Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-06-24
GOOD CITIZENSHIP.
what Constitutes IL and What Its Oppo-
site-'Tis "a Dirty Bird That Befouis
Its Own Nest.

proposes To injure their interests as
much as possible.
Ind. That in foreign lands, Family
Fool would be hung as the arch con-
spirator of civilization, thus proving
the dangers incident to- Americas
broad and liberal citizenship.
3rd. That Family Fool is resi-
dent of our own city possessing a very
narrow and limited conception of what
constitutes good citizenship, and the
quicker he wings his immortal flight
to regions where the greatest good to
humanity is thought unconceived,
the better will it be for the community.
Now Mr.. Editor, we have no inten-
tion in the following article of opening
a controversy with "Family Fool but
we desire TO call attention to what we
consider few improprities of some of
our citizens whom we have confidence
to believe desire that which is for the
city's greatest good, but whom we be-
lieve are pursuing a wrong course to
D.. L
allied mis- name by writing 'Utopla"
and we believe could Family Fool"
and all his sympathizers study closely
the conception Of that master mind,
great good might result therefrom.
Unity of thought and action on the
part of every good citizen will accomp-
lish what dsunion will destroy.
Many. elements conspire to make
good prosperous cities and countrys.
First, Willingness on the part of all
leading citizens to sacrifice part of
their selfish greed, for the public
good.
This may show itself in various ways.
Those OF the citizens who really possess
kinetic energy, who have the ability to
make the various industries move at
their will may do so in one of two ways;
by manipulating affairs so that revenue
pocket-books, and all trains travelling
upon said routes, head towards the
source OF radiation; or they may so
execute their plans that each citizen s
pocket-book will become revenue CEN
ters to degree sufficient to enable
them 10 enjoy at least the comforts OF
life.
The former course if followed for any
length of time will destroy the bright
est prospect of the most richly endowed
municipality in existence, while the
latter course will perpetuate its insti-
tutions and good citizenship for all
time to come.
Again those who possess but poten-
tal energy-who if they would but
rightly direct their energies, might
accomplish much, but who prefer a
passive position in life may help to en-
rich their own exchequer, and the ex-
chequer of the municipality in which
they live, or they may impoverish
them at their own will, and as in the
above case there are various ways OF
bringing about the latter position.
1t may be done as Family Fool" is
doing it, or it may be done by pouring
the commercial life blood of our own
city into the Golfers of the merchants
OF other cities.
Occasionally our business calls us
out OF the city, snd as the train leaves
several heads of families, often times
the female portion OF the household,
with well filled purse going to the
large cities to purchase the family
wares-wares which perhaps are grow
| ing rusty with shelf-ware in the stores
| Of their own merchants; men who are
bearing the financial burdens of their
own city where their hopes for the fu-
ture can only be realized. At night as
the train rolls into the city ladened
with the wares of the merchants Of
other cities these same individuals
alight and stroll wearily homeward
past the open doorways Of honest ener-
getic merchants, who perhaps then,
are at their desks studying how they
are to meet unpaid pills. This is done
not because other merchants wares
are cheaper or better but because in
their own minds articles bought from
out of town are more valuable.
This pratice is not confined to the
less-pretentious in society, but mer-
chants the bricks of whose walls inter
mingle, often thus rob each other OF
what rightly belongs to them.
The citizens of city being all
mutually dependent, by such practices
soon impoverish one another, and
hard times" grow harder still.
Sitting at table at hotel in one
OF our larger cities at which were sew
eral travelling men, | heard these
words, "Belding is on the toboggin
slide" "What makes you think so?''
said another. because they are all
talking it up there" Another said, 81
have good trade over there, and all
agreed that IL was reported good
deal worse than il really is. In fact