The Monroe journal., 1921-04-29
SAM ROGERS FELT LIKE
THE OLD NEGRO PREACHER
Director OF the Census Bureau. in
Resigning job Two Months Ahead,
Was Given Hint.

Resigning job Two Months Ahead
Was Given Hint.
There is generally a story to III an!
emergency and when sam. l.. Rogers
(who by the way Is a personal irienC
OF Mr.. X. A. Morrow democrat. o.
North Carolina, resigned as director
OF the census few DAYS ago he found
himself somewhat in the predicamen
of an old neSro preacher he used t.
know down IN the old North State
writes Theodore Tiller. in the Greens
boro News.
The resignation OF Director Roger.
was not demanded exactly. but tn
administration rather strongly hnteC
there were a number of Republicans
taker was a good berth as govern
ment jobs go. lnasmuch as Director
Rogers. who has practically completed
the l4th decennial census. intended
10 leave on July l. anyway he in
formed Secretary OF Commerce Hooy
or that he would get out OF the way
Immediately
Secretary Hoover, while praising
the resignation torwith. ln,iRct Mr.
Hoover had indicated il would help
along the administration il Rogers
would get out and make way foI
some deserving Republican job hunt
er.
Later. Director Rogers talked OF
his resignation when fellow Demo
Graf asked him how il came about
well" said Mr. Rogers, Il feel
rather like the old colored preacher
who had held down the same pulpit
in a rural community for many years
On two consecutive sundays he did
not deliver a sermon so shortly there
alter one OF his churchgoers met him
on the highway and asked:
'aey'rend, why amt you preach
inc no mo- at de Mount Zion church p
The old minister took off his hat.
mopped his brow, scratched his head
and finally replied:
Well brudder, fact is my deacons
done filed my resignation for me -
Deacon Hoover has indirectly filed
the resignation of Director Rogers.
and thus the head OF one more Dem
ocratic office holder falls into the Re
publican basket
At that, however. both President
Harding aud Secretary Hoover paid
compliment to the public services o.
Mr. Rogers. He had performed a
rapid and efficient job as census-tak-
,er, and, remarkable TO relate, il is
promised there will actually be a re-
fund to the treasury out of the $685.
100000 estimated and appropriated
for the census. Mr.. Rogers thinks
$500, 600 TO $1,000 900 may be turn
ed back by his successor and for once
there viii be no deficiency appro-
priation afterward
Director Rogers left $50 tons of
census records behind him. They are
stored in Washington and regarded
as invaluable. The census work is
practically complete and various ex-
pert statistical organizations have ac-
cepted the data so far announced by
The census bureau. At the peak OF
the census-taking work 10000 en-
ployes in the field and in Washing
ton were engaged For the wind-up
only few thousand are now on the
rolls.
Returning to dialect stories, that
inimitable spieler of yarns-Senator
j. Thomas Heflin, OF Alabama-re-
moral on military and naval prepaid
mes.
Down in Alabama. Heflin says.t there
was an old farmer who had jug OF
-'moonshine" safely slowed away in
the hollow OF big stump on his
farm. AT regular and irregular in
iervals--according to the mood-the
farmer was accustomed to go TO this
stump and take good swig of liquid
JOY.
One day our imbibing friend felt
a great thirst coming on and FASTENED
TO the stump. He took mans size
drink. waited bit for II to assert
Its authority and then determined to
take another before hiding the jug
again.
AS he raised the irg to his lips once
more. and heard the gurgle OF alec
holic contents. the farmer also heard
another noise-a hiss in the grass.
There was beheld the appraised head
of a spreading adder Looking the
snake squarely in the eye and refus-
ing to bulge an inch. the old farmer
drank deep. put down the jug and
addressed the reptile as follows:
Strike, durn We, strike; you'll
never find me better prepared"
Senator Hefin thinks the story OF
the farmer and his snake medicine"
Is fairly appropos as to the prepared
ness Of nations.