us enjoy the illusion of
oar sacred rights. The other fiction
—that a man is head of his house
hold, a sort of petty patriarch, you
know, lord of the manor, needs only
to be stated to disprove itself, for
men have long since been under the
full sway of feminine rule. But the
man and wife TOGETHER, surely
must continstute the government of
the castle, eh ? Nay, my brother, you
know better. Mother and Dad are ar
maments necessary only for provid
ing shelter, clothing, automobiles and
abundant spending money, while son
and daughter rule the roost. In other
words, we have borrowed a fiction
from the British whose King
REIGNS, while Parliament (House
of Commons) RULES. There we
have it, Dad and Mom REIGN, while
son and daughter RULE. Dad’s im
portant stunt is to pay the bills—
and that lets him out; Mom’s mis
sion is to abmonish son and daughter
—and that let’s her out. Meanwhile
son and daughter carry on, knowing
that Dad and Mom are incapable of
understanding the new order of
things. Nice old fogies and that’s
all.
Each generation goes far afield
with explorations and experiments—
but there is nothing new under the
sun. If people would profit by the
experiences of others, socially, the
world would make more progress.
But, as The Book asks: “Is there any
thing whereof it may be said, See
way of falling flat after a time. I
do not suppose that anyone would
think our state convention, or our
boratiom has come to be associated
with the pernicious practices of $he
Germans in the countries which they
presidential contest, is a clear issue have despoiled and looted. |
of good government against bad gov- | Our spiritual fiber does not seem
eroiment. When you analyze the jto be very stout; we bend with every
motives of men, you find that the breeze like the man who changes
individual is, a stibngfe compound with every wind of doctrine. A great
of motives. The^ high prmciple^ of ; CO unty, a great nation, a great civ-
ilization, a splendid mode of living,
today is lost in the friendship which
becomes involved in a political con
test, or it becomes Obscured by a
job of some sort for the man him
self, someone in his family, or some
friend. It is too much to hope that
men will ever be governed by prin
ciples as long as FAVORS may' be
obtained, or a t least may BE HOPED
for.
There is no federal judgeship to
offer, but there are many other fed
eral positions, thousands of them,
within South Carolina.
I have heard very few men argue
who do not come eventually to the
matter of the flesh pots. Those poor
old misguided men of other genera
tions, who would risk imprisonment
or beheading for the sake of a prin
ciple, are not honored among us to
day; we are a very practical people
NOW, and we measure values in
terms of dollars and cents, whether
that be jobs or contracts—or what
not.
It is a waste of time to talk about
such stern characters as John Hamp
den of England, who resisted the (
King for a few shillings. What must
we think of the barefooted soldier at
Valley Forge; or the ragged and
hungry men of our Confederacy?
They did not put a dollar mark be
side everything; they rejoiced in
quality; and quality in their think
ing was essentially sound manhood;
IT WAS CHARACTER. Our soft-
are at stake. All this was based up.
on certain virtues which are the
foundation of American liberty . We
have sunk so low that we deliberately
barter the great principles of gov
ernment for favors and jobs.
Newberrians will read with inter
est: Madison Pitts, Jr., of Denmark,
is well on the road to recovery after
having had measles and pneumonia.
He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs.
F. W. Pitts and Mr. and Mrs. C. C.
Duncan of this city.
NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE
CANDIDATES
Notice is hereby given that, in ac
cordance with the rules of the Demo
cratic Party of South Carolina adopt
ed May 17, 1944, and as recommend
ed by the Sub-Committee of the
County Executive Committee ap
pointed by the County Chairman un
der resolution passed by the County
Committee at its regular meeting
May 1, 1944, entries for Candidates
for the General Assembly and Coun
ty offices in the approaching pri
mary will close at 12 o’clock, noon,
June 1, 1944. All candidates must
file the required pledges and pay
the assessments before that day and
hour. The assessments are as fol
lows:
State Senator $125.00
Houe of Represenatives .... 100.00
Clerk of Court 100.00
Sheriff 100.00
County Treasurer 100.00
County Auditor 100.00
County Supervisor 100.00
Superintendent of Education 100.00
Game Warden 100.00
County Commissioners 25.00
Magistrates:
Newberry 40.00
Whitmire 30.00
Prosperity 30.00
Pomaria 25.00
Chappells 25.00
Little Mountain 20.00
Coroner -... 30.00
Neal W. Workman,
County Chairman.
May 20, 1944.
Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Pitts, Jr., and
daughter®, Joyce, Gayle and Myma,
of Denmark, spent Mother's Day with
Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Pitts and Mr. and
Mrs. J. M. Nichols.
Will
Closed
Each
this is new?” Then The Book givesl n ess 0 f today is mot only THAT
the answer: “It hath been already of brought about by physical comforts,
old time.”
Referring to government: People
ask the school authorities to be re
sponsible for children on the way to
school and on the way home. Why lay
that obligation on teachers and school
authorities ? What have they to do
with children on the streets and
roads? Nothing, of course; we go
out of our way to invite—even de
mand-outside government. And so it
is.
I shall be glad when I can write
more about farming and other kinds
of business. There is, however, a
time for everything as the Scrip
tures tell us, and this is the time to
talk obout the government which
rules over us—and, apparently, un
der us.
We have too much government.
This applies not only to the Federal
Government, but down to school dis
tricts. Some of this superflous gov
erning has been put on us, and some
we have put on ourselves. To illus
trate:
We think of a man's home as his
In The News and Courier of Sun
day, was a letter, a regular weekly
business article, by Roger Babson in
which he has much to say about the
political situation and the war. Mr.
Babson made a remark, just as
though it were a casual thing, hut it
seems to me to be so bad in its im
plications that it should not be al
lowed to go unchallenged and unre
buked. Without quoting him word for
word I am giving very definitely his
idea. He said that Mr. Churchill
would not let the Germans “crack”
before the persidential election and
that whatever might happen after
then the probability now is that the
bouse will be Republican and the
President a Democrat, thus carrying
ou will attract at- j ou t the team play between Mr.
Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill.
Time after time someone has ask
ed me if it were true that the war
would be prolonged for political rea
sons. I have always expressed my
confidence that Mr. Roosevelt and.
Mr. Churchill would not be guilty
of such a crime as to make the issue
of the war a matter of such patty
politics.
It is well known that I do not ad
mire Mr. Roosevelt and do not think
he should be re-elected; but I cannot
believe any man capable of such in
famy as to play with the lives of
millions of men bearing arms. Thera
is the view of Mr. Babson, how
ever, and I have not seen it repudiat
ed 1 by anyone or the inside.
It is enough that many men argue
for Mr. Roosevelt on the gorund that
he is the indispensable figure for the
prosecution of the war; but'the state
ment of Mr .Babson, a responsible
commentator and business statist!- (
cian, comes from too high and im-'
portent a source to be ignored.
but it is characterized equally by
mental indolence and spiritual leth
argy.
It is a far cry from the redoubta
ble spirits of the founding fathers to
the aipathy, acquiesence and collabor- ‘
ation of today.
Two words have come into vogue
in this war, words which now connote
something essentially mean and de-
scipicable. I refer to the words “ap
pease” and “collaborate”. We think
of the policy of appeasing a wrong
doer, hoping that he might stay his
hand and reform his purpose. It has
not worked; appeasement is a com
promise which does not seem to
please anybody, nor does it seem to
accomplish anything lasting. Colla-
Wednesday & Friday
Until Further Notice.
Nichols Studio
One does not like to say this, but
politics is for the most part a matter
of jobs and favors, the trimmings, in
cidentals, and all the meringue on
the political party. Most of the peo
ple that do the shouting WILL GET
ONLY THE MERINGUE, which, in
the case of all kinds of pies, has a
Buy Your COAL
now. . .
We are fortunate in having a
good supply of domestic Coal
on hand now.
We advise you to place your
order with us today for next
winter’s supply.
Southern Cotton On C..
Number 59 , s a "local”.
♦ ♦
C ROWDS don’t gather at the station to see
No. 59 pull in. She’s no sleek streamliner.
She sports no fancy trimmings. And she has no
jealously-guarded reputation for speed. For . . .
No. 59 is “just a local” on the Southern Railway
System.
But, when their soldier son came home on fur
lough . . . Mr. and Mrs. Jones met No. 59.
When new gears were needed to keep farmer
Stevens’ tractor working on the food front . . .
they arrived in the express car on No. 59.
When bad weather came . . . the mail and ex
press and the passengers continued to come in,
and go out, on No. 59.
Yes, No. 59’s a “local”. . . one of the many
Southern local passenger and freight trains that
proudly serve the wartime South . . . that haul
your farm products to market. . . that serve your
local industries . . . that stop in your home town
to take you where you want to go.
Today, No. 59 — and all the other trains of the
Southern Railway—are proudly serving the South
and helping to speed Victory.
Tomorrow, when Victory comes, they’ll still be
serving the South . . . proudly supplying the
economical, dependable, efficient transportation
service upon which the modem, forward-looking
Southland is being built.
President
SOUTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM