Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-19

He too, is thrift crook Beggar, gambler,
thief, profteer-all are thrift crooks and
parasites. They produce nothing, but
feed on others.
There is, however, this difference be-
tween them. The beggar passes around
the hat and asks for what he gets. The
thief has the courage of his convictions
and risks life and liberty in his perilous
occupation. The gambler is supposed to
take equal chances with his-partners and
wins or loses by mutual consent. But the
profiteer neither passes around the hat
like the beggar, nor risks life and liberty
like the thief, nor takes chances like the
gambler, but, availing himself of the ne
cessities of The public and OF the disturbed
economic conditions of the times, he
pounces on his victim whether widow,
orphan. aged. afflicted or blind, and takes
from him by extortion. A cowardly form
OF parasite. Let us not can such people
sharp and successful; but let us call them
what they are-cowardly parasites and ex-
tortionists.
"In a government report on thrift IN
the different States, issued few days
ago, Delaware was put down as thirty
ninth in bank depositors IN proportion to
population. The statement was made at
y
that only los persons IN a thousand IN tins
country save anything statement that
shows how close the vast bulk of the people
are to pauperism-a fact perllous to
patriotism and the Republic.
The more homes and the more bank
accounts and the more life insurance
policies the more patriotism there Is and
the safer the State and country. To ex-
hort, encourage and practice thrift and
savings are a high patriotic service as
well as an individual benefaction.
THRIFT AND THE LABoRER.
"The laborer has OF late become a
conspicuous thrift figure. Until recently,
he was the under dog in the industrial
struggle; but he has extricated himself
from the undesirable position next TO the
ground and has turned that place over TO
the farmer. That worthy gentleman, who
largely feeds and clothes the world, Is now
| fat on his back next the ground while
| every 'shough. Watering and demiwoh is
swapping and snarling above him.
Il lift my hat in honor to the plain,
manual laborer so long as he does not
| himself become a prohteer, tyrant, a
reverser of the natural order of employer
| and employe and peril 10 the country.
| II requires a certain amount OF PLAIN work
| TO feed and clothe the world and few
hours a day will not do it. 1t is neces-
| sity of mans life on the earth that al
most all must do much work for small
pay.
''The feeling is becoming quite general
| that organized labor has gone far enough
both for its own good and the good OF the
State-far enough in its methods of the
| highwayman. No man more deserves the
! possibilities of reasonable thrift than the
| manual laborer, but the impression pre-
walls that be now has those possibilities
and 4hat it is time for him to stop the
thrift methods Of the highwayman.
"And there is the plain, honest thrift
figure who makes his way IN the world by
work, economy and common sense. Ben
jamin Franklin was a splendid specimen
of this type of man. This unlikely youth
bv means of a good mind, great industry
and extreme economy, becomes one OF the
greatest figures in his countrys history
and dies immortal in literature, patriot
ism, craftsmanship, diplomacy, science
and economics-a more representative
figure than the immortal Washington or
Lincoln.
"And there are many thousands in
this country today treading ip his steps.
While they may~not attain his success
they will approximate it more or less
nearly-at least so far as performed duty
can.
"Let il never be forgotten that work
and economy are the laws of honest thrift.
Let it never be forgotten that honest
thrift-that is work and economy-feeds
and clothes the world, that idleness and
waste will starve the world. Let it not be
forgotten that return to honest thrift
would cure most of the ills from which the
world is suffering today; that unless there
is a return to honest thrift our country
will fall from her high eminence among
the nations; that righteousness exalteth a
nation, but sin is q reproach to any
people; that much so-called thrift today
IS both unlighteousness and SIN"