The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-12-27

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Il was stated n day this week, in
the Atlanta Georgian In an article on
me cotton market condition, that
traders said the spot market was dull
and inactive. owing almost entirely to
tho st~ubbornness Of farmers and
country merchants. who had cotton
and wtll NJ sell It on the declining
marhet." This 10 the sort of stubborn
nsss that will save the situation and
forcs the cotton buyers to pay the
value Of cotton. The statement that
cotton has declined s2s a bale on the
New York Cotton Exchange since
Thanksgiving does not inean that the
farmer who Ia holding q bale Of cotton
has lost twenty-five dollars. He still
has the cotton and It Is worth al
much o ~ II was on Thanksgiving.
The mills will need this cotton and
need II badly before the next crop Ia
ON the market. ana they will pay what
IL 70 worth to get II. 1t 10 to be hoped
that the farmers and country r,erl
chants viii continue stubborn.
Tho often repeated and generally
accepted statement that tho negro
race IN . whole is shiftless and has
conception Of the meaning Of
thrift Is not by any means true. and
IL u believed. without reservation,
only ~ those who do not know all the
facta a majority Of negroes are
prone to improvidence and live from
hand to mouth. spending all that they
make - fast a. they get II, but when
the small earning power OF the aver
49, negro 10 considered, II must be
acnitfed ~ any fair minded investi-
ook'thpee - NOT much margin
xAsg mSH1 nfvp foeatsnd
49, little Isn, NO matter
hsv Hsessrsiy thsy.iivs. But. despite
thsss lsonditions. the negroes OF the
South have accumulated a vast
amount Of property In the nifty years
since they wore emancipated. This
accumulation represents hard work
and . degree Of thrift that compares
favoraoly with the attachments of any
other race. This comment Is suy-
gested by the announcement a few
days 8 that the Peoples Pharmacy
Christrnss Saving fund. conducted by
by DIR. c. w. Birnie. colored. for the
negroes Of Sumter as an auxiliary CT
The Christmas Savings fund Of the
National Bank Of Sumter. had tht
week distributed among It's share
holders the sum Of s10.450. This
large sum represented the weekly
savings Of the negroes Of Sumter In
one year. II represents the dimes.
quarters and half dollars laid aside
each week from small wages by no.
gro men, women. boys and girls.
c~Unsidaring the earning power OF the
negroes Of this city. over and above
the absolute necessities II is a re-
markable achievement. and proves
that quite q large percentage Of the
negroes Of Sumter are thrifty and are
acquiring the saving habit. They may
spend the greater part of these NV
ings during the holidays and much
OF this may be spent foolishly, but II
they do waste In a few days what
they have spent a whole year In saw
ms. they are no worse than a majcr-
lily of aheir white neighbors. The
Peoples Pharmacy Christmas Saw
ings fund Ia a concrete demonstration
that all negroes are not shiftless and
absolutely without any conception Of
the meaning Of thrift.
President Wilson's note appealing
To the belligerent powers TO give Sc
rious consideration to the matter Of
ending the war as speedily as pos
sible Is n remarkable document-one
of the greatest productions from a
literary standpoint that he has issued
since he has occupied the White
House. Those who merely glanced
through It yesterday as they scanned
the news columns OF their daily pa
per. should read 1t carefully and
thoughtfully. IL is forcible. concise,
clear. and as an example OF English
composition there Is nothing lacking
The English language Is a wonderful