The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-01-21
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" GEORGE S. BENsoj
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when the officials Of q nation are
virtuous the people follow their ex
ample" said CONTIGUOUS two dozen
centuries ago, and he was right. This
ancient Oriental was often right. His
high moral philosophy has innu.
enced more people and done il long.
er than any other code. All Chi
nese who can read still study his
sage writings Due undoubtedly 70
the wisdom of CONTIGUOUS, China il
the only ancient country left today
with an ancient civilization.
Here in modern America we are
hardly able to sense the full signih-
canoe of the proverb quoted above.
because most of our officials have
been "virtuous." We criticize rulers
freely, but not one high-handed ty-
rant ever ruled the United States.
and only an occasional official turns
out to be scalawag The demo-
cratic system safeguards citizens
with authority divided among rul-
ers; with three-department gov
eminent; with representative legis-
latures.
/ VINO rights COngreSSy
Covetous enemies, itching to see
Democracy "done over" into some
form of socialistic set-up, are the
natural enemies of everything rep
resentative in government. They
fight congress by instinct, with or
without cause. Just prior to the
congressional election, when there
appeared TO be some lodging of re-
! sponsibility for tae teen-age draft
law, il was not uncommon to hear
somebody suggest: Congress is only
in the way. Let's suspend congress
for the duration
! Well-meaning people get vexed
and talk that way sometimes but
it classifies them with a bad crowd.
No political move could be worse
than ''purging' congress No mill
tary defeat would bring more GER
tain calamity 1t is the law-making
body that stands between our great
free-born citizenship and hasty, rad
ical decisions Of rulers. Judicial
and executive departments rarely
hear the majoritys authoritative
voice except through representa-
tives.
Farm Boys Deferred
Some people may even accuse
congress of playing politics with the
Agricultul al Bloc as soon as they
see how the new draft law favors
farm labor, but the provision is
good one, in my opinion. 1t pro-
vides that those engaged in agricul-
tural occupation, or endeavor essen
tial to the war effort, be deferred
from training and service so long as
they remain so engaged and until
such time as satisfactory replace
ment can be obtained.
Congress apparently understands
the farm labor problem. Our law
makers are aware that the millions
Of soldiers soon to be called into
service by the new draft law, are
going to be obliged to eat if thev
/ fight, that the farms O. 1er.ca
must feed til, and tai the farm
labor shortage is acute. 1t is re-
f., grettable that the nation did not
realize this t1ation earlier.
Harding College is in the middle
of the n; on's farming section. 1
was BROUGHT up on a farm and now
! actively + anage two farms owned
by the c 3)ege. Working students
milk our cows, but know well that
many farmers, unable to get milk
| hands, have sold their dairy herds
for slaughter.
Workers Are Scarce
Last Spring acres of strawberries
rotted in the fields in Arkansas for
lack of pickers. Our students took a
day off, salvaged enough free" ber-
ries to make 700 gallons of lam.
more than one winters supply.
Last fall we had good cotton in the
field as the rainy season approached,
and no pickers were available.
Again the students made a picnic
OF 1t, picked four bales of cotton in
a few hours, pooled their wages.
bought war bond and gave it to
the college endowment fund.
In addition to safeguarding the ma
tons food supply, deferring farmer
boys has two secondary advantages:
(D Young men now on the farm are
ready to 60 into 100 per cent produce
ton Of food without further training.
They are trained already. (2) Young
men left on the farm when the war
10 over will be exactly where thev
can serve best, with no postwar adj
justment to make.
Stay Put, and Work
Perhaps the wisest piece Of coun-
Sci offered the American public IN
recent weeks was voiced in a radio
program by DR.. Alfred P. Haake az
Detroit. His suggestion in this emer-
gency, to every man not eligible for
the armed forces, is this: STAY
where you are. Work at what YOU
are doing. Increase your output per
hour and work more hours dav. do
all you can. not to hurt your effi-
cheney"
1t is common sense suggestion.
The actual cost of the war is work
Congress is leaving the genuine farm
boys where they can work Ike vat-
Grams and where 7c.hour VIC, i
not unknown. From CO.. sicc rabla
experience with congressman I ave
learned that they can be trusted ~
act wisely when they have Inc .acte