The sun., 1903-03-22
A CONNECTICUT TOWN.
Defence OF Ashferd Asainst the Accusations
of . Cer. Gal Critic.

years IL has been my belief that the world In
growing better: that the human race, pdri
rdssa. with its wonderful achievements in
material progress. is gaining in goodness.
In those qualities that contribute To q better
state OF civilization. In the substitution Of
altruistic motives and unfettered thinking
ior egoism and dogmatism. But this op-
timism is only q pipe dream II report by the
iate Rev. Henry Learned Hutchins. an agent
OF Bible society. and an unoficisl collector
OF social statistics Of rural Connecticut. is to
be believed.
The old town Of Ashford. in particular. is
described a. In SO dreadful q state Of desen-
eracy that 1T will not be long before the
foreign Immigrants coming In will have TO be
looked to to put II back on the high moral
plane Tor which II was once famous" Then,
there comes to me also the report Of Mr..
Veille OF the New York Tenement House Com
mission, reinforced by words Of Mr.. x. W.
Glider, setting forth In emphatic language
the very unsanitary and immoral conditions
In your imperial city. There we have It. rural
deReneracy immortality The boasted
civilization Of our times. Is then. only a fig
ment OF the imaginationl The race must be
going to the demnition bowwows'
A to the town of Ashford. can speak with
knowledge which perhaps exceeds that
obtained by it's travelling clerical critic for,
| though never q resident Of Ashford. did
reside for twenty-five years In an adjoining
town and am personally acquainted with a
large part Of Its people and with the condi-
Hons existing therein.
Mr.. Hutchins allege that the cause Of re-
hgion 10 neglected In that community. and rs
proof cited the fact that /" 80 per cent OF
the population are non-churChgoers That
leaves 81 per cent. who are church goers.
Isn't that Q pretty good showing for people
many Of whom are obliged to travel several
miles to reach q church, How many larger
places with churches easily accessible show
| q better percentasei Four churches three
| Of them in active work. make pretty good
showing for 800 families. do they not? Re
sides. there are several quite decent people In
| Ashford wAo do not attend church. The
| time has passed when 1t 10 q safe deduction
that non -churchgoers are 'fliterates. i'm
beetles -lunatics" or even -eordid ma
| terialists," and Absolutely hesthen,- TO use
| the description OF the Bible agent. II Is
fact. and one full OF promise, too, that the
old letters Of Puritan doGmatsm have been
loosened considerably; but IT is not wonderful
that men like the late MI. Hutchins are startled
and distressed In these -decayed or decaying
rural towns
He reported that the rural schools Of Con-
necticut are losing ground; that the teach
er's average wages In Ashford Is low. The
problem OF the rural school will always be
dfacult to solve. Still, II 10 my impression
that the gradual introduction OF the town.
shin system into nnectlcut, bringing with
IL consolidation Of districts transportation
of pupils at public expense longer terms.
better teachers and the elimination, to q con-
siderable de gree. Of petty district politics. has
done much to improve these schools In
other words, as q matter OF fact. they are
gaining ground. not losing II. 1t is true that
teachers wages are low In Ashford. but
II is not 50 true that illlteracy and ignorance
prevail could name many teachers in
these schools who have been well educated.
capable persons, whose influence could not
remnneration' re snti Less than. two months sso
called at one Of these schools and found it
in charge Of young. aStive & ana enthSmaS'Hc Sla
close to natures beauties. This. with bis
fsrm-life environment OF WORN, makes the
his Shu teaeser's saSs z. wages Indicate, ,.
M sGuna sq'h.s II aso1d sde'fsd II such ,a" It
se Sas ss Ssss ess f Ssv. laid hs
sGa sfa aSsi sSsh ac YOU'D TGSsy sppy s1
corrsctivee speedily. for copnecticit I, Quick
sfries .H HsnIssn Iaa. reIasins 10 nature
,nisrmsyh .as toS That % marrsse In IN rural tonnestcnt
il often matter Of mutual consent, with the
approval Of the Srls parents Is n not .mH,ga,
But Il he means that no ceremony is rer-
formed. while den yinx that any such practice
common law marriages are recognized in
ho',ss sos" owners actually hire houseEeepers s,d
then do not marry them IL urc ne
'"s sSoimetimes an old man and an old woman
may stil be found clinEns 1 to the ancc.irai ,SII
thing better TO cling to- And who has
better right to do this same cinsns than an
hard cider AZ that-and some Of their stores
Is i' depiorsbIe state of affairs Ashford
must plead guilty. Though there Is no sa-
erage. though less than formerly. and some
store doors are open Sunday afternoons,
and some men even ensase IN such ,S her.,lCai .,d
oder 70 get the heart Of ,he barrel may
RTs~ RT.yai y 4" so%: in.tsno. ns.,. 81 tp' e o
1T would be better said Mr. Hutchns.
TO send pcof lsm 70 ,ss .soS iS nosdtioHs N ne"
shsn,s. often an by 2';too, hai'd.s sa na With
on cioas Intermediates, they we're transferred
TO ,hs -syms of New yc,h. iI wha, agar'.r'
and sons'is@' I y.s s4I.a ny "sT %srys HIN in Nv
York is no' that come children grow ~ 70
6s thieves aud prostitutes. but tha, any hs.
yo,t We have sis so daTk rooms, without
sindow Of any tlnd j. no, a Conne.ll,1I,,
sIs by ?.-foos shsniy' y palace coinpaI.d
9TH such q tsnsunsnt 81 "a. slnrls 40 MI
,.lil. desribss' Apd such shanues a'e
~. e1osttkon. no. the rule
Mr. Hutrhins 10 the nof. pnihed -, ths
.dss.nsrasy" of th.s- peolls OF , oinealov,
To- uss thsg afe happy, -Esfleflg 'o'sh'
Lee. ,hsy sldssly Tesemlls Nii''l@r's rusiic
Hs hss hs esn tree bsasl.s, lore
Ti.s lsssslS Isiufs taught hiin,
IN, ~l.foln ehlrh tks sosds and hts
And isilihs nsa hs's bfossh' h'H'
Then why disturb hiInf " laab d. DE-
bAsai,ls n II L. sssf lustihsbis ~ niahf
sLal,l,g" lsfstA dlrsontshtsd " ntskt
LAs Isilsssd hall,lhsss " ~ . sisn that ls'
ousla h. iss sshi a. ths slsnss
Tfls Dlsih ofsaHis til.h 80 iAi As ' ,o1'a
sss III thai tssn AsLfuadb y az lfess Lthd
Zee Ashfasd has hfass lAng = s"aJ .ss
iso lls sAIys 400 ~ Aslfuia '9Nlplsd
ii si.s fs4adsd Ah ssasllsid iailri' .iaAl
iLsss iaanl bsaIs Ase Aithipfld hai i.i.st
Islf,ad Las sHlol - lks ass - lstisi haell
~. ;'tif. \. a,,.n..; TO- ,is &c.. r.. '''
LIZ. ~. .i;f Z, 4: fsaf i.:.. sc.t "a. t. @
u lslfss N il.ls lssl ass e'a,l-fsd Y
b IaI }, AZ F.is nee fit..i.a s'.i -
Es,. .pe,fs lsAs,s ., q ss,s. .ee s.s.
ila.s n HilslI " iiugsh ~ a. thsh hifl