Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-18
HOLDING TRADE
What Country Newspapers Can
Accomplish in This Line

cago says that his sermons are transit |
tory and unsatisfactory in effect. "A
sermon" he says. mo matter how |
good, is like water that is poured
through q sieve. 1t is the constant
hammering that produces results upon
the hearts of men; not what Is learned
today or tomorrow, but what Is abb
sorbed; note this week and note
next which strikes a responsive chord
in the hearts and lives of the different
members of my congregation, no two
of whom are alike in temperament, all
of whom require different treatment.
If we are going to preach sermons,
we must preach them regularly, not
alone from the columns of trade
Magazine, but from the forum where
the people assemble. And the words
must be uttered by those whom the
people know, those in whom they have
confidence and to whom they will pay
attention.
We alb realize how important it is
that the tendency toward centraliza-
ton of population and trade shall be
overcome and the tide. now flowing
out. be turned and made TO flow in.
Those cities which become overpop-
| ulated and overprosperous at the ex-
pense of the prosperity and size OF
surrounding country towns and vii
| lagos are like cancers, says Hardware,
| which impoverish the blood and grad
| ually devour the vital spark of our So
| ,.ia VI N
all ages. History brings us many in
| stances where, through Capitalization
| of power, civilization has become can
| cerous and rotted to its ultimate de-
cline.
VIII the lessons we should have
learned from history suffice to point
the way by which we may escape the
| pitfalls?
| If we grow Ill, shall we persist in
treating our systems with strong medi-
cines when deep breathing and the
proper diet would soon restore us?
If in the course of time our cities
through absorbing greater and great
er portion of the population which
comes to our shores, shall establish
unhealthy and unnatural standards of
life, shall we persist in treating the
sore spots instead of purifying the cir
culation and building up the system?
Let us not wait until that time. but.
rather, anticipate the evils which CEN
tralzation is bound TO bring upon us.
Who will be responsible for this GEN.
tralization? The people themselves.
How will It be overcome? BY edu-
eating the people. And who shall edu-
cate the people?
There Is one best way to reach them,
and that is through the newspapers.
The newspaper is the greatest power
for enlightenment which has ever
blessed this globe.
| Newspaper editors have q great re
sponsibility. as they are charged with
the task of molding public opinion,
There are hundreds and thousands of
them who have done great work in
this line.
For some months Hardware has been
striving to awaken the hardware trade
to a realization of the opportunity
which lies within the newspaper as 81
means of teaching the people and over
coming abuses which have their foun-
dation in the Capitalization of trade In
the large cities.
Slowly, gradually, other publications
have awakened to the Importance of
our plan. Retail associations have tax
en- it up.
George H. Maxwell editor of Max
wells Talisman, says In his paper:
There are many country merchants
, who see their trade gradually slipping
away from them, leaving the country
town and going to the great cities by
the channel of the mail order trade.
There are many country editors ~hc
see the prosperity of their towns de
pleted and circulation and advertising
income reduced for the same reason.
"There are very few, however, who
4 realize that their problem is nationa
r one and that 1t is wrapped up in and
4 part of the great fundamental question
, whether this nation shall be perpetu
| ated or shall be destroyed by the phys
f ical degeneration of humanity, the so
cial unrest, Industrial discomfort. mora
!. and political corruption and class ha
), tired bred In the city slums and tene
h mentS and certain to culminate IN an
archistic crimes, riotous mobs and al
= destroying social upheavals as the re
suit of some long continued period o
> industrial and commercial depression.
"The fact is that the upbuilding o
the country town and suburban vi
> lage as an antidote and safeguar
u against the poisonous social, mora
physical and political consequences o
herding millions of our working pee
II pie together In the unnatural congeste
If life of the tenements is the one grea
IS question that rises above all others 1
lie Importance as a problem that this na
d ton must solve. Unless 1t does solv
n it, 1t will suffer death from human do
ID generacy-the fate of so many nation
s. and civilizations that have risen In tn
ID past only to be destroyed. Ours wi
-. | h, I;tayyiSa DESTROYED unless we TAX