The Marshall republican. [volume] (Marshall, Saline County, Mo.) 1899-1914, 1914-03-27
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SMALL TOWN

The Lyceum Magazine and OF cOur-
&c II attracted our attention at once
as we are interested in any sensible
discussion of the topic. We were not
at all disappointed in the short time
that 1t took to read the article, indeed
we liked II so much that we want TO
pass on to the readers of this column
kome of the good things that the writ
sr said:
The following Is therefore taken |
verbatim from the Illuminating arti- |
Gle:
IL any enemy we're to invade this |
country, he would be resisted. We
would volunteer just as in the days
Of former invasions. We would beat
the drums and organize companies,
regiments, armies and drive out the
invader.
We would not rise up as indiyidu-
ais, each with his own plan of attack;
we would organize into an army with
one concerted plan of attack.
Indiyldualism brings admiration,
but cooperation brings salvation.
lndivldualism can walk from Chicago
to New York In n month. perhaps:
but cooperation can take you in a
day and for less money.
An enemy Is invading every small
town. city and rural community. II
is The Lure of The City. II fevers
the young people and they yield Just
as fast as they can get away. So the
villages are barely holding their own
or are shrinking. They are becoming
in many instances "the culls" and
"the left-overs'', while the ambition,
the red blood and the hustle 1--we
been taken captive and are yearly be-
ing led to prison OF city life. Much
OF II Is exile In dingy hall bedrooms.
The Lure selects the strongest and
best.
The city receives It's influx Here
and there one rises to distinction.
II Is the country bred youth who does
win out, not the city one. for he has
started with more strength from the
simpler life.
They are Jostled in the crowd; they
see the seamy side OF life; they sec
the easy morals and no questions ask
ed they see temptation everywhere:
they get lonely and dlscoraged. and
without home influences little by
little their moral moorings slip. only
the young person with the strongest
character can fight singlehanded and
n one the temptations of Il great city.
Go 90 the blear-eyed young man In
a cheap saloon or In the street crowd
listening TO some blatant agitator,
and you will find that he came from
Kingman, Kas., or from Dunkirk,
Ohio. You will find that the painted
girl on the street correr came from
Crystal Falls, Mich, or from Waco,
Texas. IL they had never seen Chica-
go they would have been saved from
their degradation.
! Meanwhile the worthy citizens of
, Kingman and Crystal Falls and Waco
and Dunkirk read OF the problems OF
the city with merely idle curiosity.
That isn't our problem. Thank
God, We have none OF It,"
, o, how Kingman and Dunkirk and
, Crystal Falls and Waco need bump
, ing. The city should send them the
names of their own citizens that have
been thrown upon the scrapheap.
Every small town should be furnish
ed the annual list of victims that
, were taken right out of its borders
, because II was asleep with the doors
, unlocked.
, The invader is despoiling the small
towns of their most precious product,
} the young people and yet the small
. towns do not organize into companies
/ to resist. No drums beat, no flags
fly, no armies rise up. SO they are
} helpless. They rely on individual ac-
tion. Each man works out his own
: plan. What we have said of four
| towns is true of forty thousand. The
citizens are so wrapped up In self
righteousness and self satisfaction
, they don't want to act. They wont
: line up. Each man Is interested In
/ himself and his business and his
: church, and too often thinking his
: success is only to be won as he worsts
: his competitor. Each little church IL
Q inclined to envy the other churches
The town is not town. but collec-
. tion of little cliques and factions and
clubs and parties. A new movement
is started; if one church or faction
take 1t M. the others will fight It; Sc
/ Christianity and progress are halted
4 at the cooperation line.
4 No, not all sman towns. Here and
n there one IL waking up and getting