Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-01-29
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from the
Democrats Pen
from the

Well, Sir, I'd rather like to ask Mr..
n. He'll Mencken where he'd rather
be just about now-on the Eastern
Shore, or in the region where the Ohio
and the Mississippi (don't know
whether got all the "eyes" and "es-
ses" in that word that belongs there
or not) are getting above themselves.
reckon he'd rather be with the
morons, the Bible readers, psalm sing
ers, whiskey guzzlers, oyster shuck-
ers, back woodsmen, niger haters,
lynching lovers, and generally nau-
seating class of human being, than out
in the Middle West, where, If you
don't watch your step, you might get
your feet wet.
Now, wouldn't like to ask the peo-
pie of the Eastern Shore, where they'd
like to see the aforementioned trans
Choptankian- that's what he is, from
a Cis-C hoptankian viewpoint. I've a
sneaking idea they'd like to see pic
ture of him sitting on top of a chick
en- coop floating with the tide of the
great Father of Waters-greater now
than usual. I'll bet he wouldn't re-
fuse q rope thrown to him, even tho
an Eastern Shoreman who might have
happened to be in that neighborhood,
were at the other end Of it, and there
was something resembling moose
coming toward him. I speck he
wouldn't mind putting his head in
that loop, rather than under water
more of a chance anyhow.
However, don't want to joke about
present conditions in the Midwest.
The comparison between the situation
on the Eastern Shore and that of the
regions where these big rivers are
on the rampage, is so vivid and all to
the good so far as our land here is
concerned, I couldn't help but notice
it and ring in little so-called humor,
and pay our disrespects to H. L..
Mencken that arch maligner of this
section of country.
The terrible havoc created by the
mass of waters, shows just how weak
we mortals be in the face of the forces
of nature. The rising tide quiet in
its approach; mocks the efforts of
mere humans to balk it's disastrous
spread, and carries with it death, di-
sease, and destruction. Structures e.
rected as barriers to hold back the
weight of the ponderous waters are
incompetent in the end, and over these
dash swirling Niagaras, bubbling,
foaming, gamboling, as if in mad glee
in their release from restraining mech
anism.
This is a time to show mans hui
mainly to man. Desperate calls for aid
have come out of the West, and no
doubt everything is being done that
is possible. Those who are enjoying
the comfort and safety of homes To-
Gated away from the dangers that be-
set our fellows, should open their
hearts and purse strings and contrib
ute to the distressed of the afflicted
land.
1t. is difficult for US, at our dis
lance, fully to realize what faces the
people of the inundated states. Scenes
are photographed in the news sheets,
and graphic pen pictures are drawn
of suffering and death. One would
have to be right on the spot to have
it brought home to one in all it's des-
perate meaning.
The nearest approach to this wild
western play of waters, so far as the
"Shore" is concerned, was the over
flow at fredericksburg, which caused
loss of property running into many
thousands of dollars. But the lamen-
table loss of life; the contraction OF
deadly pneumonia; the accompanying
devastation of flames-all were alb
sent at the Caroline county town, and
today restoration there is practically
complete.
At this writing, most discouraging
reports come from the localities where
the most stupendous floods in history
are threatened. Engineers are pre-.
dieting a mighty climb of the Ohio
and Mississippi as they burst their
bounds to cover the states with de-
struction. Marital law is demanded
in places. The Government is taking
steps to relieve the crisis; the Red
Cross is rushing to the front with
money and supplies; individual states
are doing what they can to take care
of their own. But the load is almost
too burdensome to bear, and weak hui
mainly is suffering and dying.