Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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V 12 18 College Street NEWBERRY, S. C. ’ O. F. ARMFIELD Editor and publisher Published Every Friday. Entered as second-lass mat ter December 6, 1937, at the postoffice at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of Con gress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In S. C., $1.50 per year in advance; outside S. C., $2.00 per Year in advance. CLASSIFIED RATES: Two cents per word, minimum of 35c; three insertions for price of 2. Long term rates on request. SPECTATOR Mr. Cuttino of Sumter spoke words of wisdom to the House, when he urged consideration of economy. Economy is not pop ular at the moment. We seem to larn only by and through disas ter. In this care-free attitude the legislature of the State and the National Congress are fairly representing the attitude and the practice of the average man. We are having a democracy of prodigality. There was once an idea that lawmakers were lead ers. That is no longer true; today leadership is based on the available political influence. Just as some military strategists have relied on massing troops at one point, so as to force the enemy by sheer mass effort, so the pressure groups work today. All the pressure groups operat ing on our Legislature are spenders. There is not in sight any pressure group which speaks clearly for the taxpayer. The conditions seem to cry aloud for such a group, to take up arms for the people whose work provides the money now so glamorously being devoted to wholesale building, for which there is no plan—and possibly no permanent need. A prudent man in managing his own funds will probably husband some of his money. We have always had dips, recessions and depressions, following the hectic spending of war times. That is history. By that clear lesson one should not plunge into long and expensive pro grams. That would be a sound sense of thrifty stewardship should prevail. The tenth of May. Does it mean anything? Well, what is it, by the way? It is a holiday; banks and public offices are closed. Why? Verily I believe the cause would be more honor ed in the breach than in the ob servance. Why take a holiday which means nothing? Why have a holiday without giving it a meaning? True enough, in the thought of Lincoln, we cannot honor the brave men who died, or the women who suffered in the Confederate cause. Their heroism and sacrifice honored us. And it is for us to go for ward in the path of duty and service. All this sounds good, but does it mean anything? That figure of a Confederate soldier is always a private soldier, for the private suffers the most and trudges along through the mud. “His not to reason why; his but to do and die”. In recent years the Confeder ate soldier has meant more to me as the soldier of peace, than as the knightly spirit in the clash and roar of battle. When the Confederate soldier came home he had nothing, and he came to nothing. Of course I mean property, goods, possess ions. Even his world had been destroyed. And the Federal power and Federal bayonets bristled and gleamed in arro gant oppression. That Confed erate soldier had lost a war of four years, which had left him threadbare, almost naked and he was hungry. Now he started on a warfare of eleven years, fight ing poverty, fighting Federal impositions, but emerging vic torious. And do you wonder that their sons and grandsons will hold fast to the South? The House of Representatives of our State Legislature has shown a tendency this year to breathe hot and cold at the same time. All this has one virtue, at least, for it indicates a freedom of thought and ac tion which one must admife, in theory. The Senate of South Carolina, which is frequently regarded as the big bad wolf, has stepped in to save the day, but just one day. To get down to brass tacks, the House voted the extra pay item, and then voted 58 to 52 to retain the item. The House then, was officially ready to col lect the extra pay. The Senate threw out this item. Senator Edgar Brown spoke with scorn of the hue and cry against ex tra pay, believing that the mon ey was well earned. I do not cringe before the Senator’s scorn; and he is not afraid of ours. Well met we are, then, the small group of Senators and we numerous citizens of the op position. The Legislature dawdles and soldiers on the job. Its entire achievement is not worth thirty days of work. Because I know that brains and character can be found in the Legislature I know that the State receives only a . .i. - small fraction of sendee, as compared with what the same men devote to their private business, in an equal number of days. True it is that the sys tem against the practical effi ciency of th^ same men as ex pressed in private life, but why not change the system? The Legislature drifts along in a manner that almost maxes the W.P.A. appear to have been an army of energetic men —verit able hustlers and go-getters. Senator Brown remarks that the critics condemn everything and praise nothing. He cites as proof of this, the accumulation of the co-called surplus. Well, does a study of State Appropria tion bills indicate any special degree of economy? Must a man be praised merely because he failed to spend everything? Have we reached a condition which excuses utter prodigality? Besides, do we praise the Godly man for everyday virtues; or do we point out the frailties of one another? Seldom does any community hold a mass meeting to extoll the sobriety of total abstainers. So we assume that virtue abides among our legisla tive brethren, and do not run around applauding their routine fidelity. However, just as it is dangerous to name a child for any living man, so it is some times a puzzle to us of ordinary minds, when, where and how to deliver orations of praise, lest our brethren reconsider the matter and lead us into mortify ing endorsement of something we don’t endorse. In other words, the Legislature won’t stay put, as a Charleston broth er used to say. Today a states manlike attitude is seen and quietly approved by most of us, but tomorrow all this may be reconsidered. We don’t know when to speak our gratitude. In this very matter of the surplus; suppose we had sung songs of joy, several years ago, today the plan is to expand the institutions of the State with a permanent increase in the cost of operation. We might yet have to swallow our commenda tion, with serious attacks of verbal indigestion. The more I know of the Leg islature the less I understand it. No man can broadly condemn any vote or attitude of the Gen eral Assembly, without con demning some excellent men. After ail, the legislators are no better than the rest of us. Just to prove my point: recently I picked out a group of members of the highest respectability. I know the gentlemen and esteem them highly. Of course their vote would be a guide to what is best. But it wasn’t true at all. One of the chief defenders of extra pay is a man whom I should support gladly for almost any position. So there you are. Some of us must be wrong; perhaps the extra pay members are right; perhaps members are right; perhaps it is perfectly proper to employ a manager for your business for $10,000 and excuse, him for taking $20,000, without consulting you. Mark you: So far as I know, no one compelled any legislator to seek the office. Each man so licited the office, and did con- -siderable soliciting. If we had put a man into office by force and arms, and held him there under duress, even then the act of increasing his own salary would be of doubtful virtue. The Legislature is like an equal number of people, gener ally; you can’t tell what it will do. One day you think badly of it, and speak harshly; then the Senate, for example, throws out the extra pay—and you look to the Senate, with deep admir ation, thinking of old Cicero and Cato the Censor, and the other great names of austere devotion to the public service. Then comes some fast move which leaves us, verily, in the very Slough of Despond. The basic trouble with the Legislature is that it is compos ed of men like ourselves—and with all the pecularities and twists which mark our routine of life. I must not leave the subject of extra pay without making the point that the Legis lature is prohibited strictly from increasing its pay or emolu ments, under whatever guise an adroit mind might care to base the act. And the constitution is so clear,, both as to intent, and as to the language itself, that we may expect the courts to in terpret the great basic charter in defense of the citizenry of the State, instead of in further ance of legislative proposals for the benefit of the members themselves. The House of Representatives in Congress passed a bill cur tailing the poyer of Labor bosses to tie up the business, comfort and health of the nation. Every one says that Mr. Truman would veto such a bill. Why not let him veto it? If the House means business, pass it over the veto. We know that Mr. Tru man is playing politics. That can be understood and tolerated sometime, but we are suffering from a Labor-boss rule which needs correction. If the Demo crats play along with the Labor bosses, the Nation may have ground to turn Mr. Truman out. Unfortunately the Nation is in a great game. The Senate killed some good features of Senator Taft’s bill. Why? Because Re publicans and Democrats are more anxious about Party vic tory than National good. Some men in Congress see the trouble, and wish to correct it; but THE NEWBERRY SUN FRIDAY, MAY 23, IMf Pelzer Teachers Honor Bride-Elect Miss Bonnelle Buzhardt, whose engagement to John Richards White of Dillard, Georgia, and Winnsboro, has been announced, was honoree at a party given by Miss Bonnelle Cromer, Louise Jackson and Montez Henderson at the Pelzer teacherage, Tues day evening, May 6. Among the thirty guests pres ent were the honoree’s mother and sister, Mrs. W. L. Buzhardt and Miss Louise Buzhardt of Newberry. Arrangements of spring flow ers were used in the reception rooms, and the bride-elect’s chair was marked with a cor sage of sweet peas. For entertainment a mock wedding, in which thirteen teachers participated, and also a number of contests were en joyed. Miss Helen Jean Poore won the prize for dressing the most attractive bride. The hostesses served green and white ice cream and cakes decorated with white rose buds. The favors were wedding bells tied with white satin ribbon. Miss Buzhardt was given a piece of crystal in her chosen pattern. Your printing order will re ceive prompt attention when placed with The Sun printers. others see only the election of 1948. We people back home are re sponsible for this condition; we seldom fight for what we be lieve, and almost never remem ber the man who fights for us. We ought to turn a searchlight on every vote—and every fail ure to vote. The failure to vote is a favorite dodge of some poli ticians. Pomaria Announces Closing Program The Rev. Carl B. Caughman, Social Missions pastor of the Lutheran Synod of South Caro lina, will deliver the sermon to the seniors of the Pomaria high school Sunday morning, May 25, at 11 o’clock in the school aud itorium. Graduating exercises will be held Wednesday evening, May 28, at 8:30 o’clock. Annie Lou Mayer has been named valedic torian and Betty Mae Graham, salutatorian of the class. Others on the program are: Class Historian, Faye Ellisor; Class Festator, Rudolph Oxner; Class Prophet, Roy Mayer; Class Poet, Clara Lou Ruff; Class Statistician, Carl Morrison. The following is a list of the seniors who are candidates for diplomas: Faye Ellisor Betty Mae Graham Willie Mae Graham JAMES STEVENS PRICE, JR. Mr. and Mrs. James Stevens Price, announce the birth of a son, James Stevens, Jr., bom at the Newberry county hospital on Monday, May 19. Mrs. Price, the former Ruth Clary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Clary, and son are doing fine. Mr. and Mrs. Price have an other child, Eva Jane, three and one-half years of age. Billie Dove Koon Josephine Leitzsey Annie Lou Mayer Floride Ringer Clara Lou Ruff Mathilde Suber Christine Wicker Yvonne Wicker Billy Hentz Felix Livingston Roy Mayer Carl Morrison Thomas Murphy Rudolph Oxner Stockman Richardson. 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Now, Smokey explains, get ready to see the real culprit I is Y*Ae * . ..kM. U*« ... fcuro Ati Witt evert *P Why . . . it's just an ordinary-looking man • • • an average, law-abiding citizen . • . a nice person like you who starts most forest fires. He docs 90% of the damage to America's forests I This yeor—with more cars, more leisure time, and more vocation travel—America’s forests may puffer the greatest catastrophe in history! H if imperative that you ce . - particularly careful with fire. Amerko's forests ore in : your hands. i Only you Can *. PREVENT FOREST FIRES! Fairfield Forest Prod. Co. 1117V2 Boyce St. Phone 640 Wanted: All Men Between 17 & 40 Attention all men between the ages of 17 and 40! You don’t have to be a war veteran to join the civilian Naval Reserve. You don’t have to quit your job, or give up your social life. Stay right at home and enjoy all of the benefits of belonging to the Naval Reserve. You won’t be called to active duty without your consent, except in case of a national emergency declared by the president. Visit the nearest Naval Res erve representative at the local post office any Wednesday, and get complet einformation, be cause you’ll find—it pays to serve in the Naval Reserve. The Wertz Music & Appl Co. invite you to see and hear the RCA VICTOR RADIO-PHONO-COMBINATION xnimin ma lt’s a Beauty . ^. It’s a Hit... It’s a Table Victrola with Automatic Record Changer, the “Silent Sapphire” pick up and the glorious tone of the “Golden Throat”. - Solve Your Gift Problems - Records Albums Small Radies Portable Radios RECORD PLAYERS - Single & Automatic Portable Record Players 940 Main St. Phone 470 a - i A '/ m “There's Rhythm' in That There Store" Many Thanks ... We wish to take this means of expressing our sin cere thanks to all those who assisted in fighting the fire at the Whitener Lumber Company plant last Sun day. Had it not been for the valued assistance rendered by so many, the loss would have been much greater. i _In addition to the help given by many individuals in fighting the fire, we wash to specially thank the members of the Newberry Fire Department, the ope rators of the city sprinkler, the personnel of the Ru ral Electrification, many students of Newberry Col lege and others. We are grateful to all, and again, many thanks! ■ Whitener Lumber Co., Inc. Guy V. Whitoner C. C. Hutto