The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-15
A CALL TO DUTY.
MAYOR l.. ID. JENNINGS APPEALS
TO LOYAL AMERICANS.
mo True, Patriotic Citizen Can Have
Any Patience with the Man Who is
Able and Fails to DO His Fun
Part"

To the True and Loyal Americans of
Sumter County:
The campaign to sell and to pledge
$S5O,O0O of War Savings Stamps be-
tween June 14th and 2Stb. will omen
on June 14th, with a mass meeting at
Sumter Opera House, Sunday. June
10th at P. NJ. to be addressed by
men of national reputation. We want
everyone there.
L have heard some say that they
did not believe that Sumter county
could raise it's quota of $S5O,OOO. Be
fore the campaign opened for the last
Liberty loan, heard similar remarks.
; Our quota was $41S,0OO; and we rails
ed something over 100000. Before
the campaign opened for the last Red
Cross drive, / heard similar remarks.
Our quota was $4,000; we raised
something over $4,000. There is no
reason on earth why we should not
raise the quota for War Savings
stamps, but We cannot raise this if the
men hold back and expect the women
2 and little children tr raise it, II is
true that most of them can purchase
some stamps, but not many of them
e can purchase large amounts. If ev-
i cry man. woman and child in Sumter
. county will purchase to the extent of
their ability, and if every nan and wo-
d man who is financially able to do so
r will purchase the maximum amount.
e which one man is allowed by the gov
: ernment to buy to wit, $1,000, then
n we will have no trouble in selling
$S5O,000 worth of stamps In pur-
chasing these stamps, we do not give
d away anything. 1t is true that we
t might be able to obtain a little high
" er rate of interest on the money in
$ vested, but when we take into consid-
: Grafton that we do not have to pay
d taxes on these War Savings Stamps,
and we do have to pay taxes on other
e investments, then there is very little
n difference in the rate OF interest as
r the stamps bear four Pc: cent, COM
e pounded quarterly. which amounts to
d nearly five per cent. Sometimes on
e other investments, we sustain a loss.
but there is no possible chance of
II sustaining a loss on money invested
e in this government security, unless we
= lose the war, and Germany overruns
d this country as she has overrun Bel
s gium ,and should this occur, no true
:. American citizen would care to have
his money repaid because he would
:, rather be dead, than to exist under
: German rule.
l. To say that Sumter county cannot
=, raise its quota for War Savings Stamps
= is an admission that Sumter county
:. is not able to put UP it's proportion
:. of money that the government says it
should furnish to finance the war. Are
you willing to make such an admis-
:. sion as long as you have one dollar
|
it? The answer Of every true Ameri-
can will be NO.
have helped in all of these drives
for the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A.
War Fund. and the Liberty Loans, and
$ l have not as yet come in contact
with anyone who has made any real
= sacrifice in order to do his or her
part. What 1 mean by real sacrifice
is to do without things actually need
ed. The main trouble in raising mon.
ey for war causes is to convince peo-
pie what they can do. After they are
once convinced, they find very little
trouble in providing means. The gov
ernment would not ask for money if
1t was not needed, and we should put
up the proportion asked Of us and con-
tinue to do so from time to time as
the calls come, until we have won the
war, or until we shall have furnished
the last dollar we have, and even if it
becomes necessary to do this, and if
every one in Sumter county has fur
nished his last dollar. yet the sacri-
flee of all combined could not COM
pare in the slightest degree with the
sacrifice of the life of one boy from
Sumter county made in cur defense
and in the defense of civilization and
humanity.
| No true, patriotic citizen can have
any patience with the man who is
able and fails to do his full part. II
do not think we have a great many
of this kind in Sumter county. The
people heretofore, with few execp-
tions, have responded very literally