Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-29

as. Now this is more apparent in com.
munities than in men in their individual
capacities, because the community is an
impersonal body, and not surrounded by
the privacies of individual life. The hab.
its of communities are the hot-beds wherein
are propagated their illusions. Of such is
the belief in society group that it is far
more important center than the world
comedies it to be; that it is to be
built up upon the ruins of rival;
that the correct policy is to pre-
sent for public view only the bright
side, and that the community can engage
in no higher duty, no more locally patriotic
work, than to conceal the defects and
cover up the errors of the city, town
village, colony or section. A more fatal
illusion than this last cannot exist, and
it always will, as it always has done, bring
upon those who entertain it, the severest
punishment If our communities desire
healthy growth and permanence, they must
make no concealments. They cannot win
public confidence by the brand upon the
goods the texture will always be the test.
Now, by an unsparing interpretive method
they will discover their own errors before
they become the objects of external per-
ception, and the subjects of common
scrutiny. Community regulations, let it
be borne in mind, are far more easily made
than repaired. Commerce is jealous maid
and will brook no deceit; trade is infex-
ible and knows no mercy prosperity is the
outgrowth of honest dealing as much in
the case of men organized into communities,
as men when acting as individuals. The
community that contents itself with
its present condition, where that is one not
of full development, will stagnate, just as
surely as the lazy man will retrograde. In
communities there must be constant action,
we'll directed and united effort. The danger
then to our California towns is in the lack
of insight. Their people need to rise
above internal iealousies, rigidly examine
their true situation, consider their
community errors, expose their latent de-
fects, and take hold upon their hindrances
just as much and as thoroughly as they
would their natural advantages and their
claims to consideration. They must learn
that it is always best to tell the whole
truth about themselves, and that by that
very process they will soonest have nothing
to tell of which they need to be ashamed.
The interpretive method applied rigidly
will disclose all errors and develop all
strength.
Permanent communities are not the re-
suit of accident, much less can they be
built up upon misrepresentation. Immigra.
ton induced by the presentation of the
distorted truth, and the concealment of
that which should be known, will not only
not remain, but will prove an estoppel
upon all subsequent effort. What Cali
fornia communities need is to have the
truth told about them-told by those best
situated to know it, Such system, fos.
tered by the thoughtful and leading minds
in each community, will sooner direct it
IN the path it must inevitably tread.
1t will bring about better built and better
governed towns and cities it will sooner
advance deserving sections it will put
an end to mere rivalries will soonest Sc.
cure healthful development will encour.
age closer communion among the people,
and prove one of the greatest aids to State
progress. The trouble, is California has
been steadily lied about, and her people
can lay the falsehoods oftener than other.
wise at their own doors. We live in a
State, concerning every section of which
we can afford to tell the truth,
even if the moral obligation to do
SO is ignored. Community prosperity can
be based on the truth only, and the sooner
every section realizes this the better for
all. All interests here should direct all
energies to common end-State advance
ment. That can only rest upon commu-
nifty prosperity, and is impossible under
concealment and Misrepresentation. These
degrade commendable competition between
sections to an ignoble rivalry that invaria-
bly, results in loss to both, and exposes the
community skeletons which vain illusion
leads men too often to conceal. Let us
tell theltruth about ourselves.