The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-08-01
FRIDAY, AUGUST /, 1919.
SERVICE.

There IS no galnSaylng tne IacC
that the chief end of man is service
work. And work not so much to
better the individuals condition,
but service that is cooperative, nlu-
tual and that will bring mutual aid
and benefits. And any kind of work
that helps or benefits mankind is re-
spectacle. Work which causes one
to lose caste. should not be perform
ed.
But, after all, there is little or
none of this kind of work. Its SEEM
ing existence lies in our own minds.
Democracy must be based upon the
principle of service. The man who
would ask another to perform SER
vice that he would be unwilling to
perform himself if conditions were
reversed, deeming it dishonorable or
believing that he would lose caste
thereby, is not democrat and is as
suming an attitude that breeds boil
shevism. Snobbery is folly that
has crept into our national life along
with the lounge lizard, the bucolic
loafer at the crossroads store, and
the short-time worker that earns
enough in three days to enable him
to loaf the rest of the time. All are
unmitigated evils and initiate a
eainst the successful functioning of
a democracy.
But of all the evils that have rid
den the poor old world since the be-
ginning of time, the caste system is
the worst because there seems to be
some justification for it. "To the
manor born" is but another way of
stating "survival of the fittest." 1t
is a symbol Of reward for the acci-
dental possession of Drawn and
brains in the individual or in the in
dividuaIs progenitors. Some de-
cades ago it was unbecoming a gen.
tleman to engage in trade or labor
with his hands. Today we have pro-
gressed, and more honor is paid to
the laborer, the producer. But there
is still trace of the class feeling
that produced the French Revolu-
ton and that engendered Bolshevism
in Russia.
The Jobs of cook and housemaid
are honorable professions and should
be held in the same esteem that any
other worthy calling is held. A man
should not look down upon his boot
black for the work that he performs.
There are, of course, varying de-
grees of Importance as between work
of different kinds. Some jobs are
more difficult, require more expert
ence, more education, even more
brains. But work of any kind should
be held in the highest regard. The
reward for more difficult work will
be in increased remuneration.
We canont pass by this subject
without a word in regard to the at
titude of the army toward service in
the various grades, from buck pr!-
vate to general. Never was more
democratic army raised than the one
now being demobilized and which
gave such splendid account of it.
self in the war against Germany. On
the other hand upon no institu-
ton in this country had the caste sys-
tenn fixed itself more firmly than up
on the army. Especially was this so
in a social way. Among the regular
army officers the enlisted man was
looked down upon if not held in con-
tempt. In social sense wide gulf
separated officer and private. Moth
ing would queer an officer quicker
and more certainly than to place
himself on equal terms with an en-
listed man.
Some of this spirit was the natur-
al heritage of the new army especial
ly among the mental lightweights, of
which there were. quite a few-gradu-
ated from the various officers train
ing camps. But for the most part