The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-08-07
THE COUNTRY CONSCIENCE.

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that there must be an appreciation on
the part of the public of the needs
and worth of change. If this be
lacking, the effort works against such
odds to discourage all but the most
devoted and the rule of the bosses re-
mains unbroken. In the larger cities
this is especially true, and occasional
ly is found a student of economics
who believes that the rural districts
are as slow to respond to appeal.
The comparative isolation Of the peo-
pie, the lack of quick communication
| through the press, and the self-satis-
faction of the average farm dweller
are pointed out as making less forci-
bic the appeals to action.
Sometimes this seems to be the
condition and there arise incidents
showing how agricultural States are
suffering from unworthy rule long
after the way has been shown toward
correction. But on the whole the
country conscience is sensitive and
responsive where the big city is not.
For instance, out in the Middle
West a few months ago leading
paper in city of 10000 discovered
that the county was being robbed
through an extravagant purchase of
systems of fling cases that were be-
ing sold at exorbitant prices for use
in the public offices. That it was
steal of many thousand dollars was
apparent and the paper, determined
to save money for the taxpayers, gave
the facts and "spread" the story in
its most emphatic manner. Day af-
ter day it related the developments
and counted on such an awakening
as would prevent the consummation
of the deal. 1t created some talk
but not much. 1t reused the public
mild1y-but men were busy and for
got it as the paper was laid aside with
the morning coffee. The sale was
completed, the county paid an enor-
nous price for mediocre material and
somebody pocketed the profits. Nat
urallv the editor felt that he wasted
his effort and was discouraged at the
outcome.
The vendors of the filing cases
moved on to a rural community a
hundred miles away and opened ne.
gotiations for another sale. In the
country town that was the county
seat was another editor who was not
afraid. He had watched the fight
in the city and sent for a file of the
papers in which the first expose had
been printed. He published the same
articles, localizing them to fit his home
conditions, and waited to see what
would happen. AS his paper went
out to the farms and into the villages
the people read it and caught its les
son. On the following Saturday men
were coming to town in buggies, in
wagons and on horseback to see the
county officials charged with the pur-
chase of the new furnishings. They
made their ideas known de6nately
and distinctly with the result that
there was cancellation of the con-
tract and negotiations ceased.
The residents of the city and Of the
rural community were much the same
sort of people with much the same
familiarity of conditions and neither
had much the advantage over the
other in wealth or in business apti-
tude. Yet in the country town and
in the communities surrounding it
there was a conscience that did not
stop at learning the truth, but acted.
In the city the truth brought only a
passing interest and things went on
much as before. Perhaps the Incl
dent, if thoroughly exposed, might
have had an effect at the next cleo
ton, but no such response came to
the immediate demand as was mani
fest in the rural section.
Doubtless the habit of being out
spoken, of going directly to the head
Of a matter, has much to do with
this difference on the part of the
country community. The farmer
and the dweller in the country
town brook no red tape, the resources
of so many city officials. The office
holder is known to every taxpayer
and to every voter as newspaper
name or as one who sits on the plat
form in a public meeting. He is
called by his first name by half the
population. He has personal touch
that is forbidden to the Office holder
in the large city-and with this comes
added sense or responsibility
promptly responsive to protest.
The country conscience is some
thing that cannot be ignored the
city conscience frequently lies dor
mant and, though realizing condi-
tions, does not instigate definite ac-
ton. This it is that makes possible
the frequent charge that our large
cities are badly governed. They need
the quickening touch of the country
conscience that would bring to the
rulers a vital understanding of their
position as servants of the people.
When the farmer, after years oi
toll in the field, moves to town for a
well-earned rest, he marvels for a
time at the calmness with which the
townspeople accept unsatisfactory CON
ditions. He wonders why they dc
not take matters into their own hands
and bring about definite reform
After a while, and possibly after some
effort to act himself, he settles back
with his neighbors and things go on
much as before. His country con
science has become scared by the bus
tie and indifference of city life and it
takes a great crisis to rouse it again.
1t Is to the credit of the cities that
many of them are awaking to the
evils in municipal government and
are seeking to remedy them; they
are gaining something of the country
sensitiveness to civic iniquities. They
find many things that need improve
ment. and when the total reaches suf-
ficiently startling proportions there
comes a public uprising that compels
attention. Necessarily there must be
more time for action in the city than