Tombstone daily epitaph., 1889-11-14
Problem of the City.

man nature, as now seen, to love nat tery better than criticism.
 Nations are like individuals. Amer jeans love to dwell upon the possibil- ities of q prosperous future, but turn aside from the man who points to his nation's perils. We do not doubt that Americas future depends largely upon her urban population, and that there is a rock ot danger here is no less cer- tendency in this country, as wei! as m parts Oi Europe, io congregate m city centers. An eminent writer makes | the estimate tha. m l79u one thirtie,h Of the entire population were living in cities of 5000 and over; in lsOO one | twenty-fiiih; in lo20 one twentieth in 1880 one sixteenth in lS40 one twelfth; in 1850 one eighth; in loG0 one sixth; in 1870 one fifth ant in l 1880 almost one fourth. Al this rate of increase it will be only few years when the half of our populations will be in the cities. We can see no req son why the rate will not continue unless some unseen remedy is brought ! to view The great mass of the emf grants that will continue to hlacken our eastern shores will doubtless is- sue from the over crowded cities across [ the sea A great many of our own young men fancy that after securing M education, the only way open to them in which they may realize their ambitious hopes is to launch into one of the professions and locate in some city. Thus many drift from the coun- try to the city, while comparatively few come from the city to people the country. These centres of population then will, We believe, have the same marvellous growth in the future as in the past. Our San Franciscos will be- | come Chicagos. our Chicagos New Yorks and our New Works will become Londons.
 What is significant in this thought? Let us see. These same urban centres are, and have been for years, produc- ing the bulk of the criminal class. Here vice is apparently breathed in from childhood. Here social discon- tent grows and ripens most luxuriant- ly; here the threatening flames of anarchy shoot forth as if from a vol cano beneath; and from here, il from anywhere, will issue the trained forces of revolution to hurl themselves against our sacred institution of lib- erty And among this same city pop ulation the political boss" can operate to the best advantage, often driving men to the polls on election day as if they were so many cattle. This { political boss" who lays his hands upon the unworthy and the helpless, is dangerous force in any country. These dangers are not matched in fancy. They are as real as the growth of our cities.
 The keen eye of Herbert Spencer saw the danger here and he spoke oi it while on his visit to this coun' ".
 Nearly forty years ago De Tocqueville
 wrote: "I look upon the size of cer-
 tain American cities, and especially
 
 upon the nature of their population,
 as a real danger which threatens the
 security of the Democratic republics
 of the new world"
 Need we be surprised if there are
 perils in the cityf Here are to be
 found the greatest individual fortunes
 as we'll as the most abject poverty. , On one side of the street may rise a huge warehouse full of grain and pro ] visions, while across on the other side l the children of the poor may be cry .