The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-02
"GO TO THE ANT THOU SLUG
GARD"
Mr.. j. Dargan Osteen Continues The
Discussion OF Charity From the
Viewpoint OF DiscOuraging Shift
lessnesS.
Mr.. Editor.

Mr. Editor.
1t seems that our lack of sympathy
was the most prominent feature of
our communication to Mr.. Walsh and
yourself, yet it does not appear in
what way the people we referred to
are unfortunate. The real reason why
almost all of them left the farms was
disinclinatiOn to work, which their
neighbOrs could not furnish a rem
edy for. Some came probably from
other sources and some were raised
there. The result is an ever increas-
ing population of shiftless people. You
can find them everywhere, some in
shops that cannot possibly do business
enough to support them, some in
stores, factories or doing odd Jobs;
half grown boys who could plow are
shining shoes; none of them are MAX
ing living and do not want to. They
just want to keep the police off, and
look upon all they can get as theirs
by right and make sport of working
people, farmers especially. They are
referred to as hay seeds and rubes
and their homes are out in the sticks
and many other such remarks.
King Solomon said: go to the ant
thou sluggard, consider her ways, and
De wise, which having no guide, over
seer or ruler. provideth her meat in
the summer and gathereth her food
in the harvest. How long wilt thou
sleep. o Sluggard? When will thou
arise out of they sleep? Yet little
sleep, little slumber. a little folding
of the hands to sleep. So shall thy
poverty come as one that traveleth,
and thy want as an armed man
prov. 6:6-11.)
The Apostle Paul says For even
when we were with you, this we
-ommnad you, that if any would
not work, neither should he eat"
vi ines. S.lU.)
There is class of people in Sumter
who are industrious and want tc
work, but who, on account of cir
cumstances, cannot farm, a few left
the farms for this cause. They have
20 turn to the stores and factories
for work. there they are forced to
compete with this shiftless CLASS
with the result that they receive
scarcely enough pay to subsst on
And should sickness come to their
homes they are forced to receive
charity. Should they not have some
sympathy? We hope, Mr. Editor,
that you and Mr.. Walsh can spare
them some sympathy.
And how about the farmers. They
are expected to produce food enough
for the entire country and some to
spare and also a crop of cotton, and
it must be done or all will suffer. The
farmer must have laborers, but fully
subject to military duty, and they
will have to go if physically able, 70,
we simply must have an army AND
navy. If the live stock industry is to
be increased, we will need fences
and barns and other things, all OF
these will require labor. Where is il
to come from? The price of labor
has reached a place now that il
cannot pass without risk of the farm
ers living expenses; and he mus
have fertilizer, it is at a high price
and doubts about getting it; it costs
more to fence an acre Of land with
woven wire than the land will sell
for. There are SOME hogs on the
farms 10 be killed, but the merchants
cannot furnish salt to cure them
with, so they will have be fed on the
corn that is needed for the people
and horses, and should the weather
turn warm as it does some years, il
may be February before they can be
killed. There are other things, but il
there is any sympathy for the coun-
try people these facts ought to find
it, and it does not seem that they
should be ruled entirely out of get
ting any.
AS to banishing ignorance. Shift