The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-01-08
Responsibilities of Every Citizen.

lnIelilgent and faithful action by the
individual citizen, analysis shows, has
produced and maintains all the good
there is in civilizations but it is just as
true that INDECENT, minimizing, and self
seeking action by the individual has
caused most of the evil by which in ev-
cry age SO large portion of the human
race has been burdened. Since the begin
ming of history, short-sighted and selfish
personal interest, excluding liberal broad
mindedness and patriotism, has brought
about in numberless instances the decay
of nations and cities, tyranny, war and
famine, with every kind of public mis-
fortune and lack of progress. Where
many people seek immediate personal
ends, with no heed of consequences, pub
lie welfare is sure to suffer. No man
lives unto himself There can be no
good government, no general prosperity,
no public good of any kind, and no con
tinuing private good, without {, compro-
missing union of interests, without lib
eral contribution of some kind from the
individual for the whole people.
For mans own good for the develop
ment OF his faculties, nature provides
for him nothing that is ready for use
With limitations not necessary to con
slider, she places him perfectly endow-
ed in the midst Of infinite possibilities,
and says, "Arise, kill and eat" Choose
for yourself what you will be and have.
Be a roaming savage, surrounded by
bloodshed and starvation or be a civil
lied man, dwelling in peace and plenty.
Refuse or neglect to profit from your own
honest reasoning as confirmed by the
experience of others, and go on as a con
sequence making no improvement and
falling farther behind your neighbors in
the acquisition of the good the world
affords. Or, on the contrary, learn all
you can from every source, put what you
learn into intelligent practice, utilize to
the utmost what nature has given you,
and attain through such course pros
perity and wealth, the admiration and
gratitude of neighbors benefited. and
the personal satisfaction of having been
q faithful steward over that committed
to you.
Location and surroundings, at the
present stage Of civilization, have less to
do with the progress of an individual Or
a community of people than has person
al determination in the matter. This
TACT has been mentioned repeatedly of
lot ;,,. =
new towns and cities. Not many por-
tions of the earth have natural resources
so scanty as to afford no basis at all for
the development of wealth. If people
have the requisite strength of character
they can make fair progress almost any>
where. In many instances the people OF
very poor regions have far outstripped
IN wealth and enlightenment others iv-
ing in some of the richest portions of the
world. This fact is SO well known that
no illustration is needed.
The foregoing general truths are not
only noticeable in history, but they have
also Il present and serious application
for every man living in or near $i.75nton
A crisis has come for Stauntol 1t is
now to be determined whether s., Ill
maintain her rank and reputation al, " 8
the cities of Virginia, or whether she will
drop out of the race as an old stagnant
or slow growing town, unable to meet the
requirements OF present times. That
which has given Staunton good standing
heretofore will not be accepted now and
hereafter. Other places have changed
their methods of business and rate OF
growth. Roanoke has grown in ten
years from practically nothing to twice
the size of Staunton; Norfolk, Lynch
burg, Danvile, Charlottesville, Salem,
and other old places have been trans
formed by their people into progressive
cities of a class in each case decidedly
n1gner man the one occupied a few years
ago; and a dozen or more new towns are
moving forward at a rate that will soon
place them among the leading cities OF
the state. Unless by a rate ofgrowth equal
to that Of the competing towns near by,
Staunton is kept up to her present po-
sition ahead of them. they will soon en-
croach on her trade, and after a time
will leave her forever in the rear, a sec
ond class. and dispirited town
This crisis to which Staunton has come
is not simply q matter of thought, ex-
listing only in the mind 1t is a grave re-
ality, which will affect every property
owner in the city. There are now many
promising towns in Virginia to choose
progressive parts of America the real es
tate owner realizes Il high rate of inter
est from Il regular annual increase in the
value of his property. This increase
arises from towns established charac-
ter as growing place, with future that
may he depended upon. The certainty
of growth, and of increase of real estate
values. is an essential factor in producing
growth. 1t draws population and bust
ness to a city, and by inspiring men with
confidence in the future it makes them
enterprising in business, leading them to
do all they can for their city by doingall
they can for their own business interests
To establish for a city a character and
reputation as growing place with q
promising future, it is necessary to have
not only abundant natural resources but
also controlling population of enter
prisiEg, broad-lninded people. There
are so many cities having both these es
sentials that a wealth producer has no
occasion to locate in place that lacks
either No city is likely to have natural
resources sufficient alone to produce con
tinning growth and to give satisfactory
promise for the future. 1t is safe to say
that in these days a city is made by its
people. They can do with it as they
choose-make it large, wealthy and i'm
portant, or let it creep along in poverty
and insigniicance The manufacturer,
the wealth producer Of any kind, is
wanted everywhere, and he will pass by
the sleepy town, where hardly anybody
can make living, to go where he can
do best for himself. To make city
grow and prosper, therefore, or to main
tain it in its rank with other places, it's
citizens must establish and keep up
for it u character and reputation as a