The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-05-24
The Chautauqua as
A Business Force
Merchants Trade Journal of DeS
MOineS Gives Views of Its
Editor In a Hard Headed,
Impartial Way.


comprehensive article to business meI
by business man, the editor Of the
Merchants Trade Journal of Des
Moines, an authority in its field:
ANY business man is glad to be able
to say, We have a good Chautauqua
III our town., because the word Chau.
tauqua is recognized as symbol OF
culture high ideals and broad think
ing. These are things for any com
munity to be proud of. But few people
appreciate the Chautauqua as a bust
ness force, as most of them have never
| thought of it as such.
| Formerly it was thought that for
one to gain an education it was neces-
sary for him to drop his everyday
work and go away to some great insti-
tuition of learning. No one thought of
having culture and training brought to
the community, and while. of course,
we fully appreciate the fact that for
one to receive broad technical or pro-
fessional education he must still go to
the institutions Of learning Offering spe-
cial courses of study along the lines
that he wishes to follow. it is ut the
same time true that the people Of hun
dreds and hundreds of communities
throughout this country have been ed
ucated to considerable degree and
lifted to higher place of thinking and
living through the influence of this
great educational movement.
60 into any community where a
force Of this kind has been at work
for number Of years and you will
find that the whole appearance of the
community has been changed. We
might cite you to town after town
that we have watched personally, and
we could tell you Of some of the splen-
did achievements Of these towns, much
OF which can be traced to this source.
"But the point we wish to make In
this article should be Of direct and spe-
cial interest to every retail merchant,
men whose business success depends
largely upon their community develop
ment. The Journal is glad to note
that there is tendency throughout the
country to consider the subject Of bust
ness and commerce from the Chautau-
qua platform. 1t is fitting to have
business mems programs because bust
ness is, after all, the chief aim of
majority of our people. We mean
business in the larger sense and not
In the narrow sense of barter and
trade, as the term is often misunder- !
stood.
"Just now the question How can we
keep the young man at home? is a
question receiving not only the atten-
ton Of parents, but Of educators and
business men everywhere. But we
want to say to our readers that in our
opinion nothing can be done that will |
have a greater tendency toward caus-
ing more young men to stay at home |
In the smaller towns and rural COM
where they should be, than
to give them the right kind Of business
just such teaching as they
have a right to expect from this great
forum, the Chautauqua; just such
teaching as they have a right to ex-
Dect right in your own community. /
This great movement, the Chautauqua,
IS demonstrating every day the fact
that the community can be bettered
oy giving the people thoughts and ideas
hat uplift and broaden them Then
f it is true that this thing is having
endency to benefit the communities In
| business way 1t is only good business {
IN the part Of business men Of any (
to cooperate In the matter
# giving the people business training +,
nd instruction from this great forum"