The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-02-28

spoiled child. The negro, unless he
was one of those who had the spunk
and ambition to raise himself above
the common level, has never had to
feel that he was entirely dependent
on himself. Most of him has had his
white folks" and the most worthless
has always known that as long as
white people had something to eat he
wasn't going to starve.
This was not such a regrettable
thing in times of plenty. Those
times are past. They may never come
again. IL they do, there will first be a
period of privaIion-maybe of semi
starvation and that period viii be
longer and more severe the longer the
people continue to allow matters to
go on in the same old slip-shod way.
That ragtime song, containing the
lines, 20, what's the use in wukkin'
when yo' baby takes in washin'," used
TO be funny, but it isn't funny now,
and it will soon sound like dirge.
The farmers and the MERCHANT, the
country people and the town people,
should get together at once on this
subject The farmers should organize
in their precincts and see to it that
every able-bodied man in it works.
They should absolutely and fatty re-
fuse to furnish food to men, or the
families of men, who won't work. And
if there are negro men loafing on the
better class of negroes who own or
rent farms, they should report such
men at once to the authorities.
Town people should help by driv-
ing out on the farms the men who are
now loafng or only partly working.
They can do that by dismissing all
servants they do not need. And they
should see to it that their servants,
their cooks in particular, are not al
lowed to have any food that they do
not eat themselves on the place. The
great majority of southern house.
keepers who employ colored help
have been ever since the war support
ing not only their own families but
an equal or greater number of ne
groes most of whom were doing little
or no work.
The policy the Star advises should
apply not only to negroes. There are
some, tho comparatively few, whitt
men and boys, who are either loafing
or camoufaging work. The authorities
should lock after the one; their en-
ployers should dismiss the others
There is no danger of any of them
starving. There is plenty of work
The government as well as the farm
ers are crying out for workmen
There is no man with disposition to
work but what can somewhere find
something to do.
There is no sense in being reluctant
to make some soft-handed white mar
quit the shady side of a street and &C
out to work in the sun. 1t will be good
for him. In the last six months we
have sent million of our young mer
to do harder work than any farmer OF
mechanic has to do. And they are
working to prepare for harder work
and deadly danger-and we who stay
at home have no right to allow any
man to loaf in the shadow of the flag
that our best and bravest are risling
their lives to uphold.
In many places in this county, yoI
will find white. men with two or more
horse farms doing their own blowing
with one or more of their horses OF
mules standing idle in the stable, anc
aafew hundred yards, away two OF
three able-bodied men loafng in the
shade. And il the farmer comes te
town to look for help, there is not one
chance in ten that he can obtain it
but he can find men sitting or stand.
ing around, too lazy and Independent
to work, simply because white fam
lies are supplying, thru their ser.
wants. these men with victuals anc
clothes. And, it must also be said
some Industrious colored people art
helping to keep this burden on the
community by supporting wholly OF
| in part those who will not work.
Any American who does not work
now is helping Germany, and any
American who helps Germany should
be shot or interned at hard work. Z
our people don't wake up to the fact
they are likely to find it exceedingly
difficult to live, even if they are moi
reduced to extremities.