The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-02-23
VIM. ALLEN WHITE
ON PARCELS POST

Writing 10 the convention Of the
Southwestern Lumberman's Ass0cia-
ton. held recently At Kansas City he
says
II am exceedingly sorry that can
not attend your convention. It seems
10 ne that the lumbermeu Of this sec
ton are undertaking a work hat should
commend them TO all good citizens.
The preservation Of the home trade
TO the home town carries with it the
preservation Of many Of our American
Institutions
IT seems to me that a lot OF good
things in American life viii pass III
the country town passes And it viii
pass just so surely as Capitalization Of
retail mail order business in cities
continues
The American country town, the
town OF from one hundred to one hun
dred thousand people. preserves bet
ter than the crowded city and better
than the lonely ranch and isolated
farm life. the things that make Amer
lea great
Here in these country towns the
spirit Of neighborIiness is the prevail
ing spirit. Men come to know one an
other and when any two human beings
come to know one another, in the one
who is intelligent and wise respect al
ways rises for the other. To know ones
fellows always is to sympathize with
them Neighborliness spells fraternity.
The American country town with
it's broad circle Of friendships, with it's
close homeiy simple relations between
men, with its spirit of cooperation and
with its economic status that permits
the creation of no indecently rich and
no abjeetly poor, the American country
town, it seems to me, is the most hope
full of our American institutions.
ITO destroy that town, furnishing
the market for the farmer and giving
steady employment to labor. means a
Reorganization of our commercial. so
cial and. industrial life that will be
lreyolutionary-an more matter Of
doubtful value.
s'The mail order house therefore be
comes a menace to this country. the
mail order house unrestricted will xii
our smaller towns, creating great cite;
with their terrible contrasts OF life
with their cruel social relations. viii
their inevitable caste feeling tba
come from the presence Of stranger
who are rich and poor living side BY
side.
Friendship, neighborliness, fratern
ity or whatever you win call that spiri
of comradery that comes when meI
know one another well. is the celnen
= that holds together this union of thi
. states. It is not created in grea
cities.
Great cities give much in aims. bu
= little in justice Only as we know
each other well can we treat each othe
Justly: and the city is a wilderness 0
careless strangers whose instincts o
humanity are daily becoming more am
more blunted to suffering. because il
the nature OF things suffering in cite
2 must be impersonal. It is not the sui
5 fering of friends and neighbors an.
! kith and kin as it is in the sma,le
towns. So the mail order house erush
p ing out our towns is drying up ~
5 milk of human kindness in our hearts
And that brings US back to frs
principle s.if We who live in thes
small towns in America cannot see tha
our duty to our county lies first of al
in our duty to our neighbors, then v
are blind indeed to the basis Of rea
patriotism, for after all patriotism j
] only neighborIy kindness. Patriotism
is not in cheering for the flag il j
: not in feeling our eyes filled with emf
.. tional tears at hearing THE Sta
+ Spangled Banner" patriotism is JUS
+ old-fashioned human duty.
TO sacrifice our neighbor-the MA
who helps the town with its taxes. wit
q its public business, with its myriad a.
q tivities for neighborly righteousness
e to sacrifice that man and his businea
4 for the mere sake of saving a dollar o
S the purchase of a hundred dollar
y worth Of goods is just as unpaJrioti
e as it is to spit at the flag.
For the flag if it means anythin
l. means the golden rule: the flag mean
D. friendly burden bearing; it means mi
e tual help in trouble; it means stan
4. ing together against common foes.
" The motto OF the mail order hous
l. IS every man for himself and the dev
e take the hindermost-and you bet Ii