The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-04-23
If So You'll Smile With Pride OH
the Home Merchants.
B0GY TO MAIL ORDER HOUSES

neither dld ! until | read them the
other day In New York newspapers
Letters From the People" column.
one appeared one day and the other
the next. "Oppidism" was the pre-
cursor Of 'phllopolist" There is
sermon in tlege words, and the under
signed right here takes off his hat,
mounts the secular pulpit and pro-
ceeds to preach 1t.
But first, dearly beloved, let us read
these two letters, wherein appeared
the new words. Letter No /.
am firmly convinced that the english
language needs q new word, and / appeal
TO you to introduce II. We want a word
10 express the same sentiment for ones
home town that patriotism" expresses
for ones country The phrase "cvic
pride" is entirely inadequate We want
10 express the combination OF affection,
interest. pride. enthusiasm and devotion
which is indicated by patriotism"
II has occurred to me that from the
Latin "oppldum," town, might be form
cd the word "oppdlsm." That is not the
most graceful OF words, but II does ex-
press the idea. 4 friend has suggested
"urbanism," which Is certainly more eu-
phonious / might have thought Of this
myself but for the idea that this would
refer to large cities only. "Urbs." used
TO be told In school. was applied by the
Romans only to Rome any smaller com
munity being "oppidum." We are ac-
customed to apply the term urban" In a
much less restricted sense, but II still
conveys the suggestion of cltihed life.
while | am looking for a word equally
applicable 10 suburban towns and country
towns and villages.
GERTRUDE w. ORvIs.
Railway, N. j.
Letter No. 2:
In re communication OF Gertrude W.
Orvis OF Railway. N. j., suggesting "op-
pidism" as a good word TO express feel
ing for ones town, as patriotism" does
for ones country. why isn't philopollsm a
better word? Fhilos. love: polls. city
isn't that more expressive word and
more euphonic than oppdism, from oppi-
dun? OF course a Railway person might
be an oppodlst. but isn't New Yorker a
philopolist OF the deepest dye?
The patriot feeling still exists.
But greaters the philopolisrs.
What? VII
New York.
| strongly suspect that the initials
"W. ]. L. appertain to our old friend
william ]. Hampton, who writes the
barbaric "yawp' poems for New York
papers. which now and then percolate
through the country. Mr.. Hampton
has lived in a great city so long that
he can appreciate only partially Miss
Orvis' viewpoint The Railway lady
cares nothing for word to express
ones love for an overgrown city In
which one may be existing. She wants
a word to express town love. the de-
votlOn to the good old home place.
whether it be thriving small city like
Railway or a sequestered hamlet like
Lower Squankum. In the same state.
We shall dismiss Mr.. Lamptons new
word. therefore, and preach from the
text supplied by Miss Oryis.
Firstly. oppodsm is fine new word
because II sounds so much like optl.
mist. Optimism means belief In things.
We believe in our parents and love
them. We believe In our friends and
are devoted to them. We believe In
our town. our community. and feel OPP
pidistic about IT,
Secondly, oppidlsm suggests doing
something for those or that which we
love. IL we love our friends we refuse
TO knock them. We speak good word
for them whenever we can III we love
our town we pursue n similar course
Of speech or action. We seek out It's
fine points. II they do not happen to
appeal 20 us without seeking. and OPP
pidize upon them. We are Oppidistic
wherever we 20. Even II we visit the
nearest biz city we never fan TO prac-
tlce oppidiSm In our conversation. In
this way we do our town some good.
Thirdly. oppldism expresses co-opera-
ton. our nelghbors are more to us
than the inhabitants OF New York,
Chicago or Mars. We come In touch
with them daily. They. just as We,
have their way TO make In this world,
right here among us. All OF us go
10 the making Of community. We
must interchange ideas aud we must
intertrade. That's really the glst Of
oppldlsm. dearly beloved. Those who
practice mail order trading are prac-
tlcing philopodism rather than oppl.
dlsm Those who do their trading at
home are the only true oppidlsts.
Fourthly. lfthly and all the rest this
New Jersey woman ought 20 be- voted
gold medal trimmed with radlum
fr having given the world a new
word that should inspire every dweller
In noncity communities to unsehsh
efforts IN behalf Of the home place.
ROBERTUS LOVE.
a-a=-a-==sa