The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-21
LEVER AND VARDAMAN SPEAK
CONGRESSMAN DISCUSSES PROF..
LENS OF RURAH COMMUNI.
TIES.
Governor Manning Applauded When
Escorted to Sandwiches Brief
Talk-Editor Tells Sumter PeopIe
OF Community Building i'm West.

~AooiS ldSl HlSnI 10
hear Messrs. Ben. r. Vardaman and
Congressman A. r. Lever. and. Incl.
dentally, to hear Gov. r. I. Manning.
make a few remarks. The audience
| was not an enthusiastic one and the
only time that it showed it was NOT
merely passive was when Supt. S. II.
Edmunds, who presided at the meet
ing, asked Mr.. d. D. Noise, the re-
firing president of the Chamber of
Commerce to escort His Excellency
Gov. r. I. Manning to the rostrum.
At this point there was much ap-
plause and the audience indicated it's
pleasure at having Gov. Manning
present.
The meeting was opened by a pray
er by the Rev. DR.. j. II. Wilson Of
st. James Lutheran church, after
which Prof. Edmunds in a short talk
told of the object of the meeting, to
show the mutual dependence Of town
and country and to encourage friendly
relations between them. Mr.. Ben r.
Vardaman, associate editor of the
Merchants Trade Journal, was then
introduced.
Mr.. Vardaman spoke for nearly an
hour in an interesting way Of what
had been done by certain towns in the
west in the way OF making the town
the community center and how it
could be done here, emphasis being on
the fact that the city must be the
community center as we'll as the bust
ness center. He denounced the deal
ing with mail order houses because
they are not only taking away money.
but because they take away the most
vital feature Of civilization, the young
people Of the community, who follow
the money to the business centers. The
young folks must be encouraged 10
stay az home, he said.
There were three prime elements in
the success of a community. yourself,
your neighbor and the world about.
He dealt on the duty of the individ-
ual to make the community better
and more pleasant for. others. Il
trouble with people was that they
were lazy, following the line of least
resistance, a habit which they must
overcome, to be successful and to ap-
peal to people "a necessity in making
a success of business.
Gov. CLAIMING was then escorted to
the stand by Mr.. Davis d. Noise and
introduced in a happy name by the
chairman. The chief executive shook
hands with those on the stand and
expressed his great pleasure at seeing
! his fellow citizens. He did not make
a speech and left the stand after a
very few minutes.
Congressman Lever was introduced
by Prof. Edmunds in a very felici-
tous tanner Mr.. Edwmunds referred
to him as a man who was always on
the job When I first heard Of Con-
gresham Lever" he said, Il heard
that he was on the job. The second
time l heard Of him, I heard hat he
was on the job, and eve since then 1
have been hearing the same thing
Mr.. Lever stated at the outset that
he was one of the unchanging insti-
tutions Of South Carolina" He spoke
Of the necessity Of having q commu-
nifty center and q community leader
in the rural district, saying that 1t
was as necessary among the women
as among the men. He did not say
that he favored oma suffrage, but
his remarks indicated that he thought
it q good thing and that it was some
thing that was surely coming. He
stated that this was a transition per-
iod in agriculture, an indication Of this
being the recent sale Of cattle at
Greenwood. THE war has caused
great losses in the SOUTH" he said,
but it has taught a lesson and
brought about q change which the
farmers will never forget. More
grain has been planted this year than
ever before in my memory, there is
more Investigation of farming and
more farmers have gone in for live
stock raising" There was too much
waste between the producer and con-
| sumner he said. This must be elimi-
mated. The towns and cities must fur
nish a market to the producer for his
surplus crops. He did not believe
that the Farmers Union would last
unless there vas some one appointed
TO have charge of it, q paid officer.
who could constantly look after its in
t~erests, he said in reviewing the va
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