The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-11-21
The Common Good

Many man has at some time in
MS life marveled that in Congress a
republican ever votes for q Demo-
cratic measure or Democrat for a
hepublican measure. Yet party
lines are not greater than patriotism
When the United States declared war
against Spain, Congress unanimous
ly passed the Cannon bill putting in
TO the hands of the President fifty
million dollars for national defense
On this ell were agreed 1t was for
the common good.
This nation is called a common
wealth; and wealth in common is not
aimed at as the national purpose,
still the national wealth, or veal, is
the common concern of all, indirectly
common to all, for all own or possess
the nations wealth. Fundamental,
then, Is the fact of community and
also that this force latent in groups
or men needs expression. Civiliza-
tlon thus Is the expressing of what
is common to all in this land Of the
living. 1t Is the living way or the
way OF the living. In matters of
vital concern, therefore, even noisiest
political antagonists may agree
Upon matters worth while all may
agree. What these are for South
Carolina, the Conference for the
Common Good, meeting in Columbia,
August 81, will attempt to decide,
not by edicts, but by the results of
what is sort of clearing house of
opinion in which all views will have
their just weight.
This way of getting together to
ind out course to follow finds many
analogies in nature Drops of water
stand separte on the glass until by
and by an adventurous drop loosens
Its mooring, and joining with other
drops, forms a tiny rivulet draining
the glass. 1t has organized the drops.
The fash OF lightning gathers up the
potential of the tiny globules of wa
ter In the sky into one binding dis
charge. The verse, Little drops OF
water" is worn with repetition and
IT Is not new at all to say that the
brooks form streams; streams rivers;
and rivers bear upon their mighty
bosoms the commerce of a nation
but the wonder is that men do not
see the new thing in these old ideas
when applied to themselves.
1t is this, Only by joining together
do we serve. Channels are formed
thus. There Is no man, possibly, who
does not desire to work for the good
OF all, who does not want his town
to grow, better crops to be made in
his district, fewer evidences of power
ty to be about him, to be cheerful,
well-liked, and not a gloom over
others. But these men stand apart
In effort like the drops on the glass
or the mist In the heavens or the
brooks in the field. Little strokes
fell great oaks" for centuries every
body has said; now is the time to do.
What to do Is clear. Join hands with
your neighbor for something better.
That Is the common good. A first
-, good step Is to come to the confer
ence In Columbia and to the one in
SyouF community and stand shoulder
to shoulder with those who are not
ashhsmeSa aIfe uh1o 'Oet t'','-,,,' ,,n-oon nu.
VINO .thAB tHPifYss tHPifYss effoirat which
all feel, which all can express, but
are not expressing, and which men
Singly cannot perform but can do
Neasily and well In conjunction with
other men.
Neighbor, do not hold back from
the discussion because you feel, a
hesitation in making yourself heard.
A very slight pull on the trigger will
fire large gun. And when a glass
of alum water Is about to crystalize
out, the smallest bit of alum dust
will hurry 1t up by giving the mole
cules something to line up around :;
even q grain of foreign matter like
SAND will serve the purposeM II you
have the speck or the grain Of sand
bring IL along. The value of the
conference will depend upon you.
w. X. TATE.