Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-07-22
CIVIC SPIRITS VALUE
important Factor In Winning
Home Trade.
PUBLICITY MEANS PROGRESS.

tons.
In the work of winning home trade
and of town growth and Improvement
it is the spirit of the merchants and
of the citizens that counts.
This is an age of intellect and of in
tellectual forces. We are realizing
more and more that mind rules. This
truth applies to all departments of life.
1t applies with especial force to the
building of a municipality.
Remove the present inhabitants from
any American city and put an equal
number Of Zulus in their places and
what would be the result? Despite all
modern improvements, twentieth cen
fury buildings, elevators, telephones,
telegraph, street cars, water, gas and
electricity, palatial homes and the rest,
that city in ten years would be but
Zulu habitation, the modern improve
ments wrecked, grass growing in the
streets, all progress Obliterated and ey
erything reverted to savagery.
Suppose the process were reversed
and the American inhabitants of any
city were removed to the middle Of
Zululand, what then would happen?
In ten years they would have builded
a city on modern lines. The twentieth
century buildings, street cars, water,
gas and electricity, telephones, palatial
homes and all modern improvements
would be reared as if by magic.
The people are the city. Given their
constructive spirit and the outer mani
festatiOn follows as a matter of course.
When Chicago burned in the seven
ties a new and greater city arose in
its place. The people were undaUnted.
Their spirit was more determined than
before. When San Francisco was de-
strOyed by earthquake and fire the
whole world was thrilled by the splen-
did courage and cheerfulness of the
Inhabitants. The spirit of the people
rose triumphant and assured a new
San Francisco better than the old.
1t is ever so. The spirit of a town or
city determine what that town or city
will be. If there is united purpose,
energy and will all other things are
added.
The first work to do in upbuilding,
identifying and promoting any munich
pality is to arouse public spirit.
People must believe in their town,
must have faith in it's future, must
unite for its progress.
There is no room for fault finders,
knockers, rGactiOnarieS and dead-aliVe
human entities on the car of progress.
Only those who believe who have
courage and who work belong there.
The constructive spirit is the spirit
of Americanism and of the new age.
What every town that would become
greater and better town needs is this
infusion of spirit, of optimism, of unit
ed purpose.
Anything that helps to engender this
spirit and purpose should be welcomed.
Anything that dampens or retards it
should be eliminated.
Among the most powerful public
agencies in building civic spirit are the
newspaper and the commercial club.
The newspaper comes first, for in this
day the press is the greatest power in
the world. This is no idle boast, but Is
recognized by every student who has
true insight
No one can measure the influence of
one public spirited, progressive, wide
awake paper in any community. 1t not
only builds local spirit, but it adver-
tises the town to the world. 1t sOws
the seeds Of suggestion. People are
shaped and influenced by it uncon-
sciously. If 1t is q paper of the right
sort it unifes sentiment for the town,
stirs the citizens to action, brings i'm
provement. induces others to come.
Citizens who want to help the commu-
nifty in which they live can do no bet
ter than to urge the local editor to take
up the cause of larger trade and town
Improvement and then stand behind
that editor, boosting his circulation,
his advertising and his power for good.
Publicity is the magic word Of our
times. 1t means commerce; it means
progress; it means correction; it means
success. Rightly used it is an engine
for individual and civic advancement.
If you would boost your town, boost
your local press and set 1t to preaching
the gospel Of town advancement.
Side by side with the newspaper
goes the commercial club. 1t is an or
ganic thing and teaches people the use
of organic, united action. In organiza-
ton the strength Of the unit increases
in geometric ratio. The individual is
raised to the nth power. This is
but another way of stating the old and
trite maxim that in union is strength.
The commercial club, board Of trade,
town improvement society or other
body Of like purpose, called by what
ever name it may be, serves a double
purpose. 1t both engenders public
spirit and furnishes q means Of its eX-
preston. 1t makes people want bet
ter town and furnishes them an avenue
through which to get better town. In
it the progressives stimulate the lag
CARDS and the wideawakes open the
eyes of the billiards. The commercial
club makes advancement and trade
winning fashionable.
Advertise and organize. These are
the two watchwords of town improve
ment And always and everywhere
build up the civic spirit of the people
J. a. EDGERTON.