The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-03
THE IDLER.
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Not having much to do for the past
few days | have been thinking a good
deal and I have come to the conclusion
that it is best for me not 10 think
that is if it can be helped. Well.
when one has nothing 10 do II Is hard
to keep from thinking about things
that probably ii would be best not to
be thought about and yet how can YOU
help it when these things are before
YOUR very eyes and are read OF IN
every paper you pick up. I am. at
least, not going to try to write all l
have thought.
I said some time ago that I was 60
ing to try mighty hard to persuade
myself that the world is growing bet
ter and I am still trying. Have you,
dear reader, read the daily papers
recently? Have you noticed that col
umn after column every day is but
recital Of all sorts Of crime and some
the most horrible? It is either
murder or a suicide or some man WHO
stands we'll in the community going
down under the temptation to get
rich quick or some man running of with
some other man wife or some woman
taking to the woods with some other
woman's husband. Or some trusted
official making way with the funds
entrusted to his keeping. In fact it
you are not going wrong it seems that
every one gives you credit for doing
so. What does it all mean? And
then in the face Of it all We hear Of
more sumptuary legislation than ever
before recorded.
We want to regulate by statute
law not only what We shall drink and
what we shall eat and what we shall
wear but how we shall ride horseback.
T think if they should pass curfew
law and have it rung in time to bring
the boys and girls in off the street at
reasonable hour every evening 1t
would probably be more effective and
do more good in the bringing up OF
them in the straight and narrow way
than all the prohibitive laws that
could be placed on the statute books.
But then l know and realize that [ am
an old fogy and don't know much
about how things ought to be done.
And it is none of my business so long
as they don't bother me. But to tell
you the truth I sometimes stop in the
midst of my quiet life and ask myself
the question: "Is this me?''
Suppose we continue to believe that
the world is growing better and the
people are getting more liberal and
are cultivating brotherly love more
and more every day and talk about
something else and see if We can't in
spire every body to nobler purposes
and higher resolves.
There was so much about the scout
cars and the good roads during
the early part of last week that I felt
I had better hide out Of the last issue.
I wonder if all this is really going to
do any good. I hope so. don't
see, where it can possibly do any
harm. Of course if a good road is
built or a road is improved as a re-
suit Of this fuss it can be used by the
people who have no automobiles as
well as by those who have them and
therefore it would seem to me that
it is movement which should enlist
the cooperation Of every citizen so
long as the movement does not cost
anybody anything. There is still a
disposition, just like there was some
fifty or sixty years ago when I was
boy, to be ready and willing to get
something for nothing. And why
should the movement not have the
hearty kind word from every one so
long as it is costless.
Seriously speaking I do not see
why all the people should not give
their encouragement to pathfnders,
whether they be from the Atlanta
Journal, New York Herald or the Co.
lumbia Record, so long as the scheme