Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-12-17
HOLDING ON To TRADE
What Country Newspapers Can
Accomplish In This Line.
AROUSE PUBLIC THOUGHT.
Teach the People to Overcome Abuses
Founded In Capitalization Ct Pepu'
lation and Trade In Large Cities
Build Up Interest In Home Towns,

0&o sAsS Gual Ills SCI AoAS az -
tory and unsatisfactory il effect -
ssfnoo," he says, L matter Q
good, Is like water that is poure1
through a sieve. 1t is the coast2at
hammering that produces results upon
tbs hearts OF men: not what Is learned
today OF tomorrow, but what is al
sorbed; a note this week and a note
next which strikes a responsive chord
in the hearts and lives Of the difere1--
members Of my congregation, no Two
OF whom are alike in temperament. 81
of whom require different treatment.
II we are going to preach sermons.
we must preach them regularly, 40.
alone from the columns Of q 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 all realize how important it is
that the tendency toward cenrraliza-
ton Of population and trade shall be
overcome and the tide, ow flowing
out, be turned and made 10 flow in.
Those cities which become overpop-
ulated and overprosperous al the ey-
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 So
cial life. We have seen this work in
all ages. History brings US many in
stances where. through Capitalization
Of power, civilization has become can
ceroug and rotted to It's 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 i'll, shall we persist il!
treating Jul systems with strong medi-
cfnes when deep breathing and the
proper diet would soon restore us:
II in the course of time our cities.
through absorbing q greater and great
er portion Of the population which
ONE to our shores, shall establish
unhealthy and unnatural standards Of
life, shall we persist III treating tile
sore spots instead of purifying the dir
culation and building up the system:
Let US not wait until that time. BAT,
rather, anticipate the evils which cen
tralization is bound to bring upon us.
Who will be responsible for this cor
~tralization? The people themselves.
How will it be overcome: BY edQ-
eating the people. And who shall elu-
cate the people:
There is one best way to reach them.
and that is through the nwspapers.
The newspaper is the greatest power
for enlightenment which has ever
blessed this globe.
Newspaper editors have q great re-
sponsibiltty, as they are charged with
the task Of nlolding public opinion.
There are hundreds and thousands Of
them who have done a great work In
this line.
For some months Hardware has been
striving to awaken the hard ware trade
to a realization Of the opportunity
winch lies within the newspaper as a
means OF teaching the people and over
coming abuses which have their fouu-
dalton in the Capitalization Of trade in
the large cities.
Slowly, gradually, other publications
have awakened to the Importance of
n11- n1an pnfo3] ccn,io+;or 49,, 49,. -,
en- 1t up.
George Fl. Maxwell. editor of Max
wells Talisman, says in his p
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 who
see the prosperity Of their towns de
pleted and circulation and advertising
income reduced for the same reason.
There are very few. however. who
realize that their problem is a national
n and that it is wrapped up In and a
part OF the great fundamental question
whether this nation shall be perpetu-
ated or shall be destroyed by the phys-
ical degeneration of humanity, the so.
cial unrest, industrial discomfort, moral
and political corruption and class. ha.
tired bred in the city slums and tene-
ments and certain to eliminate in am
archistic crimes, riotous mobs and all
destroying social upheavals as the re.
suit OF some long continued period of
Industrial and commercial depression.
"The fact is that the upbuild1ng Of
the country town and suburban vii
lage as an antidote and safeguard
against the poisonous social, moral.
physical and political consequences of
herd1ng millions of our working peo.
pie together in the unnatural congested
lie or the tenements is the one great
question that rises above all others in
Importance us a problem that this ma
tlon must holye. Unless 1t does solve
u, 1t VIII suffer death from human de-
g~eneracy--the fate of SO many nations
u civilizations that have risen in tho
past only To be destroyed. Ours will
be likewise destroyed unIess we take
heed IN time.
Then comes the question NJ tho