Perth Amboy evening news., 1909-03-10

country free, and we shall all be
better and more prosperous with the
advance of our city.
Let us not be deceived by illu-
sions of easy progress, wings of en-
thusiasm, or truth working itself
out by mere suggestion. We can
coast down hill all right, and we can
sprint on the level for hundred
yards or SO; but 1t takes deal OF
energy and effort to rise up the few
feet of our own stature. Unfortu-
nately we havn't any wings-as yet,
anyway.
Truth is seldom accepted because
it is true, m any have suffered for
truth, some have suffered just be-
cause they spoke the truth. Tell ten
men some new truth. Five will re-
feet it without consid Grafton simply
because 1t Is new. Three will fail
to understand 1t. One Will under
stand 1t, consider 1t, hesitate, and,
though not rejecting 1t, neglects II
and finally forgets it. The tenth
man will understand it, believe it,
and act upon 1t. The others later
understand 1t or recollect 1t and &C
cept 1t and fall in line, "get In out
of the wet" That is the story of
all progress.
It takes material for us to make
anything, we cannot create, we can
only construct. 1t takes such stuff
as time and energy and money for
us to build anything.
A Board of Freeholders in Pike
County, Pennsylvania, was one con-
fronted by a strong demand for a
new jail. The prisoners escaped so
easily that the Jail seemed little
more than a transient lodging house.
The freeholders dared not refuse the
petition nor did they dare vote a
lspcial county tax. So they voted for
the Jail by this resolution: RE
solved, that new Jail be built on
the following conditions:
First, that the new jail be built
on the site of the old Jail.
Second, the new jail be con-
structed out of the materials of the
old jail.
"Third, that the old Jail stand
while the new Jail is being built. -"
This is a fair example Of the con-
servative position on many subjects.
This is the kind of reform resolution
they are willing to adopt.
One of the best ways Of learning
what we are is learning what others
think of us. We are all in danger
of being convinced of our own self
suff1ciency. Now II we substract
from our critics opinion OF us that
part that is due to lack of informa-
tion. and all that due to jealousy,
the residue will be a pretty fair es-
innate of our city. What then do
others say?
They say that this Is town Of
factories and foreigners. True. But
1t is largely jealousy that would
urge this as an adverse criticism.
The factories and foreigners have
given the town it's wealth, its
growth, its importance as CONNER
cial centre. This Is cosmopolitan,
industrial city, active, producing.
We welcome these large Industries
and we need thousands of workmen
to man the plants. Not all men or
municipalities can be of the same
type and perform the largest mis-
sion of existence. Our narbor and
strait and railroad facilities and
proximity to New York city give us
advantages that cannot be neglected
with impunity. Let US once for all
understand that the future of Perth
Amboy depends upon her Industrial
development.
It Is for such a body as this to
impress upon the chiefs and mana
gers of these factories their respon-
sibility for the general welfare OF
this city. Thy have made 1t as a
factory town, great; they should do
what they can to make 1t, through a
factory town, good We ought not
let them, by our negligence, wash
their hands of responsibility because
they do not live here, because they
are Commuters the other way" as
they say, they come to Amboy In the
morning and return to New York at
night instead of vice versa.
These captains of industry, ! be-
lieve, would be willing to do great
deal for the improvement of this
city. The experience ] have had
with them, though on a small scale,
leads me to believe that they are In
terested, more than we think, in the
city where they make their money,
the home of their employees.
But you business men must take
the initiative, must do constructive
thinking, must be willing to do
some fighting against conspicuous
evil, must encourage the good and
hit arch-offenders on the head.
You must lay aside partisanship
and national politics when the well
fare of the city is at stake. We
must have some strong body of citi-
zens of all parties, religions and
races, that is above the party squab-
bles and petty factions of city poll
tics, that can appeal with unanimity
to the heads of railroads and fac
tories for the needs of your changed
We need a Y. M. G. A. conducted
on broad lines that would offer to
all decent young men the privileges
of a gymnasium and swim ming pool,
courses of instruction for men too
old or too much confined to earning
a living to go to the day schools,
and courses In civil government for
and patriotism, the Eng
Iish language for new arrivals, and
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