The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-12-07
THE MAN WITH THE
HOE
(From the Houston Postl

stand OF not cent or minute leaS
for the cigar makers, the BARRIERS, the
soda fountain operators, the bellhops.
the elevator operators, the restaurant
walters, the bartenders' union, the
train butchers, the pants pressers,
the cash register thumpers, and many
other people who have been helping
to win the war in town, let us turn
our attention to the man with the hoe.
The incessant appeal Of the world :
now is for more food and clothing.
Only the armies have been getting
really enough to eat for come four
years back.
The 420,000,ooO people Of Europe
are not the only hungry people in the
world. There are hungry people in the
uited States, many Of them. There
is no such thing as plenty to- eat
when food commands such prices al
it does in the United States.
The shortage Of clothing is likewise
marked. All Europe is shiverfng for
want of warm clothing, and there is
shivering in the United States, too.
The man with the hoe is the only
person who can relieve this painful
situation. He must bend to the task
and produce more food, more cotton,
more wool, more Of everything that
will sustain life and give mankind
those comforts which are usually GALE
ed 'tf1e necessaries Of life.
And another thing the man with
the hoe must remember. In putting
forth extraordinary exettions to feed
and clothe the world, he must exact
less money for it.. He must take less
for his abundance than he might get
for much smaller production.
So far as money Is concerned. the
man with the hoe need have no doubt
about it-he could get far more moq-
ey by reducing production SO per
cent. He could organize his unions,
confine his work to eight hours g day
and, by reducing his cotton, corn.
wheat and vegetables and fruits by
so per cent, make the rest OF the
world hand over its money. But that
plan would not make him happy. It
would starve millions Of people to
death and ruin the world.
So the man with the hoe must
realize his responsibility and the great
vital place he occupies in the worlds
affairs He must put fortl, his max
in1um effort to feed the world and
accept smaller money pay for It.
The various toilers do not expect %
pay the man with the hoe any more
money, but they want the man with
the hoe to give them more bread.
| more meat, more eggs, more butter,
more shirts, more Of everything OF
that kind for less money than they
are paying now, and the man with the
hoe must rise to the worlds enfer.
gency and do it, as he has always
done when hungry world appea1ea
to him.
Now it may be that these peopfs
who are appealing to the man With
the hoe are not in a reciprocal frame
of mind. It may be that they wand
to get all this good from the man
with the hoe and not give him 2 sin-
gle reciprocal advantage.
The barber now requires the man
with the hoe to exchange the equtFas
lent of six eggs for a shave, but un-
der dispensation Of plenty the baF'
Der will demand the equivalent OF TWO
dozen eggs for a shave, according 70
Mr.. Gompers' idea. This is trivial
instance. All along the line, there Is
a humanity call for the man with the
hoe to produce more and reduce tho
price so that the worlds hunger may
be appeased.
That's what the people mean when
they talk about Reconstruction" and
"readjustment." They mean that
there must be more food for less
money. They are talking right at the
man with the hoe.
Perhaps the man with the hos
thinks there ought to be reciprocity.
Perhaps he thinks that he endures
some hardships that ought to be rniti-
gated if he consents to supply the
worlds tables and wardrobes. II he
gives the added quantity that is asked,
then he thinks that those who serve
him might likewise give him added
quantity, either in service or finished
products.
The man with the hoe may be
right about this; indeed, he may. In
sist upon it. It is all we'll enough
for us town boys to hold the Offices,
to organize our little unions and
fraternities, to have our luxuries and
dictate to presidents. congresses and
States, but the man with the hoe 10
not apt to meet all our demands and
exact none in return.
There are more of him and thosa
dependent upon him
than of all other forces in the coun-
try put together. 1t is a matter Of
policy as well as Of justice for all the
rest Of us to "tote fair with the man
with the hoe.
If we buster too much about him
and think because he is scattered
over a wide area he is not dangerous,
We shall ascertain our mistake.
1t is not good sense to issue ulti-
natuns to the man with the hoe. BE
nay arise some day and spank some
body if he should happen to be in
Dad humor. And he gets in bad
lumor at times.