Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-03-19
SAM JONES' LETTER.
Thoughts on New Experiences
md What They Teach Ua"
me Recent Severe Weather Teaches the
Double Lesson Of Charity and OF the
Necessity Of Provident Care
fer the Future
joopyuoHr, isoAl

IooYyMoHr, ieoel
Our south land for the past thirty
DAYS has had unprecedented severe
weather. Snow has covered the ground,
perhaps, more than one-hnlf Of the
days Of February. Sleighing has been
rs common In Georgia as in Montreal.
Skating, snow-balling and the many
facilities for pleasure and enjoyment
have como along with the cold weather
and the snow and the Ice. Many have
enjoyed the features have just named;
and yet cold weather and the ground
covered with snow means much more
to the south than II docs TO the north,
the northeast and the northwest Tens
of thousands of our people, both white
and colored, arc unpreparcd to meet
the emergencies before them and around
them. With many OF them the work OF
to-day furnishes them the bread for to-
morrow, and cessation of labor for the
week brings them to face the most dire
want-no fuel, no food.
The cities and towns all over the
south have met the emergency BY
liberality commendable and magnifi-
cent. What Is true In the largest cities
Is true in q smaller circle In the towns.
ANY man Of means and comfort who
can sit In front of his warm grate and
comfortable surroundings, and look out
upon the chilly surroundings and care
nothing for the wants and woes OF his
neighbors, Is as totally heartless as an
alligator, and as ungrateful as a reptile.
/ suppose every man thinks he Is gem
erous. To contribute twenty-five cents
he feels Is q master stroke OF benevo-
lence. How few Of us give up to the
measure Of our ability and are willing
to meet the demands of the situation.
1.-THE poor ye shall have always with
YOU" Society will never exist with
out the poor. and as millionaires multi
ply, poupers increase.
A drought over the North American
continent is proof that the Atlantic
ocean GIBBS fuller than ever before, for
1t is from her generous mists and in
cense that clouds are formed and the
showers are given to the land. Mill
lions have gone west to the Nebraska
and Kansas sufferers. Millions will be
kISOA W VIC RDOI III OOlACA oSSehoAo "a
the United States as we'll as the south.
These times have their lesson for US
oil. 1t is but a school we call expert
ence. If the lessons are wisely learned,
both the rich and poor will come out
wiser and better people to meet the is
sues and solve the problems which
await US inevitably In the future.
believe the spirit OF generosity is as
catching as the spirit Of miserliness.
Every lesson Of generosity we learn
and practice, teaches us that it is more
blessed to give than to receive. In
other words, It Is more blessed to be
where you can give than where you
have to receive. / had rather be q
Christian man in Christian land and
give one hundred dollars annually
towards the Outstanding Of China,
than to be a poor heather Chinese and
receive the benefit Of the one hundred
dollars over in China. had rather be
the husband Of good wife and tho
father of vigorous, healthy boys and
give one hundred dollars year to an
orphans home, than to be q little
orphan in an orphan home, and receive
the benefits purchased by the hundred
dollars. would rather be q man in
comfortable circumstances and give till
it hurt me to the poor, than to be num-
bered among the poor and receive the
benefits which come from anothers
charity. 1t is more blessed to give than
to receive. If those in good circum-
stances could learn that lesson well,
and the laboring people Of our country
who are poor could learn the lessons Of
frugality and economy and lay by in
store for rainy day which Is to come,
this would be o different world and q
better world
1t is either q misfortune or q sin, one
or tho other, when a family in this
country should come to want. Too
many Of our people live from hand to
mouth, and the worst of oil Is they
seem to be satisfied with such q living.
with nothing laid by to meet emergen-
cies and sickness. They are, as a rule,
as reprehensible for such life as the
man, who out of his abundance re-
fuses to contribute to the wants Of
others when they are In distress.
A man can be a hog in two ways. He
can be a hog by wanting 1t all and
keeping 1t all for himself If he can get
II. But there is another and more
numerous class Of hogs who are never
satisfied until they eat up everything
in sight. II all the hogs In this country
had bristles, hair mattresses would be
cheaper than mattresses made from
shucks.
Preparations for times like we have
Just passed through should Be made
every year. If the severe weather with
the SHOWS and the storms did not come,
we would be that much better off. But
ifthey should como let us be prepared to
meet them. We must do this on the
one side by paying labor all we can,
and on the other by the laboring men
saving all they san. It's better to save
than to starve. It Is better to con-
tribute to the wants of others than to
sit down In stinGy indifference until
others wants shall forcc them to violate
law to obtain the nccesaaries Of life.
Wherever men suffer there are women
and children to suffer, and no nation and
no community.deservN to live which does
not provide in some way for the hunger
and nakedness Of women and children.
am told that sportsman in some of our
large cities send out grain to farmers
to feed to the birds while the ground
continues covorod nth ~roxx, <1,.x xlos-