The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-10-25

others should do more, ana would
do more, if the matter were pre-
sented to them in the right way.
The last loan was somewhat Of a
drag on the market here until the
last few days, when most excellent
work was done. The Press and Ban
ner, feeling that we were about to
make a failure, did not hesitate to
call the matter to the attention Of
the public, and to tell the business
,aen what they should do if we were
to 90 over the top. Without claim
ing any special credit for the result,
we may, at least, say that the event
proved the correctness of all we
stated.
The one great trouble with US,
however, in all these matters, is
that we are too slow in beginning.
We should be ready for one of these
drives when the first gun is fired.
The committees should be ready to
wait on the business men first. And
the business men should be ready to
subscribe, not trifiing sum which
they know is insufficient to get up
the amount, but the full amount
which they should be expected to
take. Had this been done in the re-
cent drive, and had the work in the
city of Abbeville been completed
during the first week of the drive,
the committees might have gone in
to the surrounding country and
might have made a more extensive,
as we'll as a more successful, cam
vass. These matters must be brought
home to the people.
Some people thought we were
wrong in suggesting that certain
men should take certain amounts.
We do not think so. The people may
not know it, but in those districts
which are most successful in raising
their quotas in these drives, the COM
mittees first meet, 60 over the situa-
ton ,acquaint themselves with the
ability of every man to pay, figure
the amount which every man should,
in their judgment, take in order to
raise a given sum, and then 60 to
him and ask for it. The people gen.
orally do not regard this as debating,
because most of the people are
ready to do their part and are anxi-
Gus to know from people who are in
position to tell them, just what their
part is. Had we adopted this rule
in the recent canvass, in the first in
stance, great many people would
not have been called on to take so
much, and others might have been
persuaded to take more. If a COM
mittee is made up of business men
who have no personal interest in a
canvass of this kind the ordinary
nan will not object to being told
that certain amount is to be raised,
and after going over the matter and
trying honestly to reach conclus-
ion, the committee feels that he
should take so much. Of course
there are exceptions to all rules, but
they prove the general rule. What
the committee failed to do, the Press
and Banner attempted to do on it's
own responsibility largely because
others did not think the plan wise.
The matter is worth considering,
and before another drive is to be
launched, those in charge might we'll
consider the matter. The duty rest
ing on all of US may be more equit-
ably distributed amongst US if this
plan is adopted in the beginning,
and if the work proceeds along
these lines. Experience, as we have
said, demonstrates that the plan is
just and acceptable.
FROM DR.. SWOPE
Writing the Editor, DR.. Swope has