Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-02-24
BECOME "OPPIDISTS
If So You'll Smile With Pride on
the Home Merchants.
BoGY TO MAIL ORDER HOUSES

c~arious Position by This New Word
"oppidism," Invented by a Jersey
Woman-"PhilopoIists" Are Victims
of Catalogue Menace.
Gentle and a%ppreciative reader. are
you an oppidist or a philopolist? New
er heard OF those terms before? Wei
neither did l until l read them the
other day in y New York newspapers
Letters From the People" column
One appeared Il day and the Other
the next. ''Oppidism' was the pre-
cursor of ''philopolist." There is {;
sermon in these words, and the under
signed right here takes off his hat
mounts the secular pulpit and pro
ceeds to preach it.
But first. dearly beloved, let us rcai
these two letters, wherein appeared
the lew words. Letter No. l.:
1 am firmly convinced that the Englisl
language needs Il new word, and 1 appea
to you to introduce it. We want a wore
to express the ans sentiment for ones
home town that patriotism espresso!
for ones country. The phrase "civic
pride is entirely Inadequate. We wan
to express the combination of affection
interest. pride, enthusiasm and devotion
which is indicated by "patriotism."
1t has occurred to M tina from thu
Latin ~"oppidum," a town. might be form
ed the word "oppidism." That is not thu
most graceful of words. but it does ex
press the idea. A friend has suggestcr
"~urbanism,' which is certainly more ell
phonious. 1 might have thought of tt
myself but for the idea that this wou't
refer to large cities only. "Urbs," I uset
to be told in school, was applied by tn
Romans only to Rome, any smaller com
| munity being "oppidum." We are &C
customed to apply the term urban in
much less restricted sense, but it still
conveys the suggestion of citified life
while l am looking for a word equal.
applicable to suburban towns and countr
towns and villages.
GERTRUDE w. ORvIs.
Railway, N. j.
Letter No. 3:
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" doe
| for ones country. why isn't p%hilopolism
better word' Fhilos, love; polls, city
isn't that a more expressive word ar
more euphonic than oppidism, from oppi
dunn? Of course a Railway person Nigh
be an oppodist, but isn't a New Yorker
p%hilopolist of the deepest dye?
The patriot feeling still exists,
But Creators the philopoliSt's.
What? w. J. L.
New York.
I strongly suspect that the initial
"W. ]. L." appertain to our old frien
William J.. hampton, who writes til
barharic "yawp" poems for New Yor
papers, which now and then percolat
through the country. MI. Lampto
has lived in a great city so long thu
he can appreciate only partially Mis-
Orvis' viewpoint. The Railway lad
cares nothing for a word to expires
ones love COR an overgroWn city i
which one may be existing. She wanl
q word to express town love, the d.
votion to the good old home plac
whether it be a thriving small city lk
Railway or a sequcstered hamlet liz
Lower %Squankum. in the same state,
We shall dismiss Mr.. Lampton's ne
word. therefore, and preach from tt
text supplied by Miss Orvis.
Firstly, oppodism is a fine new VOL
because it sounds so much like opt
mist. Optimism means belief in thing
We believe in our parents and lo'
them. We believe in u friends al
are devoted to them. We believe
our town, our community, and feel O
pidistic about it..
Secondly, oppidism suggests doir
something for those or that which "
love. If we love our friends we refu:
to knock them. We speak a good wol
for them whenever we can. If We 10y
our town we pursue a similar cour;
Of speech or action. We seek out i
fine points, if they do not happen
appeal to US without seeking, and 0
pidize upon them. We are oppidist
wherever we 60. Even if we visit tt
nearest big city we never fail to pra
tice oppidism in u conversation.
this way we do u town some good.
Thirdly. oppidism expresses cooper
ton. Our neighbors are more to
ludu lue 1LllihDitdulS VI Ne" 1o1
Chicago Or Mars. We come in tou
I with them daily. They, just as W
I have their way to make in this wor,
\ right here among US. All of us
4 to the making Of a community. '
= must interchange ideas and we mt
a intertrade. That's really the gist
a oppidism, dearly beloved. Those w
practice mail order trading are prf
i ticing philopodism rather than op
a dism. Those who do their trading
Il home are the only true oppidists.
y Fourthly, filthy and all the rest. tt
New Jersey woman ought to be vot
Y a gold medal trimmed with radir
q for having given the world a n