Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-17
CONTENTION THE ENEMY OF IMPROVE
MENT

There are manifestations throughout
Central and Northern California of COM
mendable activity and praiseworthy spirit
IN the matter of local improvements.
There Is, indeed, no considerable commu-
nifty in this section that is not more or less
agitated by propositions and methods to
better community life and improve all its
surroundings. In Sacramento these are
specially notable at this time, and it is an
excellent sign, justifying the people in
self-gratulation and in expressing the
hope that the manifestations of public
spirit will not decline. But there are some
phases of the condition against which we
must be on our guard. We must learn
that there Is no strength whatever in
vituperation. The -progressionist is
not to be convinced by a club nor are men
10 be whipped into public-spirited enter
prises. All progress is voluntary, and re-
PROGRESSION is more generally accompanied
by contention and wrangling than by idle
ness and unthrift. 1t may be very true on
the one hand, that citizen is an obstacle
to progress by the attitude he assumes
upon public questions; but there is no IN
stance of record that any one of this class,
Intrenched in his right to be an obstruc-
ZIONIST, was ever overcome by the hurling
OF hard names or the application of oppro-
brious epithets. 1t may be very true that
another class Of citizens are impulsively
and impatieatly progressive and radical in
their views concerning public improve
ment; but such have never been made
more conservative, nor encouraged in COM
mendable spirit by assaults upon their mo-
tives, or by stigmatizing them as ruthless
assailants of the rights of others. 1t is
always bad for community when
it cannot discern a path of forward
movement except through showers of
mud" Contention, We repeat, will
not build up, but certainly will retard
and may bankrupt a community. If
we cannot by business wit, the applica-
tion of reason, the appeals to self-interest.
and by adroit touches of the pocket nerve,
attain the community ends desired, we
may as well make up our minds that we
are to stand still Let this city. at least,
whatever others may adopt, keep its head
clear of passion, and its tongue uncontami-
mated by vituperative abuse of those who
do not happen to agree upon methods. All
experience teaches, and for emphasis we
repeat it, that no community can attain a
high plane of development whose citizens
adopt the method of vituperative assault
rlpon those who move, or upon those who
refuse, or are not convinced that it is to
their interest TO move. We have never
heard of any public Improvement being
accomplished, outside of the compulsory
methods provided by law, by attempts to
club men into consenting. We have in
Vulnerable instances of irreparable injury
TO communities by unworthy suspicion,
and the ascription to 1.-The public-spirited
of insincerity, selfshness and ulterior pur-
poses; likewise by attempts to drive men
ont of the stronghold of the right to think
for themselves, as we have also innumer-
able instances of the non-progressive hav-
ing been confirmed in their obstinacy, and
made immovable obstacles to community
advancement, by the application of wrong
~ i.
onry, The opportunities for public i'm
provement and community advancement
in Sacramento are illimitable, but public
sentiment is to be unified, as an essential
to action, by wit and wisdom, since it can
net be done by abuse and derision. There
are some dozens of local ills that should be
remedied, but we are convinced that they
will not be corrected by cursing.