The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1902-03-06
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1902.
SHOULDER 70 TIE WHEEL"

Elsewhere in this Issue may be foun'
an article from the Norfolk Virginian
Pilot under the heading "Shoulder t
the Wheel" 1t Is well worth the stud,
of every reader OF TIE COMMONWEALTH
whether he lives in Scotland Neck O.
whether he lives el1cwhere. AnG
while we do not hope to be able to ado
a word to the strong truths and con
yincing logic which are so we'll express
Ell by our city contemporary, we call
attention to it in order to emphasize it
"The man who refuses to put his
shoulder to the wheel is an enemy to
his race" declares the writer; and the
pungent truth is worth studying care
fully. Holy Writ itself declares that
"no man liyeth unto himself ;" and it
has been a thousand times demonstrate
ed that men are everywhere mutually
dependent upon each other for the
highest and best results of life.
Selfishness is spirit to be condemn
ed and dispised i'll everyone. Helpful
ness Is the highest attribute of human
life, and Is that which comes nearest
to the perfect fulfilment CT the destiny
which God has made possible for all.
Something like two hundred years
ago Jonathan Swift made certain
parsonage in "Gulliyer's Travels" saw
"that whoever could make two ears of
corn or two blades of grass to grew on a
spot where only one grew before would
deserve better OF mankind, and do more
service to his country, than the whole
race of politicians put together"
So pYoov l,
shoulder to the wheel and lays out his
strength In helping bring about results
that are fraught with the greatest good
to the greatest number, stands On the
same high pinnacle OF excellence above
him who refuses to do so, as did Jona-
than Swift's double BLADDER stand above
the politicians of his time.
To be sure, by the very laws of right.
by the eternal principles of Justice, ev.
cry man Is called upon to care first OF
all for the interests which God has
linked to his life oyer which each one |
holds the individual guardianship but
In every community there are interests
whose peculiar claims are such thai |
any and every man can give heed to
the same without the least pref rdice
to those personal interests which are
lndlssolubly connected with each mans
personal duty. 1t is for the advance !
ment OF these common interests that
our well-poised contemporary pleads
and its contention we sanction and
heartily endorse. And it is the man
who disregards these common interests
that it calls "an enemy of his race
Are there not interests in Scotland
Neck, separate and distinct from Al;
purely personal considerations, which,
demand that every one should nut his
"shoulder to the wheel" and weld his
strength together with the strength Of
every other man in the community
1t there are such interests here. this
of Individual strengths
Will mould such a trlp-hammer OF DOW
er that whatsoever ought to be done
can be done, and whatsoever is rightly
willed so can be brought to pass.
We heard great and good man saw
once that what ought to be done can
be done ; and We verify believe it is
true, and that few tasks are too hard
with the shoulder of every one to the
wheel.
'Art thou in earnest?
Seize this very minute
What you can do, or think you can,
BEGIN it.