Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1904-06-22
WORTHLESS CITIZENS.

Crosbey S. Noyes, the able and vet
eran editor of the Washington Star
was rendered a reception recently at
which a beautiful loving cup was
presented to him. In responding to
the presentation address Mr.. Noyes
TOOK occasion to review the growth of
the city of Washington during the
past half century or less, from a city
of 10000 to 3OO,O In doing so he
also -1ttered some brave words in
regard to Fungus growth of citizen
ship which has grown up in the city
words which will apply to other cities
besides Washington, and involving
principles which are applicable to
good citizenship everywhere. In part
be said:
"Sixty years ago the finest residence
quarter of the city was east of Seventh
street; now it is west of fourteenth
street. But though the west end is
now the fashionable quarter, built up
and never will have a better society
than the kindly, high minded, cultur-
ed hospitable people who lived in the
good old roomy, comfortable red
brick houses on 9 street, Indiana ave-
nue., and that neighborhood.
''This was a community where
money counted for little in the social
scale and where the richest and the
highest thought it no discredit to
work shoulder to shoulder with me-
chanics and labOring men in the per-
Torrance of public duties. They
cheerfully and ungrudgingly under
took the Performance of any duties as
signed to them. whether as common
councilmen, jurymen, charity work
ers, school trustees, health officers, or
members of the levy court.
"In the changes from the old
society to the new, there is one most
unwelcome acquisition-that of the
so-called "Smart Set" We are not
required to believe that our smart set
is guilty of all the monkey shines and
social indecencies of the Newport de-
generates. They are obnoxious not be-
cause they are so very wicked, but be
cause they are so utterly worthless.
''In a republic where there are no
titles of nobility and no caste distinc-
tions, they undertake to set up an IN
American first society class, whose
only claim to superiority is their abil-
ity to live without labor or associa-
ton with those who work.
"No man is worthy of admission to
their circle unless he can prove that
be is not in trade or any useful occu-
patton and has never done a days
work with his hands.
''They shirk all the duties of good
citizenship. They sneer at our pub
lie schools-our schools in which from
the capacity and high character of the
teachers the pupils get an education
indefinitely superior to that acquired
by the idle set in a full university
course.
'For the do nothing is inevitably
a know nothing. He carries his in
dolent habits to the college and learns
nothing there, spending his time in
the designations and excuses of the
wealthy smart set student class.
"They sneer at our citizens associa-
tions, our Christian associations, char
ity organizations, reform schools,
Christian Endeavor unions, Salvation
Army, the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, Decoration and Thanksgiving Day
observances. They think it a fine
thing to shock the religious sense
of the community by their ostenta-
tious dissertation of the Sabbath in
their frivolous revelries and amuse- (
ments.''