The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-09-06
A LITTLE SERMON FOR FARMER FOLK
BY Clarence Poe in the Progressive Farmer

from that wonderful 18th chapter of
First Corinthians in which the old trans
lators enormously used the word char
lty'' where all modern translators say
the correct word is "love"; and from
Christ's declaration that if man is
bringing his gift to the altar that is to
say, if he is. about any religious service
and remembers that he is not in right
relations with his brother, let him first
go and be reconciled to his brother, a
more important matter than any relig-
ious form or ceremony
''God is love-" we are told; must we
'notnfer, therefore, that the devil is
hate, and that man is godlikc in the
degree that his thoughts and his con-
duct are ruled by the spirit of love and
free from the spirit of hate? ''What-
soever things are true, honest, just,
pure, lovely, Of good report; if there be
any virtue, if there be any praise, think
of these things, I'VE are told; but too
often we find professed followers of this
Book who seem to have made the verse
read: Whatsoever things are untrue,
dishonest, unjust, unlovely, Of evil re
port; il there be any wrong, if there be
any suspicion, think on these things"
hope everyone will realize that am
not preaching sermon for the sake Of
preaching sermon. ! am writing this
because know that while am con
stantly urging all forms Of rural CO.
operation on this page, and all the other
things that | believe necessary for the
development of a richer rural civliza-
ton, such plans can succeed only in
proportion as the farmer has the right
attitude toward life. A gospel of hate
and suspicion can get nowhere; a Cos
pei Of love and trust can conquer the
world.
There are many wrongs to be rghted
in this world many oppressors to curb;
hut we must fight not in hatred for the
wrong -doer but in love for the wronged;
not in hatred of the oppressor but in
love for the oppressed. The leaders
whose names are snshrined in the hearts
of mankind are those who have Battled
in this spirit. Lincoln fought slavery
not out of hatred for shareholders but
in love for the slaves; Lee fought Grant
not that he hated the North but that he
loved the South. And 80 in the battle
to secure juster share of the world S
wealth for labor as compared with cap.
ital, do not believe that the Almighty
will let complete success come until we
go forth not to pull down the rich but to
lift up the poor.
have been worried good deal about
this because our Southern farmers often
seem inclined to follow leaders with a
gospel of hate and suspicion rather than
one of love and brotherhood. If hear
ing mans speech leaves you hating
mankind more rather than loving it
more, or if reading an editors paper
leaves you hating mankind more rather
than loving it more, that speaker or that
editor is not the right sort of man to
follow. know man right NOW, man
who believe began life with great
passion to help the -trodden, but
who has become embittered and now
uses his really great talent to make one
class hate another class, one sect hate
another sect, and who breaches sus-
picion of nearly everybody and love Of
hardly anybody. know another man
whose heart seems to be right bnt who
has seemingly brooded over the wrongs
our farmers suffer until he has lost
faith in maniiind.
We need more faith in our fellows
Let's not believe that among the rich
there are many who are consciously dis
honest. They have more than their
share, but most of them got it by meth
DDS recognized by law and not yet con
demned by mankind and the fault is not
that they are bad at heart but that they
haven't realized that in providing
wealth for their,families they are con
demning other mems families to want
We must fight that such injustice may
be corrected. but let us fight, as we
have said, not in hatred for the rich but
in love for the poor in love for the toll
worn wives and mothers who need more
comforts, in love for aspiring boys and
girls who need better chance in the
world.
Let us not believe, repeat, that the
rich are dishonest or knowingly evil
And let us not believe that our public
servants are corrupt. Farmers are all
TOO prone to believe evil of officials.
democratic speakers try to make us