The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-01-13
The American Way
By George Peck


We are indebted to the Indiana Real
Estate Journal for the following humor-
Gus story:
A worried negro walked into b office
Memphis and asked if anyone could tell
who was his landlord. "Your landlord"
. clerk told him. 9TH the many you pay
your rent TO-"
II don't pay no rent" the negro said.
lyon see, bout nine years ago I found
me . house vacant and moved in. I've
been there ever since and amt never
paid no rent"
"Well, them" replied the clerk,
what's worrying your
"Yassuh, but II somebody don't fix
de room, I'm gonna move outl"
It's a funny story, isn't it, whether
it actually happened or not? II gave
us a good laugh when we read it, but
our laughter was short-lived, for upon
sober reflection we saw in this, what at
first blush seemed to be just a harmless
and highly amusing incident, a deadly
parallel as to what has happened to too
many of the American people in recent
years.
This ignorant, undoubtedly illiterate
negro, unconsciously reflected a spirit
which has been all too prevalent of late
in America. Quite willing to squat for
nine years on another mans property,
relieved Of the responsibility of paying|
rent for that long period Of time, it was
inevitable that he would come to believed
It was incumbent upon his unknow, nom
collecting landlord to repair that roof.
It would be contrary to human nature
for this ncn-rcnt-paying tenant to have
developed the idea that he could do
something for himself by repairing that
roof himself.
Hadn't this negro seen, hadn't he BEEN
told how n paternalistic federal govern
ment was doing for many Of the Amer
lean people, the things which those peo-
pie formerly did for themselves and
took pride and joy in the doing thereof?
When all around him many educated
and more enlightened "white folks" had
abandoned their independence to bel
come serfts Of government what more|
natural than that he should fall into the
anne evil ways and cast aside what little
remained Of his self-respect.
Unfortunately some Of the supposed
statesment that we have mistakely elect
ed to office in Washington, have turned
out to be mere NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
who propose Legislation designed to ap-
peal to the squatters who are too in!
dolent to repair their own leaky roofs
These politicians are not actuated BY al
sincere desire to help the "under-dog."i
~ they so loudly proclaim, but rather
their legislative proposals are designed
for the sole and selfish purpose Of get
ting his vote.
Such a piece Of legislation is the prof.
posed Wagner Murray Bill to regiment
the practice Of medicine and hospital
ization. The bait held out to the voter
IL that he will be given free MEDICAL
care and disqualification, but the fly inl
the ointment is that il will socializetl
= profession that can justly point with
pride to It's achievements over a longl
period Of years operating as a freel
enterprise entirely independent of gov
eminent.
The vast majority or the nations phy-l
~sicians bitterly oppose this Wagner
Murray proposal. The boards of the
nations hospitals are practically %nnani-
nous in their condemnation of IL. Every,
self-respecting citizen who has had AMI
opportunity to study the bill and see
the socialistic barb embedded within it,,
is alarmed at ever the remote possibility
that it may become a law.
As a matter of fact, the only voices
that have not been raised against this
~iniuuitous Wagner-Murray Bill are: CDI
the politicians sponsoring the bill whoI
are using it as a decoy to lure votes,
(2) the squatters too lazy to repair their
leaky roofs, and (3) our ,self-reliantl
citizens who have not studied the bill
and are as yet Of the dangerl
inherent in It.
We urge those who fall under this
third and last category to get n copy OF
the Waguer-Murray Bill, S. 116l-toll
study it, and her let their Congress-
men and Senators know that they want
the Federal Government to keep bureau
cratic hands off the medical profession
and the hospitals Of the nation. h
Wagner-Murry Bill must be overwhelm-
ingly defeated. Let's swamp this 'leaky'
legislation.