The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-30
soup and Water and Citizenship.

A New York Judge administered a repri-
maud to some foreigners the other day who
applied to him for naturalization papers,
and whose appearance indicated that they
we're strangers to soap and water. He
said: u regard cleanliness as one OF the
most important qualifications for American
citizenship"
This is remarkably good advice. and
might well be followed by some millions
Of people 10 this country. 1t has been
claimed by pro-Boer sympathlzers that
civilization does not depend on soap, and
tEat man may be q good Christian and
worthy human being in most respects
without ever having acquired habits Of per
sonal cleanliness. The argument is some
what novel, and that is about its only
II crit. Civilization is a matter not Of in
dividual character. but of the character aud
customs Of q whole community. There may
be individuals here and there in any coun-
try who combine with high moral standing
and intellectual brilliancy extraordinary
disregard for the laws Of sanitation; but
when a whole community exhibits such a
carelessness IL is seldom OF very high
grade either morally or Intellectually
/ There seems to be a subtle connection be-
( tween a wholesome regard for soap and
water and a oapability for intellectual and
moral development. The man who in a
/ society composed Of people who are clean.
/ INDUCES a prediction for dirt, may have
many fine qualities. but they should be at
attributed TO the influence OF his clean and
/ intelligent neighbors and to the caprice of
heredty. not to his unsanitary habits The
condition Of the nations OF the earth today
shows that the highest development, gen.
/ orally speaking is 70 be found among peo-
pie who are well acquainted with the
( bathtub and the laundry. and the lowest
among those who have 10 use for either.
/ When these things are seriously consid-
. cred. it becomes obvious that as was sug-
gested by the judge. candidates for Ameri-
can citizenship should understand that
/ bathing is fashionable In this country.
. There is some excuse for an immigrant
who comes from the poorest quarter OF
some European city being ignorant Of the
I laws Of health, since in many large cities
il is almost impossible for people to keep
clean even II they try; bat the children OF
( such immigrants should be made to see
the beauty and necessity Of cleanliness.
| Thus danger from infectious diseases viii
/ be lessened, the death rate will be low
cred. and the number OF the sick and help
less decreased. since many diseases are adj
mittedly caused by filth, and the treatment
OF others is rendered much easier If the
, ratient has been neat in his habits.
II is clear that in no American city. large
or small. should there be the slightest ex-
cuse for uncleanliness. The water supply
should be pure and abundant, the sewerage
| system as nearly perfect as the general
| perversity Of mundane things will permit
and the streets and public buildings kept
clean. The trouble with many city slums
| Is that it is made so difficult for the in
habitants TO get water either for bathing
or laundering purposes. that in their place
a great many people with better training
and advantages would not be exactly i'm
maculate. When woman, not of strong
physioue. with three or four small children
TO take care Of and perhaps TO support
has TO bring every drop Of water she uses
from q bydrant half a block away and
then carry it up one or more flights Of
stairs. It is not very surprising that she
economies on that item OF household sup
niles. She has only certain amount Of
strength. and II she uses all of that in the
mere effort TO keep her rooms and. chill
dren clean, where is the ehildren's bread
10 come from? Such condition Of things
IS a disgrace TO the common sense of any
city which spends large sums of money
annually to improve the condition of it
poor. They do not need Instruction an'