Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-08-18
MISSION OF CITIES.
BIRTHPLACE OF CIVILIZATION, SAYS
DR.. TAlMAGE.

DR.. TALMAGE.
Morally They Are No Worse Tha
the Countrywide Is More Appar
ent, but Not More Prevalent -
Plea For Honest Living.
WASHINGTON, Aug. ~. - From 81
Petersburg, the Russian capital. wher
he was cordially received by the EN-
peror and empress and the empires
aowager, DR.. Talmage sends this dis
course, In which he shows the might!
good that may be done by the cities
and also the vast evil they may do By
their allurements to the unsuspectinl
and the unguarded. The text Is Zech
ariah |. II, "My cities through pros
perity shall yet be spread abroad"
The city is no worse than the cOun
try. The vices of the metropolis are
more evident than the vices OF the
rural districts, because there are more
people to be bad, II they wish to be-
The merchant Is as good as the farmer
There Is no more cheating In town
than out Of town-no worse cheating;
1t is only on IA larger scale. The coun-
tryman sometimes prevaricates about
the age of the horse that he sells,
about the size of the bushel with which
he measures the grain, about the
peaches at the bottom of the basket as
being as large as those at the top,
about the quarter OF beef as being ten
der when u Is tough. and TO as bad an
extent as the citizen, the merchant,
prevaricates about calicOes or silks or
hardware.
And rs to villages, | think that In
some respects they are worse than the
cities, because they copy the vices Of
the cities In the meanest shape; and as
to gossip. Its heaven Is a country VII
lage! Everybody knows everybody's
business better than he knows 1t him
self. The grocery store or the black
smith shop by day and night Is the
grand depot for masculine little tattle,
and there are always In the village a
bonnets hanging near, so that at the
first Item Of derogatOry news they can
fly out and cackle II all over the town.
COuntrymen must not be too hard In
the plow run too sharply against the
yardstick.
Cain was the founder Of the first
city, and suppose 1t took after him
In morals. II takes city long while
to escape from the character Of the
Where the founders OF q
city are criminal exiles, the filth, the |
vice, the prisons, are the shadow Of |
those founders. 1t will take centuries |
for New York to get over the good |
influence Of the pious founders Of that |
,lty-the founders whose prayers went |
Up in the streets where now banks dis
,ount, and brokers bargain. and COM
,anies declare dividends. and Snug
Hers swear custom house lies, and /
IbOve the roar Of the wheels and the
rack Of the auctiOneers mallet as
ends the ascrlption. "We worship thee,
} thou almighty dOllarp'
Not Necessarily Bad.
Cities are not evil necessarily, as
Ome have argued. They have been
he birthplace Of civilization. In them
popular liberty has lifted its voice.
Witness Genoa and Pisa and Venice.
After the death Of Alexander the
treat among his papers were found
xtensive plans Of cities. some to be
uilt In Europe, some to be built In
.sla. The cities In Europe were to be
coupled by Aslatics: the cities In Asia
Tere to be occupied. according to his
lans, by Europeans. and 50 there
hOuld be a commlngling and n fro
ernity and kindness and good will
ne cities. So there alyiays ought to
e. The strangest thing In my CON-
rehenSiOn Is that there should be
ickerings and rivalries among our
merican cities. New York must stop
Philadelphia, and Phila- ,
elphia must stop picking at New ,
Ork. and certainly the continent Is .
rye enough for st. Paul and Mlnneap-
Is. What Is good for one city IL good ,
,r all the cities. Here Is the great ,
ghway Of our national prosperity. :
n that highway OF national prosperity 6
ak the cities. ,
A city with large forehead and great
'ain-that Is Boston; city with de- 6
Derate step and calm manner-that
Philadelphia; city with Its pocket +
ii Of change-that Is New York; two .
ties going with n rush that astounds .
e cOntinent-they are st. Louis and q
licagO; city that takes It's wife and /,
ildren along with it-that Is Brook ,
n. Cincinnati, Louisville. Pittsburg, q
the cities Of the north, and all the :,
lies Of the south, some distinguished
r one thing, some for another, one
r professional ability. another for
luence, another for fashion. but not | p
e to be spared. What advantages y
e advantages all. What damages ! u
,ston Common damages Washington II
uare. Laurel Hill. Mount Auburn. 3
eenwood. weep over the same grief. IL
Ie statue Of Benjamin Franklin In 81
w York greeting the bronze statue u
Edward Everett in Boston. All the IL
les n confraternity. | cannot under st
md how there should go on bicker- u
IS and rivalries. | plead for a high p'
style Of brotherhood or sisterhOod
long the cities. ~
Scenes of Toll. u'
'ut while there are great differences "
some respects, have to tell you ~ ~
1t all cities impress upon me, and -
ght to impress upon you, three or "
If very important lessons, all of .,
I'm agreeing in the same thing. 1t -
IS not make any difference In what :,
II of the country we walk the streets -