The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-03-26
In DEFENSE OF HARTFORD.

/ in DEFENSE Uf HAklFOkU.
II is an easy matter to make dis
parsging remarks about your neigh
Dor, to say evil things Of your coun-
try your state or your town. How
ever. when these thoughtless and mos
often uamerited things are said, 1t is
not easy to correct tie false impress
sion made upon the minds OF those 70
whom made. 1t is so common to
abuse the town, as town, that there
are few persons possessed WITH the
temerity to stand up and contradict
them. Among those who are addicted
TO the habit Of Just saying things
about the old town. without due in
vestigation, as to the correctness OF
the charges made, may be numbered
certain wandering ministers, VINO no
doubt mean well, and think they are
stirring up things, and In that way
can bring sinners TO repentance. We
have heard 1t said recently and pub
licly, that Hartford is a bad town,
that IL is not what 1t used to be etc.
Ii Is not what IL used to be. II is
far better than it used to be. Twen-
ty years ago, there was ten times as
much Intoxicating liquor used In
Hartford as to-day. There was ter
times more profanity heard on the
streets Of the town than to day. At
present Hartford pays more tLan five
times as much to the support of her
churches and her ministers as she did
twenty years ago, although not more
than twice the population of that pc
riod. You may search the country
over and you will not find another
town which is so ready to contribute
to the relief of the distressed or ex-
tend the hand of charity to the needy
as this same old town, called Hart
ford In no other town of its size will
there be found a large percentage of
its citizenship connected with the
church. Fully ninety percent of all
the citizenship Of Hartford belongs to
some church, and her Sunday schools
are better attended than are those
OF any other town of a corresponding
size TO be found any where. Her
church members may not live up to
their professions in every instance,
but we venture the assertion that they
come as near doing 50 as do those Of
any other town. Its citizens, no mat
ter to what church they belong are,
as a rule, broad minded and defferen-
tial to the opinions of those holding
opposite religious or political views.
Twenty years ago. 1t was not an I'M
common thing for citizens of the
town to fall out over trivial matters,
often coming to blows in personal en-
counters. That day has passed.
Through the many noble lodges re-
presented here, her citizens nave
been brought into closer contact. nave
learned to know eacn other better, to
make allowances for the frailties of
one another and as consequence every
citizen in the town is at absolute
peace with every otner citizen. When
a revival is attempted in any church
in the town, every other church sus-
Ponds its services, attends and assists
In making common cause for the ad-
of christianity. 1t is a
SANDER TO the town of Hartford to
say that it is bad morally or tEat its
are not what they used to be.
Hartford is better to-day In every
thing that goes to make up an attrac-
tive desirable location for home. an
everybody who lives here knows that
this statement is true, and We resent
the oft repeated and thread worn
charge that 1t is bad town and con-
tinually growing worse.