Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-02-15
@isesllausu,ls 8sadias.
BUILDING UP THE SOUTH.
An Address by Clarence z. Poe, Editor
of the Progressive Farmer.

An HdoreSs oy SiaTohCe Gs Foe, CoitoI
Of the Progressive Farmer.
Columbia, s. c., Feb. 9.-For some
time the university has been expecting
a visit from Clarence H. Poe, the ver-
satile editor Of the Progressive Farmer
Of Raleigh, N. C. He came yesterday
on his way to Atlanta to attend the
Cotton Products convention. His ad-
dress in the university chapel inspired
the young men.
President Mitchell says Of him:
Clarence Poe is one Of the sanest
thinkers in the south and in this ad-
dress he mas given the gist of his
thought as to the best way in which
to build UP our country. His mind is
eminently practical, and he has built
cencretely with the constructive forces
at work in the south today. Mr.. Poe
is liberal, sympathetic and structural
in all his plans to promote the welfare
Of the people in this region. He is a
self made man.
He has epitomized In his own per-
| sonal experience the difficulties under
which the south in the last half GEN.
tury has labored. BY sheer force of
character, clearness Of intellect, and
dint of perseverance, he has forced
his way to the front as q leader Of
public thought. Through his admirable
paper he exercises great influence, es-
pecially as regards better farming,
growth of community life in the rural
districts, good roads, better schools and
independence In thought"
His address at the university was
so timely, pointed and direct in its
import that 1t impressed the entire
student body and faculty. Mr.. Poe
stands for a practical programme of
progress in the south which necessarily
appeals to the aspiring youth. His
address was another in the series at
the university Of practical talks on
present topics. Mr.. Poe met the large
audience that listened to his able
speech, Of which the following Is a
synopsis:
We have neglected our average man.
This has been our great trouble. Talk
about a states resources, there Is only
one resource, the man, the child, the
citizen present or future, and his in
telligence, character and strength
4 his average intelligence, character and
strength. This is the measure Of all
other values, and in speaking to you,
am going to lay down this as my
first and primary proposition.
To develop our state we must de-
velop the intelligence and efficiency Of
our average population, and the mate
rial resources of the state-minerals.
soils, water powers, climate, forests or
what not are valuable or worthless in
proportion to the efficiency-the INTEL
ligence, energy and character Of your
average citizen.
Secondly, I declare to you with no
less emphasis that the prosperity of
every individual man is measured by
the prosperity, the efficiency-that Is
to say, the efficiency and character OF
the average man in the community.
No matter what trade, business or
profession you may follow, you pros
per just in proportion to the intelli-
gence and wealth Of the average man
with whom you have to deal. In other
words not only does the prosperity Of
the state as an organization and Of
society as whole depend on the pros
perity of the average man, but the
prosperity Of every trade, art and craft
in a community and the prosperity Of
every individual in the community,
from the boy on the street who blacks
your shoes to the ma 5ter mind who or
ganizes your railway systems or gov
erns your state-the prosperity Of ev-
cry individual, say, depends upon the
efficiency Of the average man.
The great principle Of democracy to
which our American government Is
dedicated, is not confined to the world
of politics, but applies with equal force
in the economic and Industrial world.
We must revise not only our old aris-
tocratic ideas Of government, but our
old aristocratic ideas of wealth and
industry as we'll. These old fatal mis-
conceptions have shackled US too long.
and there is hope for US only in realiz-
ing that business is, by nature, not
aristocratic, but democratic.
The poorer every other man Is, the
poorer you are. The richer every 9TH
er man is, the richer you are-not the
reverse of this, as too many people
have long believed.
Every man whose earning power ls
below par, below normal, Is a burden
on the community; he drags down the
whole level of life and every other
man in the community Is poorer by rea-
son Of his presence, whether he be
white man or negro, or what not. Your
unframed, inefficient man is not only
a poverty breeder for himself, but the
contagion Of 1t curses every man In
the community who Is guilty Of leaving
him unframed. The law Of changeless
1uSIlCe QeCTeeS lldl JOu Jdol tiSS ~
fall decline or prosper with your
neighbor. You will be richer for his
wealth, poorer for his poverty.
And so today every man who is till
ing an acre Of land in the south 80
that it produces only half what intel
ligently directed labor would get out
of it, every man who Is doing poor
work of any kind, every man who Is
creating and earning only so or 10
cents a day instead Of from three to
ten times as much, as intelligent Ia
bor would do, every inefficient man,
no matte. In what line Of work, Is
burden on the community Is dragging
down the level Of life for every other
man in the community.
Suppose you are his fellow-citizen;
then because of his inefficiency, his
poyerty. because Of his failure to con-
tribute to public movements you must
have poorer roads, poorer schools,
meaner school house and courthouse.
shabbier church, lower-priced lands;
A.