Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-07-13

INV land trade, and
with the other the
commerce of foreign nations. 1t
swung a monstrous boom across JUS
harbor to shut out foreign enemies,
and then swung back that boom to let
in its friends. The air of the desert
was fragrant with the spices brought
by caravans to her fairs, and all seas
were cleft into foam by the keel or her
laden merchantmen. Her markets were
rich with horses and mules and cameis
from Togarmah; with upholstery, and
ebony. and ivory from Dedan; with
emeralds, and agate, and coral from
Syria. with wine from Helbon; with
finest needework from Ashur and
Chilmad. Talk about the splendid
state rooms of your Cunard and Inman
and White Star lines of international
steamers-why, the benches OF the state
rooms in those Tyrian ships were all
ivory, and instead of our coarse canvas
on the masts Of the shipping, they had
the finest linen, quilted together and
inwrought with embroideries almost
miraculous for beauty. It's columns
overshadowed all nations. Distant en-
pires felt it's heartbeat. Majestic city,
''situate at the entry of the sea"
But where now is the CLEAN OF her
towers, the roar of her chariots, the
masts of her shipping? Let the fisher
men who dry their nets on the place
where she once STOOD let the sea that
PUSHES upon the barrenness where she
nj nd mi at NJ
nations; let the barbarians who built
their huts on the place where her pal
aces glittered, answer the question.
Blotted out forever! She forgot God,
and God forgot her. And while our
modern cities admire her glory, let
them take warning of her awful doom.
Cain was the founder of the first city,
and | suppose it took after him in NOR
ais. 1t is a long while before a city
can ever get over the character of those
who founded it. Were they criminal
exiles, the filth. and the prisons, and
the debauchery are the shadows of
such founders. New York will not for
two or three hundred years escape from
the good influences of its founders-the
I,ous settlers whose prayers went up
from the very streets where now banks
discount and brokers' shave, and COM
panies declare dividends, and smugglers
swear custom house lies; and above the
roar of the drays and the crack of the
auctioneers' mallets is heard the ascrip-
ton I'VE worship thee, o thou al
mighty dollar!" The church that
once stood on Wall ST. still throws its
blessing over all the scene of traffic,
and upon the sips that fold their white
wings in the harbor. Originally men
gathered in cities from necessity. 1t
was to escape the incend;arys torch
or the assassin's dagger. Only the
very poor lived in the country, those
who had nothing that could be stolen,
or vagabonds who wanted to be near
their place Of business; but since civili-
cation and religion have made it safe
for men to live almost anywhere, men
congregate in cities because of the
opportunity for rapid gain. Cities are
not necessarily evils, as has sometimes
been argued. They have been the
birthplace of civilization. In them pop
ular liberty has lifted up its voice. Wit
ness Genoa, and Pisa, and Venice. The
entrance Of the representatives of the
cities in the legislatures of Europe was
the death blow to feudal kingdoms
Cities are the patronizers of art and lit
erature- architecture pointing to its
British museum in London, its Royal
library in Paris, its Vatican in Rome
Cities hold the worlds scepter. Afri-
ca was Carthage, Greece was Athens.
England is London, France is Paris
Italy is Rome, and the cities in which
God has cast our lot will yet decide the
destiny Of the American people.
At this season of the year have
thought it might be useful to talk a lit
tie while about the moral responsibility
resting upon the Office bearers of all our
cities-a theme as appropriate to those
who are governed as the governors
The moral character of those who rule
a city has much to do with the charac-
ter of the city itself. Men, women and
children are all interested in national
politics. When the great presidential
election comes, every patriot wants to
be found at ballot box. We are all in
teresCed in the discussion of national
finance, national debt, and we read the
laws of congress, and we are wonder
ing who will sit next in the presiden-
tial chair. Now, that may be all very
WELLS very WE'LL but it is high time
that we took some of the attention
which we have been devoting to ma
tional affairs and brought il to the stu
dy of municipal government. This it
seems TO me now is the chief point to be
taken. Make the cities right, and the
nation will be right l have noticed
that according to their opportunities
there has really been more corruption
in municipal governments in this coun-
try than in the state and national leg
islatures Now, is there no hope?
With the mightiest agent in our land,
the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ,
shall not all our cities be reformed, and
purified, and redeemed? I believe the
day will come. | am in full sympathy
with those who are opposed to carrying
politics into religion; but our cities will
never be reformed and purified until
we carry religion into politics. i look
over our cities and / see that all great