The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-03-29
CHAT AT THE
COUNTRY STORE.
The Gang at "Four Corners.
While Sitting Around the Stove on Sat.
urday Night They Discuss Gift
and the MOnopOlieS.

thing IN general, Wnen uncle Josh
came in and seating himself on II
sugar barrel SAID:
"Boys, I have been SO alfred
busy this week, 1 amt had no time
to look at a paper. What is the
news, any how? Anything start
ling?"
"Noy,ing worth the telling, Uncle
Josh, ,"'"replied John Peppercorn,
Except L see that them Congrega.
tional people up in New England
have sol down on John Rockerfcl.
ler, and ain't agoing to take the
100000 he offered 'em fer foreign
missions. I swar to goodness I'm
glad Of 1T. These trusts L b the
people and give some of their steal.
ings to the chursb to cloak over
enI,f ,hf" hnt ne nr;~ ~0n' nt o d0
little and g, "SeS - back again,
ana more with ,&an9,t
Uncle Josh t1fbc, around and
says: esquire, pass ME over plug
of that air Battle Axe" Josh took
IL chew, and replied, "It may be
all right, but I'll be derncd if that
don't look little like strainiDg al
the bait aud swallowing the hole
fishing tackle. Whar they going
to draw the line7 When they pass
the basket air they going 10 ask
every feller how he made his dollar,
. and then take nothing butS money
from saints? I rekon they can
convert the heathen just as we'll on
Standard Oil money as any other,
and I suppose that's what they
are after, and if they use only
money from the righteous, Ill be
blamed if I done think the devil
will draw a full house, for while
these sanctimonious folks air
parading their virtues, and talking
through their hats, the heathen
will 60 TO hell, and I don't know,
but I kinder think, he will have a
mixed crowd any way"
"But Josh,' PITT in Pop Smith,
"thar's another side to this ques.
tion--a)sort of moral side. These
trusts don't get their money honest
and I don't believe it's right to use
money gotten that way to advance
the good work. That's tho devil s
money"
"Weil, Pop, 1 don't know but
it is a pretty good idea to make
the devil serve the Lord if you can
I don't know Of any better use 70,
him. don't believe he is as black
,,s he is paint ted nohow."
"Now, .eJosh," remarked John
Peppercorn, "you air always on
the contrary side. You know vel
as anybody that all trusts and
monopolies rob the people. They
air evils and should be wiped out.
You know man can't becume {
millionaire and be honest"
"Perhaps you are right, John
But this thing called human ma
ture' is queer mixture-Have 8
chew of mino, Pop-Its a queer
thing. Now, if the rich are all dis
reputpble set, what III the devils
name are you all trying to get ricl
for? But I suppose you will be al
exception, when you get rich. Now
il mon 60 into business. and joil
their capital of q few hundred dol
lars, it il a partnership. If they
invest few thousand, it air a cam
pany. If they invest few millions
it air trust and should be wipec
out, but it seems to NE, that it il
the same thing, with difference
aslt were. Now, John, We are al
good democrats, and it air one o.
our cardinal principles to cuss ~A
trusts and monopolies. Itare par
Of our creed. But it strikes me w
are doing q little along that lin
ourselves. 1t sorter seems to m
that the State of South Carolina i
running a little monopoly IN tn
whiskey line, and amt us farmer
in organizing, trying to corner tn
cotton market, 80 as to get bette
price. Conditions are different frol
what they were when we were boys
The business Of the world is sons
thing immense, and everybody