It has been written that "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

This is not necessarily true. Some things never change.

Honest Abe put the lie to the above quotation with a simple declaration shortly after taking office as president in 1861. It follows.

"I often think that if ever this country is destroyed, it will be because of people wanting jobs with the government, people wanting to live without work…a terrible fault…"

Now, ain't that something, folks?

If there has been one iota of change in this obvious truth during the 140 years that have elapsed since Lincoln uttered it, it has not been documented…to our knowledge.

The tendency to take the easy out via the "guv'mint" job route is national in scope, and is reflective of the malaise that undercuts the morale of honest, hard-working folk.

Back in Abe's day, when the population of the U.S. stood at only 30 or 40 million, the job-seekers, like herds of cattle, dang near trampled each other to death with a continual bombardment of petitions for federal payroll enlistment.

It was ever thus, and the probability of its cessation appears highly unlikely.

While most of the rest of the nation suffers from this feeling of depression, us folks in the Camellia City area are exempt, for the most part.

The old lady told the young couple planning matrimony, "Oh, you're both so fortunate."

Well, sir, us Greenville and Butler County people are "all so fortunate," on account of the work ethic non-pareil that is our byword.

It's axiomatic that there's an exception to every rule, and our local citizens come as close as any peoples anywhere to being that exception.

Our folks don't want to "live without work."

They're like the people at Smith-Barney: they make their living the old-fashioned way…they earn it.