Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-12-31
sQUELCH THE X

SQUELCH THE KICKER.
The STAR is glad to see the newspa-
pers generally take up the cudgel
against the everlasting chronic kicker.
He must be squelched. He is the worst
kind of an enemy a town can have.
Every citizen who wants his town togo
ahead should make it his businesstos sec
that every kicker is shut up. Good
citizens should unite in such an effort.
The Sioux Falls A.rgus-Leader relates
the following pertinent incident which
is enough to arouse live citizens:
''Recently Il prominent resident of
Salem was i'll this city. In CONVERSE
ton with an August Leader man he
made the following somewhat startling
statement: Il am he said, "a friend
of Sioux Falls and have always been so.
You have "a bright, thriving city. 1
used to come down and spend two or
three days every month as a sort of
rest. Working hard at home 1 like to
get away every three or four weeks for
a couple of days and in a larger town
enjoy myself talking with the people
there, getting new ideas, refreshing and
entertaining myself. There are several
men in Salem who feel the same way
and there are hundreds of them in the
state.
But 1 have quit it and so have the
others. We come down now only when
business compels. We either stay at
home or go further to some other city.
Why? 1t is the fault of your own PEG.
pie. It is too depressing to come here.
You have On your street corner "a lot of
people who do nothing but kick. They
are constantly talking down. They
harp on hard times and say they are
growing harder. They exaggerate ev-
cry bad crop condition. They talk ca
lamity, calamity, calamity. They give
a most funeral air to the street. In
stead of being bright, hopeful, ambi-
tious, proud of their city and state,
anxious to make a good impression on
strangers. as they used to be, they give
everyone the impression that they and
all their neighbors are down on their
luck, that the town is full of discon-
tent and that things general are going
backward. This impressionis strength
ened by reading certain of your news
papers. They are shouting calamity.
seeking to tear down insterd of build
ind up and in general indulging in
pessimism. To read these papers and
hear this talk is very despiriting.
'But when l come to this city | can't
avoid running across this talk and it
makes Il visit most unpleasant. 1t
makes people keep out of it except
when they are compelled to come. 1t
gives you a black eye which is unde-
served. for it not only drives elsewhere
trade which would come here but it
makes all visitors talk against the
place. But it is the fault of your W
people. They ought to stop this ca.
lamity howling.'
''Ihis comment made in a spirit of
friendliness to Sioux Falls ought to be-
taken to heart by those people in this
city who instead of working and push
ing to send ahead their own fortunes
and that of the city. are sitting around
d%isconsolatcly throwing stones in the
way of progress. Calamity bowling
cannot possibly do good. tt is certain
to do harm. No IL likes the pessi.
mist. No one enjoys tales of grief. If
the papers and the shouters referred
to cannot speak good of their city and
conditions surrounding it they should
certainly keep quiet.
.SiouN Fails is in better condition
than since 1892. The farmers are NOR
prosperous. The bank clearings are
larger. More land is being sold. Bus.
mess is better. More people are com
ing in. There is farmore building. This
is the time to feel cheerful, to talk of
the future. to push forward enterprise.
1t is not only the duty, it is the int.
rest of every resident of the city to
sing its praises. to point out it's advan-
vantages, to speak we'll of its condi-
ton. This interview ought to call an
absolute halt on what many ofus know
to be true"
Hot Springs people must insist on
squelching the kicker.