The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-09
NEED FOR VISION

law, happy is he-Proverbs 2Ot1S.
Most men go through life with their noses on the ground,
too intent upon finding acorns to. take time to look upward, or
with their noses pressed so closely Upon the grindstone that
they have not time TO look beyond the immediate present viii
its pressing necessities.
The result is that we are losing our sense of vision. We are
influenced by the small things that touch us personally, and are
Indifferent to the big things that lie ahead.
We seek temporary advantage to be used against other men,
not thinking that when the situation changes and some other
man is in our position he will use the advantage against us.
When the war broke out i'll Europe American manufacturers
found a ready market, and they fixed their own prices. The
idea OF a reasonable profit was thrown into the discard, and
everyone got all he could, and produced his article for as little
as he could.
Profteering was the great American sport. The lid was off
The sky was the limit. 1t was an exciting game, and the feeling
that it could not 60 on forever added to the zest and fury Of
the contest.
Plants OF all descriptions were changed overnight into NUM-
tons plants, and the cost of the transformation was charged in
the first bill for the goods. The price stuck and was. increased
Men and women were worked in three shifts of eight hours each
in the heartbreaking task of turning out material for meA to kill
each other with. a ~.
Labor did not share in the profits. but it suffered from the
result of having the things 1t had purchased at a moderate price
sold in other countries at an excessive price. More money being
required to live on, it was obliged to have more pay for its labor,
The food proliteer boarded his goods against a shortage,
and luck was always with him. He set u price for hs stuff,
and held it until the public was ready to meet it, and if the
demand was not great he destroyed part of it and raised the price
Of what he had left.
s SO few men are thinking Of the future that not many are
attempting to build for the future.
A great many regard it as a dangerous thing to possess
more than they can carry in a knapsack,
What we needAs to catch a vision Of the future viii all Of
its glowing possibilities
Times are going to- normal Wages and prices are going
70 adjust themselves. egrhe government Is going to survive,
Anarchy is not going to get the upper hand in this country.
Respect for law will eventually return. Demonstrations
against the enforcement Of the law will cease, and there will be
a wholesome regard for Our established institutions,
1t may be that some of the people long for the leadership of
such men as Villa, Leninc and Trotzky, and their form of
administration, but the great mass OF Americans finally will
respond to the leadership of men with vision, Of men wh0 have
the prophets foresight to guide them toward their great destiny
But how long before we shall lift our eyes to the future
What troubles and upheavals, tragedies and travail must we pass
through before the day Of awakening arrives9
Where is the man who can administer the Quoting potion
TO the ovefwrought nerves of the pubhcS Some tell us that
the way to peace is through religion; others say our ills are
political, while others maintain that there is no relief from social
and industrial troubles except by revolution of one kind or
another,
What we need is a restoration Of confidence. TO restore
confidence one must be worthy of confidence, There is yet
long way to 60, but the way can be made easy if men will only
cease to magnify their present ills and undertake to giorify the
future blessings,
In the language OF the Scripture, Where there Is no vision
the people perish"