The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-09
Turning on The Light.
Editor Daily Item:

Once upon a time, SO the SlOIy
goes, you can call it a fairy story If
you wish. priest lectured an Irish
man on drunkenness. In reply
Paddy inquired, "Father, do you
know how the stratcs of Jerusalem
are kept clane?" NO" replied the
priest chow is it done?" Iryone
kapes before his ane door clane,
was the reply.
Sometimes it may be wise to
borrow money but it should always
be avoided when possible. The
"old book says truly. "The bor-
rover is servant to the lender -
One would suppose a. common
wealth, a county. set the example
and the pace for economic exist
ence, but today who does not real
ize that if we as a whole followed
it's example in little time general
bankruptcy would result? In a
sense our county is our father, but
father may SO indulge in senseless
extravaganza, turn a plunger IL a
critical time, as to bankrupt the
family. At this present time the
upkeep of our roads is costing many
times over what it did years ago,
with the result that most of them
are in bad plight. Some of these
we have gone over, and know most
assuredly by lump on the top of
our Uranium, heavy jolt throw
ing. US in the top of the car, whose
stay stopped further egress else
we know not where we might have
gone, and so impressing us as to
awaken a desire for better things.
And surely they ought to be-. Take,
for example the road from Dinkins
mill toward Sumter and. Camden
out by w. J.. Spencer's. Almost at
the outset there is deep gully into
which if our county board could
land it might give them such
bump of wisdom as would hasten
improvement in conditions. Almost
Immediately following is stretch
where all vehicles are in hard h-
Dor, after which follows a stretch
that makes you hope the worst is
over when the scene changes and a
vision less bright comes to darken
and danlpen the scene of delight.
II any one doubts the above let
that one inquire Of our ,veracious,
efficient, popular mail man, Mr..
Will Vinson. All in vain he has
begged, pleaded that it be mended,
threatening to complain to Uncle
Sam.
Many of US believe things ought
to. be better. Said aeaman Of re-
sponsibility, in the service of the
county, so we have it things might.
ought to, could, be better did the
authorities use some system. In
stance, the gangs We're at work in
the lower part of the county, cut
ting a big ditch to clay the road.
In the midst of the. work the gang
was removed to another part of the
county altogether with the road
quite incomplete.
.Revertipg to the beginning Of
this letter: There are in every
community enough able bodied cit
liens to keep :ts roads ~ eXcellen
condition, and we believe they arr
sufficiently interested in their i'm
mediate surrounding that, if the
old law referred to in a previous
article. was in force they would
keep before their ane door
clane"
The last paragraph in the way of
retrenchment. That is the order
Of the day in church and state, not
tthat they desire it but are driven
to. it by force of circumstances.
During the big war an officer high
up in the employ of the govern
ment paraded his patched pants all
over our country, and there were
thousands all over the country who
emulated his xeample not from
stress of circumstances, but from
patriotic motives, respect of pub
lie opinion, etc. The situation is
quite different today: Cars will be
rolled, have been, under the shed
to stay Indefinitely are patched
clothes are and will be worn, lux
uries are and will be cut out, every
thing is and will be affected, in
some cases to obtain the dire ne
cessities of life.
A lady, the wife Of a large farm
er, admitted to the writer that they
could barely provide for the educa-
tion Of their son, a bright and
promising youth. another term
they are doing so by unusual self
denial. If it is SO with such how
much worse is it with those poorly
provided on thin land, embarrass-
ed already by debt? In the face of
this must we go on increasing bur-
dens already to the breaking
point? There may be, doubtless
there are, a few who scarcely feel
the change Of conditions. and there
may be some who care little, but
are they to direct things to our
undoing? For one, though I feel
secure, with no children, slight ex-
pense, I say not so. Let the re-
straining hand be laid on their
raShneSS.
"HAGOOD