The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-10

! U'ti1... ptt NiL.t HIS So lttN '''
von pay what he asks. You, he con-
sumner. did not fix the price: he, the
producer, did, That man is not ?
fool for so doing, is he?
Go to that bankers bank and o3k
to borrow $4,000. lie asks per
cent. good security and good i1dorse-
ment. "Can't pay You 5ns +, Mr.
Banker,' YOU say. ID you get it
for +? Is the banEer a fool-well,
hardly.
Now let's 90 into that merchant s
store a minute We pick out 5000
worth of goods, and say: Mr.. Mer-
chant. times have been pretty hard
for the past sixty days; I can only
pay you $l75 for the goods. " "We
have but one price, sir; and it is
marked plainly on everything We sell.
I am surprised you should K III -
cut it, replies the merchant.
That merchant may be perfectly
sane. may he nos?
But here are men il New York
who have contracts that pay them l3
cents for cotton for December de-
livery. These men never, see a bale
of cotton from one week to another
These men object because they can
not get from the farmer for S or 8
cents tie staple they have contract
ed to deliver at Il cents. + the far
mer the fool? Now let's see.
We happened to be at a fashion,
able country place not so very long
ago. Not far down the street was
mansion with beautiful grounds. Sud-
denly the owner vacated it and Mr..
Blank, New York cotton specula-
tor moved in, paying $500 a month
rent. The stable was not big
enough. so another was rented near
by and $4,000 spent in altering it to
suit his wishes for the little time he
wanted it. Thirteen Lcrses and a
dozen or 50 carriages came out. Some
thing like ten servants came, and
finally his automobile that was Of
Italian make and cost every penny
Of $4,000. The gentleman went into
New York every morning to gather
ND what he could from the. sweat of
the brow and the already poverty Of
the man who grew the cotton.
We were down in South Georgia
recently. A little shack marks the
home place where family has strug-
gled for years to extract enough cot
ton from the soil to keep body and
soul together. The family grew and,
with practically MOI educational ad-
vantages at hand, was compelled to
grow in ignorance. The oldest boy
became a man, crude farmer.
The spark Of pride and manhood
that had lain dormant through the
years sought to glow and burn in his
breast. Finally he made trip to a
city and saw what there was in
knowledge and enlightenment and
his ambition gave him unrest. He
left the farm long enough in the win
ters to prepare himself for college
course; borrowed the money with
which he paid his tuition and gave
his note for it. He struggled through
college and graduated: then he tried
to get place in law office, hoping
10 earn enough to pay back the mon
ey promptly, but no one seemed to
give him chance. He taught school;
won his way; finally married and has
his own little ones around him.
How many Georgia boys have been
compelled to plod along in ignorance
and poverty through the years to
contribute the money that the spe-
culator used for the purchase of the
$4,000 automobile, the horses, the
servants and the luxuries he enjoy
ed?
And now. Mr.. Banker, Mr.. Mer-
chant. Mr.. Farmer, Mr.. /Sp7culator
and all-are not men fools as a rule
when they fail to do the thing that
will contribute to our bank accountY
Are we not inclined to count the man
out if he reaches point where he
can hold against the storms of hfeg
Life is short to the best of US. We
are selfish and want to win all we
can to our bank account, but let us
bear in mind, Mr.. Banker and Mr..
Merchant, as we ride to our work in