West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-08-05
RURAL CIV|CS VALUE
What Ii Means to the Individual
and Whole Nation.
SALVATION OF ALL TOWNS.
Every Movement Bringing Members Of
Rural Towns Together For Discussing
improvements Concerning tho Com.
munity as a Whole Is a Step Forward.

Rural Towns Together For Discussing
improvements Concerning tho Com.
munity as Whole Is a Step Forward.
Within the words rural civlcs there
Is embraced n movement which. car.
ried TO It's fullest possibilities. may
well mean the transformation OF a
nation. We are prone to think OF
civics and civic matters ns having 10
do solely with town or city. People
living I'm such close proximity to one
another That they are forever jostlIng
elbows are forced TO consider the wei.
fare OF the body polite MS whole
Therefore It is natural that the first
impulse for civic betterment should
emanate from the city.
But the time has come when this
movement for civic betterment. the
Improvement OF conditions for the
mass rather than the individual. IL
recognized as one OF the greatest fac
tors In the upbullding OF rural com
munlties. There never was time
either In country or city, when the In.
dlvidual was under such direct oblign.
tion 10 the mass OF his fellow citizens
Within the last half century 10y means
of increased transportation facilities.
the invention OF the telephone aud tho
thousand and one inventions which
make for closer communion and better
living. man has become even more
closely bound 10 his neighbor, so that
the lntter's welfare has become his
own welfare, This Is Just as true of
the farmer as OF any other class.
In the growth OF rural clvlcs lies not
only the salvation OF our rural com
munlties, but OF the nation as n whole
Improve not only the individual farm
but the community as whole-thc
town center. the highways radlatlng
In all directions, the social conditions.
the opportunities for mental relaxa-
tion and development-nnd you exert
an influence which extends straight
up To the legislative halls OF the mn
tlon.
That Henry Jones allows his back
pasture TO run TO thlstles Is apparent
ly nobody's business but his own. This
may be true up TO the point where the
first pun OF wind fonts the thistle.
down over into the pastures of his
neighbors. Right there Henry Jones
has unlntentlonally taken hand In
his neighbors' affairs, and his neigh.
bors have right 10 demand OF Henry
Jones that he do his share TO relieve
the community OF pest A pun OF
wind and bit OF thistledown have
made OF the free individual n respon.
sible unit I'm the mass.
Every movement which tends TO
bring the members OF the rural com
munlty together for discussion Of
those things which concern the com.
munity as II whole Is distinct step
forward. Every schoolhouse should
be civic center for the district I'm
which 1t is situated. Every town house
or county seat should he n larger civic
center wherein the leaders I'm the
smaller centers may meet for the dis
cussion or the work which they are
doing and for the intelligent mapping
out OF future plans along which these
smaller centers may cooperate
The town beautiful" OF necessity
means the "home beautiful" and the
home beautiful means the retention OF
the boys and girls on the farm. Rural
civlcs IN It's brOndest sense means
rural uplift, upllft GNong every line
which tends TO make country life more
worth while. more attractive. more in
spring. Rural ciyics has no place I'm
party politics, save that II Will produce
in each party the best men that can
be put forward. The welfare OF the
nation Is dependent on the welfare OF
the individual. and the individual alone
Is helpless and hopeless. Patriotism OF
the highest type II the immediate and
best product OF the realization OF com
munnl responsibility.
The lyceum I'm the schOolhouse and
the public forum at the town or coun-
ty seat will come TO mean not only
more beautiful country, but n purglng
OF politics which shall ultimately make
our government what we are wont 20
claim that II is md what It should be
II II is nOt-the ideal which Lincoln so
tersely set forth as "a government Of
the people. by the people aud for the
people."-New England Homestead.