The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1915-09-08
Let a Contcnted People Alone.
s... ..... 49,. .

N"ASo popoiatioll MANY are hunting
for work, we feel that it Is little short
of criminal for meddlers to be going
around interfering with labor that is
contented.
The world at large has distorted
idea Of the condition of the people,
who work in the mills. Mill workers
are about the healthiest, happiest,
best conditioned people In the South.
The man who would disturb their
contentment is an enemy to them and
destroyer of their happiness.
If these people had wrongs or
grievances, 1t would not be right to
let them be imposed upon. But what
wrongs have been inflicted upon
them? They are better paid than
clerks in stores and some of the
young women get higher wages than
stenographtrs, have lighter work, are
not subjected to so many mortifica-
tions in going and coming from work
and are able to dress neatly and, in
fact, prettily. Tho mill girl of today
is type of Southern womanhood that
Will compare we'll in appearance, in
education, in mind and in character
with the best classes anywhere.
The mill people have but little rent
to pay; in some communities get wa
ter and lights free; have free schools,
and church buildings and lodge rooms
given to them; have their delightful
1tower yards and prolific vegetable
gardens. These are our mill people
OF today. Sober, honorable, honest,
ambitious, neighborly, charitable,
lffeable people-and contented Peo-
pie Of whom we may be proud.
Some mills for stipend Of $5 per
month let their operatives have com
Portable homes and furnish the mule
power to plow the ground; and fur
nish the fertilizer al cost-and the
consequence is that the mill opera
tive may have good garden all the
year around.
In some communities we have
known mill operatives to save enough
to buy their little farm ;. In Column
bia the workers have their own COOP
crativc store, operated by mill work
ers, and we are informed that in tho
first year of operation a dividend OF
25 per cent was declared tho
mill workers.
We do not believe in depressing
such virtuous race Of people We
believe in giving them opportunity
and all of these things they have.
freedom opportunity and fair
wage. On the other hand, consider
the mill manager.
These men come in for all sorts Of
criticism and abuse and it is unde-
served. We know that the mill man
ayers have hard time Of it. They
have problems that are vcXing and
full Of worry and responsibility. Like
good soldiers, they put on bold
front even in the midst Of the ever
wearing cares. The mill managers a
year ago were confronted with the
most serious problem that has affect
ed the South
The world must cat, but the world
can wear little of clothes. 1t is the
cotton manufacturer who suffers in
case Of great international controv-
crsies.
This situation was evolved to the
full credit Of the nation, and the man.
ufacturing enterprises Of the South
have pulled through the crisis, but it
was a great battle for the valiant and
the strong hearted men who are en-
deavoring to handle the financial re-
sponsibility Of the industry.
Every man in the world has his
burdens, cares and sorrows, his re-
sponsibilitieS. The humane mill own
cr has his own and the cares of many
others. We here lay down one broad
proposition-T whom should the mill
people stick In case Of disaster? To
the office hunter who comes around
every year or SO with the most guile
full and at the same time, most plausi-
bic lot OF talk? Or to the mill man
agcr who will stand by his people, or
at least those Of them who are de-
serving?
We hope that the issue may never
come, that the great war will never
lc fD