The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-23

He was often called mean because he
calculated SO closely. Why did nc
calculate SC closely. That he might
have the more to give. There was not
Bible society, or tract society, or a
reformatory institution 10 the city OF
New York but he had hand in sup
porting it. He denied himself many
luxuries that he might give to others
the necessities. He has been many
years reaping his reward in heaven, but
shall never forget the day when |, a
green country lad, came to his house
and spent the evening, and at the close
Of the evening, as l was departing, he
accompanied me to the steps, carss
down off the steps and said: Here,
Dewitt, is $40 for books. Don't say
anything about it. 1t is mean or it is
magnificent to save. according as you
save for 4 good or for bad object.
| know there are many people who
have much to say against savings banks
and life assurances. | have to tell you
that the vast majority Of the home
stcads in this country has been the re-
suit of such institutions, and | have to
tell you also that the vast majority Of
the homesteads of the future for the
laboring classes will be the result Of
such institutions. 1t will be great
day for the working classes of England
and the United States when the work
ingman can buy barrel of -four instead
of -four by the small sack, when he can
buy barrel of sugar instead of sugar
by the pound, when he can pay cash
for costs and hats and shoes rather than
pay an additional amount for the rea-
son that he has to get it all charged.
Again | remark, great relief is to
come for the laboriEg classes of this
country by appreciation on the part Of
employers that they had better take
their employees into their confidence.
| can see very easily, looking from my
standpoint, what is the matter. Em-
ployes, seeing the employer in seeming
prosperity, do not know all the straits,
all the hardships, all the losses, all the
annoyances. They look at him and
they think. Why, be has it easy,
and We have it hard They do not
know that at that very moment the en-
ployeris at the last point of desperation
to meet his engagements.
l know gentleman very we'll who
mas over thousand hands in his en-
ploy. l said to him some years ago
when there was great trouble in the la
Dor market, "How are you getting on
with your men," OH ne said, II
have no trouble" Why" l said,
'have not you had any strikes" sob,
no, he said, II never had any trou-
BILE What plan do you pursue
He said: II will tell you. All my III
know every year just how matters sta i
Every little while | cali them toget! or
and say: Now, boys, last year l m& :e
50 much; this year made less; so you
see l cannot pay YOU as much as | did
last year. Now, | want to know what
you think | ought to have as percent
age cut of this establishment and what
wages l ought to give you. You know
I put all my energy in this business,
put ali my fortune in it and risked
everything. What do you really think
1 ought to have md you ought to have?
By the time We come out Of that con-
sultation we are unanimous. There
never has been an exception. When
we prosper, we all prosper together;
when We suffer, We all suffer together,
and my men ;Sould die for me-" Now,
let ali employers be frank with their
employees. Take them into your conf
dence Let them know just how mat
ters stand. There is an immense amount
of common sense in the world. 1t is
always safe to appeal to it.
I remark, again, great relief will come
to the laboring classes of this country
through the religious rectifcation of it.
Labor is honoIed and rewarded in pro-
portion as community is Christianiz-
ed. Why is it that our smallest coin
in this country is penny, while in
China it takes half dozen pieces Of
coin or dozen to make one of our pen
MES in value, SO the Chinese carry the
cash, as they call it, like string of
beads around the neck? We never
want to pay less than penny for any
thing in this country. They must pay
that which is worth only the sixth part
or the twelfth part Of a penny. Heath
enism and iniquity and infdelity de-
press everything. The gospel Of Jesus
Christ elevates everything. How do |
account for this? Iaccount for it with
the plainest philosophy. The religion
of Jesus Christ is democratic religion.
1t tells the employer that he is broth
er to all the operatives in the establish
ment-made by the same God, to lie in
the same dust and to be saved by the
same supreme mercy. It does not
make the slightest difference how much
money you have, you cannot buy your
way into the kingdom Of heaven. If
you have the grace of God in your heart
you will enter heaven. So you seeit is
a democratic religion. Saturate our
population with this gospel, and labor
will be respectful, labor will be reward
ed, labor will be honored, capital will
be Christian in all its behavior, and
there will be higher tides Of thrift set
in.
Let me say word to all capitalists:
Be your own executors. Make invest
ments for eternity. Do not be like
some Of those capitalists l know who
walk around among their employers
with supercilious air or drive up to
the factory in a manner which seems
to indicate they are the autocrat of the
universe, with the sun and moon in
their vest rockets, chiefly anxious