The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-06-28
COMMITTEE WORK.

Through the kindness of the presi
dent of the Commercial club, the
writer has been serving as one mem.
Der of the Fourth of July committee.
The next time we are offered our
choice between serving on such com
mittee and a carbuncle on the back
of the neck, we will take the car.
buncle. 1t is such pleasure to go
about the town with subscription
paper. the smiles with which one is
met warns the heart and tells vol.
umes as to the generosity of man
kind. To tell the truth one runs up
against all kinds of human nature
on round of this kind. There are a
great many who realize that while
they may not be particularly interest
ed in the project on hand, the next
project may be something in which
they are greatly concerned. and that
if they do not help with one thing,
SAASJ SeS1 CApO~t AN AOAP az oAOCuCI
time. There are some men who gage
their alleged generosity entirely on
the basis Of what it will bring them,
there are others who are ready and
who expect to do their share who
simply ask the committee how much
is wanted, and put it down. There
are others, who talk loudly of pub
lie enterprise and who are willing to
vote that other people should spend
their money, but who are not willing
to give cent themselves, that partic-
ular Class makes us tired. Another
WearisOme class is the man who tells
you that it is nothing but give, give,
all the time. When you have heard
this same story from the same man
year after year and you know that he
gives practically nothing to any enter
prise. it is difficult to be polite and
not laugh in his face. The business
men of Denison, through the only Or
ganizatiOn they have, and after gen.
eral call for all to participate, decided
that Denison should celebrate. This
having been done, it became the duty
of all the business men to stand to-
gether and to help to pay the bills &C
cording to their ability. Nine of the
prominent business firms of the city
responded to this call with donations
of $500 each, and let it be noted
that scarcely one of, these firms will
be directly benefited by a celebration.
1t was simply an act of patriotism, of
civic pride, and of that feeling that |
the people of the town must stand to-
gether in all public enterprises. There
were many who gave less money but
who gave just as much in proportion
to their ability, and there were 9th
ers who failed to do their duty. The
experience of this committee is that of |
every committee, and it is the same
men who year after year respond to !
the demand and the same men year
after year who fail to respond. No
one should be criticised for not CIV
ing more than he can afford to any
enterprise, but the man who can and
who will not ought to be ashamed of
Fortunately, Denison has not
a large percentage of these spongers
upon the community, there are many
more who are ready to do their share
and some few who habitually do more
than their share. The present Fourth
of July committee is going ahead on a
business basis. 1t proposes to make
a business accounting of every cent
received and the sources from which
it came. 1t proposes to account for
every cent expended and to show
where it was spent. 1t proposes to
give just as good celebration as can
be had for the money subscribed, but
it does not propose to go in debt For
tunately enough has. been subscribed,
between six and seven hundred dol
lars, to provide a firstclass celebra-
ton. This is what Denison will have
and we believe that there will be
plenty Of amusement forsall our guests
and the whole countryside is invited.
We do not believe that we have said
anything in this article which will hurt
any man who does his share in the
work of the community.