The times., 1899-04-02
The Demorulixntion of villages.


on record.
The Decentralization of Villages.
Two articles in the April Atlantic" are
worth serious reflection. One is on I'm
provements in City Life" and the other
on "A New England Hill Town The
first is cheerful; the second pessimistic to
degree. The substance of the two ar
ticles is, in a nutshell that in the city
organization, public spirit, and plenty of
money result in gradual amelioration of
the condition OF the poor while in the
hill towns of the country general indif-
ference. poverty, and lack of leadership
result in a gradual retrogresson. These
two facts are important in the history of
American civilization. for two or three
different reasons.
The aphorism God made the country
and man made the town" has been COM
bated by Dr. Holmes and several other
people at one time or another, but there
is considerable truth in 1t, for all that.
When primitive man lived and fought and
evolved his characteristics through count
less centuries, in the midst of primevai
wilderness. he established a relationship
with wild nature which will never be en-
tirely dissolved unless humanity is entirely
transformed. The blood of our savage
forefathers runs in our veins. and we still
feel. after years OF residence in the city,
the delight of roaming in the -populous
quiet of an untamed forest; We STILL in
the peacefulness of country meadow or
strip Of woodland, feel the satisfaction
which our far-away ancestor felt when he
subdued his little plot of ground and Sc
! cured himself from the attacks of wild
beast or hostile tribe. The country IS as
sociated, in short, with mans first efforts
at making himself home. He did not do
it in the midst of huge brick-walled
streets
If this be trueaof the adult. even when
accustomed to oHs life by many wears
experience, it is koubly true of the child.
who is born fitas savage, and needs
room for his rud 5aegtary tribal squabbles
and forest -cleari9gs There was never a
child who did NOT resg in the freedom of
pastures and beaEhes unpoliced and un-
crowded. where one fan play Indian or
hunter, or farmenSas fe likes, without too
heavy draft o4 his Imagination. The
country is the place Tor young. growing
life, especially dufins The growing months
of the year II lhs country is becoming
! an unfit place for fhe bridging up of chill
dren; fherefore, We have, a serious evil on
our hands, since out of the hills, whence
should come strength to feed the cities.
must come only viciousness and weakness
Even healthy ruffanism among hill-dwell-
ers is better than degeneracy
In some parts of New England the hill
town still retains its old-time vigor and
in other parts of the country. where land is
better and competition not so fierce, and the
population less seriously depleted by emi-
grafton, the process of decay has not set
in. But if the life of the hills is to be
drained into the cities, leaving only dregs
behind, the country will gradually, so far
| as the Eastern and Middle States are con-
cerned. become precipitated into two con-
ditions Of life-the farm and small village,
where the weak and old live. and the cities,
where the strong and young make their
living Then capitalists will buy up the
| most picturesque parts of the country for
country places and immigr viii get
| shabby living ont Of the small farms and
sponge on the summer folks" and the viii
| layers. the middle class, the sturdy, thrifty
| independent small farmers, merchants AMI
manufacturers, who have played so impor-
tant a part in the history of our country.
will be eliminated. In the cities this mid
die class is already being squeezed out of
| independent existence by the big business
| concerns, in which its members are forced
| TO take positions as clerks or managers
II this should really come 10 pass, il would
| be a serious state of affairs, for it would
mean nothing less than the absolute rule
of plutocracy.
The chances are however that 1t will
not come to pass, though this is a matter
on which 1t is hard to make predictions
! Certain it is that the power is more and
more centred in the cities and drawn away
! from the country towns, and these, being
left to their own devices and deprived OF
| the comfortable means of livelihood which
| they once had, are growing less and less
| desirable places for people OF small means
| TO bring up their children. There is not
room in the cities for the rearing of chill
dren, and, after all. that is one OF the chief
| businesses of the Republic. 1t used to be
said of rocky farms. which would raise
nothing in the way OF grain or vegetables.
that they were good to raise men. If this
has ceased to be SO, there is loss to the
nation. What are we going TO do about it /?
With the most profound respect. we sug-
gest that when President Mckinley goes
out on the grass tomorrow to join in the
festivities of Easter Monday with his small
but admiring fellow citizens, he take along
a yellow and embalmed egg OF ancient
vintage labeled Algerism, and crack it,
The Fire Department should be on hand
to spray the assemblage with eau de
| cologne.
Some NnynI Titles.
(FrOm the Cincinnati Commercial Tribunc)
| One need not have good memory TO recall
| the names OF the various ranks in the Navy Of the
| United States. But when it comes to Germany
| ,natter assumes different nl,as. For .x,,,,io