The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-09-15
"What a Man Owes His Town"

The above was the subject of a re-
cent address by Robert j. Burdette |
and from his remarks the following
| is cleaned:
| HE owes this duty to himself and
the town, to own part of it. Ever SO
small lot, if he can't own big one.
A forty-foot front, if he can do no
better. That gives him stake in it.
"The man who owns home in the
town never calls his town it," When
he speaks of it, whether it be London
of Tail-holt, New Pork, or WAIKIKI,
he says We-Our town. And he has
a right to. He is stockholder, a
partner.
more than that, when he owns
piece of ground, farm or town lot, he
has stake in the earth. He is
citizen of the Universe. His property
extends from the birthstone out to the
stars. Even now, they are disputing
concerning the right of an airship to
sail through the air above a mans
house without the owners permission.
The very thought is enough to make
a man feel chesty. And with good
cause.
when wild anarchist buys a
town lot he subsidies into a moderate
socialist. When he builds house on
it, he fades into conservative citi-
zen. When he brings a wife into it
and transforms the house into a
home, he is apt to join the Republi-
can or Democrat party, and begins
to question the wisdom of strikes.
When the baby is born he opens an
account at the bank. And when the
boy is IA years old, he begins the
very serious study of the question of
prohibition as contrasted, with an
open town, with the lid off.
"a man who owns his home begins
to study his ticket six weeks before
election day. He scrutinizes every
name on it, and looks up the candi-
dates record. 1t is the man who can
tie up his real and personal property
in handkerchief that shuts his eyes
and votes the ticket the boss gives
him, without unfolding it.
"a man owes it to his town to
boost it in public on all occasions,
: and at all times. The correction of
its failings or faults are for the pri-
J vacy of the home circle. A man who
should thrash his boy on the front
steps of the court house ought to be
whipped out of town. The citizen
who welcomes the stranger by tell
ing him what rotten city govern.
ment we have, what a corrupt set Of
officials misrule the town; how the
town lags behind the age in all mat
tiers of progress and development,
that it is a dead town and will be,
so long as certain men rule it, is
! an undesirable citizen.
When man tells you that what
his town needs is half dozen first
class funerals, he may be correct
But he should be the first to be
buried.
"A man owes it to his town to
shout its advantages from the house.
tops. The entire registry list should
be the promotion committee. If nee
I essary, put binders on the visitors.
and let him see what you want him
TO see. When he asks what kind Of
chance poor man has in town,
tell him the truth. Tell him the poor
man is the only man that has
chance. And that is no joke. Show
him the beautiful homes of the men
VINO came here with a capital Of
working hands and thinking brains.
Tell him the story of the man who
\ began with day wages. Tell him you
think there should be. law COM
polling the poor man to give the rich
/. man handicap when they come into
competition with each other, so as
I to give the rich man a chance 1t is
| the penniless boys like John Rookie
= Teller, Andrew Carnegie, Phil Ar
{ mour, and that class, who backed the
rich mems sons of their poverty la
den days clear off the EARTH