The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-27

they shouldered their guns and
marched in obedience to the call, and
We women have thrilled over their
brave deeds, sung songs TO their
praise. organized CLUBS 10 do them
honor and erected monuments to
their Today. there is an
other call of the country, and it is not
the war buG!e-thank God for that,
but ii is the cal Of the farmer for a
market, the mills for a mercha. and
thousands Of men and women for a
job. Truly it is the call of the whole
country and this time it is the women
II needs. Shall we women be patriotic
and come to the rescue, or sha we
still listen to the sirens song across
the seas and heed not the voices of
s~upplication of our countrymen?
Today is the time when we women
must show whether we are patriots of
our country or not by ~patronizing the
things made at home and start the
wheels turning unhesitatingly. We
say we love America, shall we prove it
by actions? Or, it is self and self
adornment that we love? We have
sung My Count IT'S of Thee and
fallen down before a Made in Ger
many" sign or a French style. People
tell us Germany is a great country
or was-and Paris is a great city
s@fae sat1a W Il ~ ustA ~ bo. Jul
do you know we American women
have made them what they are?
Neither of them could have flourished
as they have had it not been for the
American dollars going there every
year TO bring away some fastidious
article. But you tell me the things
we get from abroad are art and the
Americans cannot make them. How
do we know that the American manu-
facturer cannot make artistic articles
and fancy goods nor that there are
hundreds of wasted gems in our
country who could create art for US?
Have we given either the proper
chance to show what they could do?
We go to Germany for all of our TOYS.
hen we have hundreds of little boys
in the schools who IAN do splendid
carving and who show wonderfu
talent in that line, and yet have they
had the roper chance to develop that
talent? One of the most skilled
pieces of workmanship ON a doll I
ever saw was made by a mountain
girl OF North Carolina. 1t is true, it
was only a rag doll. but nothing /
have ever seen imported from Ger
many could equal it, and yet we say
W can't do it" and have merely
folded u hands and allowed Ger
many to grow rich from our earnings.
Is This Patriotism?
And you who speak about art
from abroad, now honestly as an
utmost secret OF your heart, are Won
sure you know what art is? Are
tnere not lots of times when the sign
means more thar the article iself?
we nave patroniZed the Made in
Germany so much and to prove that
we are fooled by it, American manu-
facturers have often used the fake
sign In order to sell their goods. Is
ms patrlotism? 1t is a matter OF
common knowledge that the Ameri-
San ldea OF art is considered a joke
IN Europe and the foreign
turers have taken advantage Of the
Americans ignorance and charged
exhorDitant prices for something
made by untalented and unskillful
myers. We Americans have not
studied art, but have simply taken
LOT ant that anything with a
aoIeisn lapel was art and that the
Made In America" label represented
anything but art. If we had an art
at home and encouraged it, studied If
ana lived in an atmosphere Of Ameri-
can art, we would then not be duped
by foreigners putting off an unworthy
article upon US.
Shall we encourage our manufac-
turers by buying things Made in
America and put the idle laborero
back to work and making a market
Tor the farmers cotton that is not
one OF charity as the "Buy-a-Bale'
movement impresses me, or shall we
still call for the foreign goods? The
American manufacturer needs tho
support of the American women. The
employees of the mills need US so that
they can become more and more
skilled in making goods that will
compete with the trade. We have
told them for many years that their
fingers could only make coarse ma
terial until some of them ctually be-
lieve 1t. But in spite of all we have
done to encourage the foreign manu-
~facturers. the Americans have made
goods and goods that We have had to
notice and with our encouragement
and patronage, they can do still bet
ter. 1t is true that they do make bet
ter goods abroad, but they made it
because there has been a market for
them and we have left the American
manufacturer to work along and sell
as best he could.
Give the American a Chance.
Shall We bo nafr;ots o-l II