Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-12-11
RETIREMENT OF COUNTRY LIFE

In connection with the inquiries
instituted by the President of the United
States rs to the ways and the means for
the bettcrment Of country life, we rise
to remark that there are many ways in
which life in general might be made
better. regardless of whether that life
he spent in the country or in thickly
populated cities. An excellent idea
comes from Cleveland, Ohio, where a
number of progressive citizens who feel
the isolation of the nicghbOrhopds and
general lack of unity have proposed Il
scheme for more frequent meetings of
young and old who are interested i'll the
general Improvement of existing con-
ditions.
To effect their purpose III the work
of knitting the population into II collec-
tive rcnit, the most thoughtful observers
have suggested that public school
buildings in both rural districts and
cities should become ncighborhoOd
~centers for social intercourse, friendly
debate, and general education. Speak
ing OH this subject, Louis Post, editor
of the Public, at Chicago says:
The segregation of school work from
the common life is one of the serious
evils of the system-Or rather of its
administration. Not much Roadway is
made, to he sure, merely by giving
%inocuous lectures now and then in
schoolhouses, but even this is an
advance. When the schoolhousc snail
come to bc the neighborhood center for
ncighborly intercourse, for lectures on
topics of general or ncighborly interest.
and for the discussion of school district
and school board affairs, the public
school system will take Il very different
and n much higher place in the life of
the people.
This is practically an old idea, and
credit for it belongs to the south. From
the earliest time of American occupa-
ton s%outhrons have cultivated the idea
Of public debates, oratory, and the
commingling of minds that produce the
WebSters, Clays, Marshals and Calhouns
of history.
In another sense this idea is much
older i'll the New England States, where
the town meeting principle reached its
elimination at least two generations
ago, as explained by Ralph Waldo
Emerson i'll one of his famous essays on
government.
No community can make Il mistake
by cultivating public discussions but
there il II great evil TO be guarded
against. No meeting place of this
character should become the stamping
ground of fanatics, politicians or agita,
tors whose speeches would only destroy
the public peace. If such meetings
were to he made purely social and cdu,
cational vast benefits would result; but
the moment these centcrs of discussion
fall under the control of trimmcrs and
time-scrycrs they will become pcst-spoti
that should be suppressed and for
gotten.
Few persons aside from those who
have given careful attention to sOcia
conditions are aware of the isolation
that exists in many thickly populated
ccnters where ncighbor does not know
neighbor and where the national pur
poses of social life are left to chanc,
and the Vaccinations Of designing
politicians. There is no rcasou for sucl
indifference and neglect Of opportunity
If every school district OF every ware
- a--I. III .--1.1t- A. ~
in country sections, were dedicated {,
meetings that discussed the genera
welfare. great good would result
Exchange.