The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-08

with characteristic Game Cock grit.
did not surrender to the dark clouds
OF threatened adversely. engendered
by the European war. but fought on;
kept Its doors open, working for Sum.
ter and Sumter county. This organ
ization sought to eliminate personal
aggrandizement. and substitute there
for the maxim, and a realization of.
the greatest good to the greatest
number"
When was first approached by
Secretary Reardon to become a MEM
Der OF the Sumter Chamber of Com
merce, had not subscribed to It, like
some do. just to get rid of him, and
say, Here is SIS or $40. 1t is a pub
lie institution and I have to contribute
because everybody else does, and it
would not be good policy to stay away
because some people will think am, a
tight wad," but 1 have told him to
como again. and meanwhile. I have
investigated and found out its pur-
poses and aims and who the people
are behind it. This done, and being
satisfied with its purposes and bust
ness management, I have become a,
member Of the organization, and pay
my share Of the expenses Of conduct
Ing an Institution whose purpose is
the Improvement, uplift, and extension
of the community's commerce. This
includes the merchant as well as the
farmer. the doctor as we'll as the
banker, the lawyer as well as the me-
chanic. the hotel as well as the house
wife. n
The prime object OF the Chamber of
Commerce is the community's finan-
cial development to healthful stand
ing and progressive tendencies, which
I consider is the cornerstone of all
other charitable and religious institu-
tons. Once the commercial stability
os q community is established. the So
cial. moral physical and religious
adjuncts grow automatically. and on
q progressive plane equal to the pros
perity OF the community.
2 But should the commercial end of
the community fall into stagnation,
then. who in the name OF common
sense, will support your churches.
your 7. M. G. A.. your schools. your
city government; In fact everything
In the community. in the State. in the
land. depends on the commercial sta
bility Of Ito citizens, because upon it
we build q social circle. and then a
larger one. and then one still larger
until we set q United States.
The Chamber of Commerce is not
q charitable institution. It is a bus
iness organisation. but not in the
sense IL is generally accepted, as sole
" business mems orga niSa ion. It
is business organization ft every
body In the community, tow. .coun-
ty, OF State ia which 1t is To- ted, for
the benefit Of all within it's radius. It's
duty IL. first: to help the consumer so
that the producer may have custom
erA or better speaking, we want to
have good buyers in order to make
good sales. Is that plain enough?
In q community. everybody is buy
err the house wife buys groceries, the
farmer buys implements. the patient
buys medical skill. the client buys le-
GAL talent. the congregation buys min
isterial service. the banker buys good
depositors. the mechanic buys good
jobs: the public in general buys ev-
erything. and il supplied according to-
its needs.
Our lieutenant governor. Andrew
Bethea, once made the remark that
the Chamber of Commerce in a city
or county should be considered as the
business department Of the municipal
government. and should rank In
city or county like the department Of
Commerce aud Labor, to the United
States government and the State OF
South Carolina. and should have
municipal support. I fully agree with
him in that respect, for as we are pro-
vided. by, law, with a city and county
government to, keep order and dis
pense justice to all, protect health.
life and property, provide educational
facilities. why not provide business
department whose duties 1t would be
to look after the business interests OF
the community?
L am supporting the Chamber of
Commerce because I feel 1t my duty
to DO so; in order to pay my share