Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1914-06-03
FIGHT THE LURE
.. OF THE BIG CITY
Chautauqua Helps Keep Boys
and Girls at Home,
A GREAT AGENT FOR GOOD,

It combats Evil by Developing the
Lure Of the ceuntry-Mest Of ths
Osssnsratss In the citiss Ar coun.
try eorn-Ths Small Town Must
Stop This.
II an enemy were 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, regi-
ments and armies and drive out the
invader.
We would not rise up rs individuals,
each with his own plan of attack. We
would organize into nn army with one
concerted plan Of attack
Individualism wins admiration. but
cooperation brings salvation. Indi-
v1dualism can walk from CHICAGO to
New York in q month. perhaps, but
cooperation can taks you in a lay and
for less money.
An enemy u Invading every small
town. city and rural community. It
IL the Lure Of the CITY. It fevers the
young people. and they yield Just a
fast - they can ct away. 30 tho
villages are barely holding the11 own
or shkveling. They azo bseoming in
many instances the "culls'' ana the
leftover" while the ambition, Tie red
blood and the hustle have been tax
en- captive and are yearly being led
into the prisons Of city life. Much Of
1t is exile In dingy hall bedrooms. Tho
Lure selects the strongest and fa1rest,
so the census reveals the stagnauon
OF rural population, though the birth
rate be higher than the death rate, md
shows how very. very many commun1-
ties and states have lost populauon.
The average small town today = Q
sieve.
The city receives 1t1 infiux Here
and there one rises to distinction. It
II the country bred youth who does
win out not the dty one. for he has
started with more strength from the
simpler hfe. But the masses who
60 from the country to the city be-
come hewers Of wood and drawers Of
water. They spend an hour TO two
hours each morning and evening hang
ing on a strap a. they 60 from their
cheap. lonely lodgings to their down.
town grind. They are jostled In the
crowd. they see tho seamy side Of life.
they see the easy morals and no ques-
lions asked, they see temptation every
where, they get lonely and discourag.
ed and. without home influences to
strengthen and cheer them, with but
enough wages to exist and q daily
struggle to keep up q me front, little
by little their moral moorings slip.
Only tho young person Win the
ST ongest character can fight single
handed and alone the temptations Of
a great city.
Go to the blear eyed young man In
a cheap saloon or IN the street crowd
listening to some blatant agitator and
you will dnd he came from King
man. Kan. or from Dunkirk. o. You
Will hnd the painted girl on the street
came from Crystal Falls. Mich. or
from Waco. Tex. II they had never
seen Chicago they would have been
saved from their degradation
Meanwhile the worthy citizens Of
Kingman and Dunkirk and Crystal
Falls and Waco read Of the problems
OF the city with merely idle curiosity.
'@That isn't our problem. Thank God.
We have none Of itr' Oh. how King
man and Dunkirk and Crystal Falls
and Waco need humping! The city
should send them the names Of their
own children that have been thrown
upon the scrap heap. Every small
town should be furnished the annual
list of victims that were taken right
out of its borders because 1t 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 res1st. No drums beat, no dags fiy,
no army rises up. So they are help
less. They rely upon individual ac-
don. Each man works on his own
plan. What we have said Of four
towns was said Of forty thousand. The
citizens are 80 wrapped In self light
eousness and self satisfacton they
don't want to act They won't Tine up.
Each man is interested in himself and
his business and his church and too
often thinking his success is only to
be won a. he worsts his competitor.
Each small town church II inclined to
envy the other churches. The town Is
not a town. but a collection Of little
cuQues and factions and clubs and
parties. 4 new movement II started;
II one church or one faction takes Il
up the others win fight It. So Chris
t1anity and progress are haatsd q tie
corporation line.
No. not all small tpwnsi Here and
there one T. waxing andnXetdng to-
gsthef.
II the small town 70 to- be saved II
must get together. The Lure Of the
City must be fought down aby creating
the Lure Of the Country.
The city offers bright lights, beauty,