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Editorial
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Beginning Wednesday, the 22d, will assemble in Savannah
one of the most important national congresses that ever met in
the South.
The National Drainage Congress has educated the people
year by year up to a conception of its astonishing needs, and of
the tremendous responsibility that rests upon the Government
for its care.
Champ Clark, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
and a Democrat and a statesman indeed in whom there is no
guile, has sent the following telegram to President Edmund T.
Perkins, of the National Drainage Congress:
‘“There is a yearly death and property loss in the
United States from floods far in excess of any we did or ever
will suffer from foreign foe.
‘‘Upon the National Drainage Congress rests the respon
sibility of arousing the people of the United States to the im
mediate necessity of providing for flood prevention \and
drainage of our swamp lands as is provided for in my bill
H. R. 8189. I request you increase yotir activities now and
at your April meeting in Savannah that $100,000,000 of an
nual flood loss be saved, that 1,000 annual deaths from ma
laria be prevented, and that 75,000,000 acres of swamp land
be converted into producing farms, adding $1,000,000
yearly to our annual wealth within our own borders."’
With this magnificent statement of the needs of dralnage
and sanitation in the South, ably reinforced by Speaker Clarks
bill, distinguished men from all over the country may be present
E live in the Age of Steel
‘;\/ Steel is the synonym of
civilization and the badge
of prosperity.
When the railroads are buying
steel, double-tracking or extend
ing their lines, everybody is prbs
perous.
Then the farmer builds barns,
puts up silos, constructs fences,
and the young folks make love,
buy a lot and make a home.
Iron and steel enter into every
building project.
America, by reason of her enor
mous consumption of metals, has
earned the title of “The Land of
Steel.” We are a nation of build
ers. .
- . -
Progress is only possible where
there is mutuality and co-opera
tion—where we see the seeming
paradox of individual liberty har
nessed to the car of common
weal. i
To certain persons of “artistic
temperament” the terms “com
mercialism” and “industrialism”
are anathema.
They see no ‘beauty in the
smokestack, the skyscraper, the
huge mills, or the flying locomo
tive. . They perceive only the
dewdrop, the lily, the clouds, the
cobwebs, the moonshine.
They rhapsodize about the sun-
The Great Leveller.
A well-known New York million
aire and his wife went to a trottery
one afternoon with the idea of doing
a little incognito dancing. One of the
professional partners approached.
“May I have the pleasure?” he said.
The lady was gracious and they
whirled off into a lively one-step.
When the number was over the rich
man's wife complimented the profes
sional on his dancing.
“Thank you, Mrs, Blank,” he mur
mured, calling her by her real name.
The husband pricked up his ears.
“How the deuce did you know who
we were?’ he asked,
“Why, dom't you remember he?”
said the professional cavalier,
straightening his beautifully tailored
figure. “I was your chauffeur two
years ago.”
Had Been Quizzed.
wyer—The cross-examination did
seem to worry you. Have you
any previous experience?
Client —Six c¢hitdren.
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A Vital Congress at Savannah
To the Men Who Toil in the Mills
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ELBERT HUBBARD.
set, but fail to see the magmifi
cence of the workman at the
forge —framed in glowing gold
pounding pliant metal into forms
of use and beauty.
And again we hear men speak
of the sordidness of industrial
ism, “The dragnet of avaricious
ness enmeshes us; the collections
for foreign missions show a lam
entable decrease, and tha auto
mobile industry is’'booming.”
Non Compos Mentis.
A commission in lunacy had called
a woman to the witness stand.
“And now,” said the commission’s
counsel to her, “what is your ground
for claiming that the accused is in
sane?”
The woman gulped, wiped her eyes,
and answered:
“Well, gentlemen, he took me to
the theater twice in one week. Each
time we went in a taxicab, we had
supper each time after the perform
ance, and each time he bought me
chocolates and flowers. He didn't go
out to see a man between the acts,
either.”
“But, madam,” said a commission
er, “surely these actions do not prove
insanity on the accused's part.”
“But you forget, sir,’k said the lady,
with a sad smile, “you forget that the
accused is my husband.” i
Or Just Right.
Tommy—Pa, what is an anomaly?
Pa—An anomaly, my son, is a poet
with a collar that is too small for his
neck. b
By ELBERT HUBBARD
(W ritten for the Georgian)
in Savannah during the present week for co-operation and ac
tion. -
Vice President Thomas R. Marshall leaves the presiding
chair of the Senate to be there,-Hoke Smith, of Georgia, senior
Senator, will be present; Speaker Champ Clark, of the House of
Representatives, unless extraordinarily detained, will give the
force of his presence and influence. Franklin K. Lane, the able
Secretary of the Interior, expects to be there, with Senator
James E. Ramsdell, of Louisiana; Senator Simmons, of North
Carolina; Congressman James T. Lloyd, of Missouri; Congress
man Ragsdale, of South Carolina, all led by Congressman Ed
wards, of the Savannah district. Governor Slaton will deliver the
address of welcome to the Congress, and Mayor Davant speaks
for Savannah.
Every side of the great subject of reorganization will be
thoroughly covered by American engineers, including Sir Wil
liam Willcocks, Cairo, Egypt; M. C. Grover, Chief Hydraulic
Engineer of the United States Geological Survey; Charles Jef
ferson, of New York, engiueer 6f the Red Cross Society of
China, and a number of other most distinguished men.
Savannah is planning a great carnmival week, and contem
plates a flower parade, popular automobile races, military pa
rades, parties and dancing, excursions to Tybee Island, with that
fine, lavish, famous hospitality for which Savannah is remem
bered wherever the South is named.
The Georgian heartily indorses the spirit and purpose of
this great occasion, and will lend its power, influence and co
operation to the work of the commission.
The soapbox reformer tuaiks of
the~ luxuries of the rich, and
draws a harrowing contrast be
tween the Brussels carpet and the
elbow-cushions of these para
sites, and the “laboring classes.”
And some few, mistaking the
shadow for the substance, the
mirage of ease for the oasis of
success, leave the beaten upward
track and slide down the tobog
gan of inertia into tbe breadline,
where men shuffle into dusty
death.
* *- *
The vast majority of us, U;ough.
realize that industrialism is the
lifeblood of the nation, that noth
ing contributes more to 5 nation’'s
greatness than its men and wom
en who work, and that true prog
ress is the natural resulta»nwf of a
people bound together with the
sympathy and mutuality inci
dental thereto.
We realize that the Mesaba
Range and the Steinway piano
are amocfated by applied ideas.
Steel is everywhere where men
build.
Circus horses, farm horses,
wear it for shoes. We have wire
rope in elevators and telephone
wires, and all kinds of electrical
wires, from the ignition wire in
the automobile to the submarine
cable., Aeroplane plates, boiler
Some Difficulty.
A school scene, The teacher speak
ing:
“Be industrious, children, and you
will succeed. You remember, do you
not, the great difficulty George Wash
ington had to contend with?”
“Yes, sir; yes, sir,” the children
piped.
“And what difficulty, what almost
insuperable difficulty, nearly crippled
the great George?”’
“He couldn't tell a lie!” chorused
the children.
Didn’t Like the Treatment.
The maid-of-all-work in the ser
vice of a provincial family, the mem
bers whereof are not on the most
amicable of terms, recently tendered
her resignation, much to the distress
of tha lady of the house,
“So you are going to leave us?’
asked the mistress, sadly. “What's
the matter, Mary? Haven't we al
ways treated you like one of the
tamily ?”
“Yis, mum,” said Magy. . “an’ I've
stood it as long a 8 I'm goin' to!”
Week Ending
April 21, 1914.
pliutes and castings are.made of
steel,
We sleep on steel springs, and
shave with a “safety.” We fence
our farm with steel and 'bulld
ships of it. We use nails and
tacks, and the shafting for ma
chinery is nothing more or less
than big round wire,
We talk of the tone of the
gramaphone, we boast of the won
derful speed, endurance and econ
oimy of upkeep of our autos. We
speak of chean and rapid trans
portation; of our comfy bed, our
easy shave.
But do we ever associate these
things with our great steel in
dustry and the men in the mills?
I hope we do.
. . *
Here's to the men in the mills!
May they always have work,
and good, sure pay at more than
a living wage. May they never be
humiliated by the “blué envelope,”
and all the grief and disgrace that
goeé with it. May e#ch buy and
" own his home, a ticket to the lib
rary, have a savings bank ac
count, a right to the old age pene
sion, and the respect and grat(-
tude of a nation that knows that
we are what we are on account of
our inventors, flnanciers, engi
neers and the men in the mills
“who go forth to their labors un
til the evening.”
Couldn’t See It.
The superintendent of a Sunday
school was illustrating for the chil
dren the text “Arise and take the
young child-and his mother, and flee
into Egypt.” Showing them a large
plcture, she asked:
“Now, isn't that splendid? Here is
the mother. Here is the young child.
There's Egypt in the distance.”
The children, however, looked dis
appointed, and finally a little boy
piped out:
“Teacher, where's the flea?” ;
Couldn’t Feaze Him,
The dealer in antiques was showing
an old violin to a probable buyer.
“Yes,” he said, “that is of historical
interest; that is the i-dentical fiddle
Nero played while Rome was burn
ing!"”
;g‘Oh, that is a myth.”
The dealer agreed, saying:
. ,“Xes, it is; and Myth's name wag¢
on If, but it ‘has got worn ofl.”