The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1947-01-09

HAZEL
EYES
by Hczel Brdnnon


Are YOU one of those persons who
sometimes feel, whats the use?"
How many times have we said
"What's the use?"
We read with interest this week
the account Of a speech delivered in
Memphis by DR.. Z. G. Nance, pres
ident of the University of Tampa,
(Florida) before the opening banquet
of the Cotton States Fashion Ex-
hibitors' quarterly show.
DR.. Nance gave the cynics a drub-
bing in his address calling them
''The Disseminated People" DR..
Nance used to be a minister. During
the war he trained chaplains for the
armed services. Through these
students he noticed especially the
growing cynacism in the people to-
ward trying to do what is right.
ooh what's the user"
DR.. Nance used that phrase time
and again to describe the attitude
OF the cynic-the attitude which,
he said. most people develop to
certain degrees while trying to buck
life.
'Most of you have been raised
in good churches, filled with no.
BILE ideas-for progress and world
peace. And then later on you be-
come cynical. There is nothing in
the world that can deliver such a
wallop to you in your youth as
becoming a cynic.
THAT. cynicism is bad for u
nation. It sows the seeds of Hitler
ism. 1t results in crackpot states
men
You say, What's the use of
standing up and protesting?'
He told of the cynicism he faces
among even youth in school.
'They say, Now look, l don't like
this idealistic stuff. After all it's the
people you know, the pull you have,
the political attachments you hold
that put you ahead
"But goodness is as important as
making one
Il see successful businessmen in
church, slick, happy and SNUG
tilG iOOhS Ol tiCil AdSCo ooyt -
me something I don't know
There is cynicism in high places
in the government. The people are
responsible for it because of their at
titude of What's the use?' +.
Most of you folks will quit idea
lism later. And you may be sowing
the Seeds of fascism.'
"You acquiesce in the status quo.
You make the country right for Hit
Ter.
I'VE ought to be more interested
in the government. In everything
you do the government touches you.
"Start doing something about
your convictions. As it is now, the
people have to be made angry be-
fore they will do anything"
We see the whats the use?" att
itude prevailing around us from day
to day. Everyone seems to think
he can't do anything about con-
ditions in his own home town, his
county, state or nation. The sum
total of such an attitude is bound
to end, sooner, or later, in a COM
pletely frustrated people. The nation
is only what we as individual citi-
zen make it. Our community and
our state is only what we make it.
Our responsibility as citizens is
not only to ourselves but to future
generations. Our boys and girls
come along behind us and inherit
the kind of life and community we
leave them. It should be our goal to
leave them the best heritage poss-
IDLE.
January is an important month to
every citizen interested in the well
fare of his community, county and
state. This is the month when you
must pay your $500 poll tax in
order to qualify to vote in the forth
coming Democratic Primary election
this summer.
At this time a new Sheriff will be
elected in Holmes county to take
office next January. Other county
officers will be reelected DR. elected.
The privilege of voting in a free
election unmolested by anyone is
a privilege to be priced and cheris-
he'd for it is one of the finest parts
Of u heritage as American citi-
zens. We should prize it highly and
not abuse our privilege.
Kenneth Toler writing in Sun
days Commercial Appeal suggests
that a great many citizens in Miss
issippi are waking to the Importance
of politics . that it is not a game
played without respect to society
or season." The apathetic majority
is finding that it is vitality affected