The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-08-26
COUNTY.
Representative,
H. c. JACKSON.
ONE PHASE OF POPULATION.

ONE PHASE OF POPULATION. /
The Carbondale Leader, an emf
nently safe and sane paper on all
subjects save that of Mr.. NICHOLAS
MURTAUGH and his diamond pets,
takes the right ground when it
argues that quality as we'll as guam
tity of population is a factor to be
reckoned with in city's growth and
development. Speaking of that lit
tie city's ambition to be a $4,000
town this time the Leader says:
We are on the anxious seat now in
this town because we know not what
the census bureau may announce at
most any time regarding the amount
of our population. We'd like to be
a big city, with from $4,000 and up
wards population, but under present
conditions it will be a long time
before we will attain to that size.
We may have to be content with
the figures of 10 years ago.
What should worry us more than
the size of our population, however,
is the question as to whether we are
a good city. Not the biggest. Not
the most enterprising small city
even, but why not be the best? Why
bother about quantity when we can
develop quality? The comfort and
happiness of a community are pro-
NOTED, and even its reputation abroad
is advanced, not so much by her
size as by her eXcelling in those
things which make up the sum of an
ideal town, whether it be large or
small.
Have we well-paved and clean
streets? Are we we'll equipped with
schools to educate our children so
that they may grow into useful citi-
zens and morally good men and
women? Have we attractive public
parks and finely proportioned public
buildings to inspire our people with
pride in their institutions and with
a taste for the beautiful things in
life? Are art and literature proper
ly fostered? Have we an honestly
administered government, with taxes
not unduly high, but sufficient for
the purposes of a city such as this
should be?
If we are able to say yes to these
questions and to others of similar
character which will suggest them
selves, then Carbondale need not
worry as 10 the results of Uncle Sans
recent count of noses. Indeed,
large population carries with it GER
tain drawbacks at times in a lower
ed character of the units which help
make it up, and while we recognize
the influence and power which come
from enlarged size, we must not
be blind to evil conditions of living
which often accompany it. Let us
not pin our hopes entirely upon the
number of our inhabitants. II we
have fewer souls than we expected,
let us address ourselves to the task
of making up by quality what we
lack in numbers, and thus we can
complacently pocket our pride and
still find balm in Gilead.
This is the right kind of talk, We
wish we could run across more pa
pers that entertain and voice a sim
liar sentiment 1t is not always the
number OF souls census allots to
given territory that guarantees that
1t is not always the city making the
longest population leaps that can
show the greatest percentage of de-
sirable citizens. Quantity is desirable,
and the city that has shown no
numerical gain since 1890, or 1900
even, is not to be considered a city
that is rendering any very sub
stantial service to the broadening of
the nation; but the city that has
attracted to itself, and attracting has
succeeded in permanently holding,
1000 good citizens, or 1000, or 500,
is a city more eligible from a busi-
ness and a residential standpoint
than the city which takes on $4,000
between censuses and then has to
endure the modification and expense
of seeing 10000 of them in jail and
another 10000 deriving their bread
and cheese through public charity
that the taxpayers have to settle for
or through private charity which is
another though somewhat different
tug on the pursestrings of the
thrifty, industrious and decent.
Carbondale will never be another
Scranton, or another Wilkes-Barre,
for population, business and money.
Her conservative citizens scarcely
hope to see Carbondale make the