The evening times., 1899-09-29


the pioneer village idea. In such a COM
munity there is fiuidity impossible in
larger and mere firmly established socie
ties. Each man has his place and his work,
and is recognized as an important factor.
The blacksmith may not be as well edu-
Gated as the physician, but he knows that
the physician cannot do without him. The
wealthy man Of the village has no other
rich men with whom to associate. if he
happens to be of the mushroom rich; his
children must play either alone or with the
children of those not so wealthy, and thus
a sort Of comradeship is likely to arise. The
American village is under some circum
stances the most democratic institution
possible, simply because the small number
of inhabitants creates that interdependence
and mutual knowledge without which de-
mocracy cannot exist
Since the American idea was formed
under these conditions. they have in
fluenced in some degree the development
of the American city. Our cities are full,
not of born cockneys, but of people but
two generations, at most. removed from
the soil many of whom look back with
regret TO the conditions of their country
homes. while enjoying the larger oppor
tunities and material comforts of munich
pal life II takes more than one genera
tion to develop the true cockney-ths man
to whom a thoroughly organized Urban
society seems the only civilized method of
existence. II is a question whether he is
a sufficiently valuable element in human
affairs TO be worth developing in any con-
siderable numbers. In SO far as We have
formed our municipal life on the pattern
of the European city, We have drawn caste
lines hard and fast, removed the sense Of
personal responsibility from every city
dwelier. created the plutocrat, the syco-
phant,- and the usurer, with a substratum
of sweatshop and crime. We have had,
TO aid in this development, a large urban
population from the worst quarters Of the
cities of the Old World and the most
desolate and degraded European country
districts; peasants, coekneys. and abnormal
types all huddled into the great Atlantic
soacoast cities, for want of money and
enterprise to carry them farther inland
/ But in spite of all this there remains the
old-time village conscience. or part OF it.
! and TO this. acted upon by the general pro-
| gressive spirit of the century. is due tkat
movement which is above quoted as mum
! icipal awakening" The American city OF
today differs from the European city OF
the past in this: that the inhabitant knows
that nobody but himself can improve the
conditions under which he lives; that there
I is 10 feudal lord or general government
or any other agency toward which he car
look for relief. If his revenues are loossd
by corrupt officials, mis- streets unclean. his
water supply bad, his street car service in
efficient. or his police force incompetent
he knows that the remedy is in his cwI
bands or nowhere. There is at the presen
time a weli-d efned rivalry between thS
larger cities of the country. Like mos
good d-natured riv2lTies, this is likely to leaC
to good results. Some social economist,
have believed the development of the hug
city to BE- an unmixed evil; but ii may vel
be that, with its swiftness of progress, it
material prosperity. and its underlyin:
provincialiry of thought and feeling. III
city will work cut some of the most i'm
portant problems OF our civilization.