Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1906-03-15
SPECIALIZING IN SOCIAL
BETTERMENTS.

1
Geo. Sutherland. Secretary Spokane association
There is something more than
poetry and sentiment in the oft
repeated maxim, "God made the
country but man made the city,"
1t is full OF fact and truth.
Time was when nomads CRAWL
tated toward common centers.
either fortresses, stockades or more
pretentious shelters for purposes of
protection against an unfriendly
tribe, the philosophy underlying
this common trend being, Sin union
there is strength; later came the
era of walled cities, built by nations
primarily with view to resisting
the agressions of hostile tribes or
nations.
Our own continent is not a
stranger to such conditions; did
not the men and women who first
settled west Of the Rockies have to
form settlements, thus massing
their forces and strength the better
to resist the attentions of the red
man?
Most people who came west forty
or fifty years ago came with land
hunger, they did not want to make
villages and towns or build cities;
they were forced to concentrate at
certain points, to stand together, to
fight for the protection of their
property, for honor, for their very
lives.
There was time when the great
er proportion of the population of
America was rural, the country
districts held the balance of power,
politically speaking, the towns and
cities did not have to be taken into
consideration too seriously; all that
has been changed 80 far as the
towns and cities Of the United
States are concerned; revolution
airy changes in economics, manu-
facture, transportation and dis
tribution have reversed the condi-
tons which existed fifty years ago
so that now the towns and cities OF
our country hold the higher per-
centage of population.
There are certain obvious moral
and political dangers presented in
the rapid growth Of our towns and
cities; this article will deal only
with the moral issues.
No longer does the chief menace
TO life, property or honor lie with
out the walls Of the city, but rather
within them; many dangers are
concentrated within the bounds of
our populous centers whether large
or small.
With the development of the
modern town or city comes that
abomination the American saloon
with its almost total disregard OF
law and the rights of citizens; the
many opportunities for "easy
money" (?), faro, roulette-and
bridge whist; men and women of
loose morals establish themselves,
and altogether there seems to be
some basis for the aphorism, "trade
follows the flag"
But, worst feature of all, with
the concentration of population
comes public indifference to social
and moral conditions; to the credit
of the American people be it said,
however, there are always some
people in every community who are
concerned for the highest interests
of their towns.
The diversity Of social problems
produced by the concentration of
population in our towns and cities
has made necessary specialization
in the field of philanthropy and
social betterment. Thus we have
the Salvation Army, the rescue
mission, social settlements and
asylums and retreats for the uufor.
tunate, inefficient and dependent,
each organization operating in its
own field, and important in the
degree that it is locally efficient.
Perhaps no one would challenge
the statement that the boys and
young men of a community consti-
tute the most important element in
society.
Those granting the accuracy of
the assumption made above, will
doubtless endorse the second prop
osition, viz, that there can be no
finer or more far reaching work
than that which inspires our youth
and men to set up high ideals in
life, prepare and equip themselves
not only for their individual careers
but as citizens of the republic, and
lead them to crystalline their ideals
and high purposes into action.
Such is the purpose and work of