The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-05

which prevents a city from playing the
parental role if they would The improve
ments, however, must be made. Some
one must make them. Who shall make
them? Where there is to be a profit de-
rived from the Improvement. such as
street cars, water works, electric light
companies, then men are very anxious TO
make them; but where 1t is for the benefit
of the community at large and where
there can be no direct profit derived from
1t there must be some organization made
up of individuals large hearted enough,
patriotic enough, to take upon themselves,
these duties which cannot be avoided, not
only to make the community in which they
live prosperous. but to make the govern
ment, ideal I'm some respects complete in
others
There is nothing land when say moth
ing | refer to the absence of pecuniary
pcals TO the better element, the higher mo
tive In Il man. Now, have we that man
hood? This naturally brings us to the
question whether we have material from
which to make such an organization, and
it is a much more difficult question to an
swer.
The whole trend of American life is to
the advancement of the individuals: the
each one is the controlling American idea
not to care for posterrity, not to take
care Of the neighbor. not the general al.
vancement of the community. Many a
tlTlt nave HtdTu the We
have coal enough to last until die,
and let my children take care of them
selves" The very diabolism of sefishness
to quote "A ministerial phrase. This only
illustrates what ! have said; and while
it has a tendency to make development
in certain directions it is abnormal and
leads to wastsfulness and will lead to
worse.
GLORY THAT IS LACKING.
In a monarchy there is some one whose
glory rests in the future. 1t is the fam
lily Of the ruler. and he takes care that
the forests are preserved, that mines are
carefully managed, that the natural re-
sources of the country are so handled.
that not only will the best results be OBJ
tained at the present time. but the future
Germany are more valuable than they
were one hundred years ago. with the rev.
enues from them constantly increasing
This glory we lack to degree because
fers only to the individual. This must be
modified and there must be an union of
individuals patriotic enough, far enough
above the level of the ordinary an of to-
day, to bring about broader results.
If we cannot of ourselves reach such
a plane as that the trend of events will
compel us to whether we will or not, or
bring disaster. We have had Indications
of dissatisfaction and the growing feeling
of unrest among the multitude because
they do not feel that they get fair
share; and this feeling will be heightened
If we continue our efforts simply for our
individual selves. 1t must be changed; 1t
must be brOadenel. We must become pa
triotic and broad-minded for the preserva-
ton Of the public and the rule of the state.
Now, a board of trade $50 called for want
of better name) or an organization COM
posed of men with lofty ideals, who, for
getting themselves and the present, but
looking to the future and the welfare of
the town in which they live and the region
which they occupy, you can easily see
can be the greatest power it Is possible to
have: and we. of wilkes Barre and Scran-
ton. can do no better than to get this feel
ing ourselves and to instill 1t into all those
with whom we come in contact. We have
"A magnificent field. and it is more neces-
sary for "s to broaden out than for most
communities because the natural resource
upon which we depend is of short life. and
then we must depend upon what we have
created. 1t gives us more of q motive
to broaden out than other communities
would have. After all, what are natural
advantages without men? The blue