Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-06-24
BY Walter e. Weyl. in Harper's Mag
azine.

INM4fZ
Many OF the evils Of American life are
exaggerated in the city, and many of
the evils Of city life are exaggerated in
America. Our national flippancy reaches
IL elimination In tho city. as does also
= certain glittering superfciality. From
0e city spreads q .virulent c%ontagion of
1uccessful vulgarity; an intense, ex-
ultant m~aterialism;. an over stimulated.
nard 'gayness; an extravagance; an os-
tentattpn.. boundless, competitive n
eoN destructive. The city gives itself up
% dissipation with the cultivated youth
Iuiness OF the old roue 1t maintains In
pleasure, as in business, the pace that
kills. There is much hat is febrile in
the city's rush to make and spend money.
There 10 n.certain deadening through ex-
cess OF effort. through excess. of stimu-
lus. through over specialization. 1t Is a
curious anomaly that In the monotonous
country the labor of each man is diver
Atfied, and to hat extent interesting,
while In the fascinating, multifarious
city the labor of each man is infinitely
specialized and to that extent monot-
onous.
And yet, when all Is said that can be
said against the city, when all Is con-
sidered and weighed and. balanced, the
fact remains that In a moral as we'll as
. physical sense the city advances more
rapidly than does the country, and that
II is precisely in the city, with It's errors
n Its carelessness and its ruthless
ness, that the foundations are discovered
upcn wlnichsis to be reared a great moral
democratic American civilization. While
men. despairing OF our city civilization,
cry. Back to the land" forgetful Of the
fact that you cannot return an urban
population to the fields or a graybeard
to Childhood, at this very time profound
curative forces are at work. and from
the heart of our omnipresent city evils
ShAYnQAlVps HriSeq a nav social civic Ideal.
This ideal is broad. Everywhere In
America city problems are being en-
NsAged and attacked. City poverty,
city crime, city carelessness, city mis-
government, are being studied. analysed,
and combatted. The housing problem,
problem. the educational problem
these and 100 other problems OF the city
are approaching a point where at least
partial solution Is in prospect. For
merly cities were burying grounds for
rural immigrants: even within rather
oquAled the city births. All that Is
now changed. Year by year the city
death rate declines. and the time is per-
hAps not far distant When the expecta-
lion Of life will be- as great within as
without the city walls.
In many ways, great m small, the
city 10 emerging from The lawless m
azarchic spirit which accompanied its
carly growth. To TAX a single In
stance. 1t was formerly assumed hat
the further growth OF American cities
would NEAR riot. disorder and bloodshed.
snATho lower. orders which inhabit Phila-
Aelphia and New York. wrote De Toe
EQueville, constitute a rabble wen more
formidable han the 8populace, of Euro
,poAn cities. $50 look upon the size of
certain American cities, and especially
on the nature Of their population, as a
-AA 49, No. A. H 49,.
;~eocurity OF the democratic republics in
the new world" This expected turbu-
3once OF American cities. however, never
stmat0raAlized. Our cities AVE had their
snare OF our common lawlessness. but
,r3ota have not been many or In a large
seenDs serious. Popular education, q
morO sgeneral suffrage, the lighting of
~ ~Attests, the creation OF q municipal
lpollce force. the organization OF a civic
epar1tsa have softened the former acute.
s4eetASof desperate and .sanguinary upris-
Itf4gs Az tattered mobs.
4 yery dependence OF the city man
Slponshia thousands or II may be his MILL
~ ~nelEhbors ts the very source OF
;;ssae neNc spirit. Avery slight pol
MS&1en ~ sthescommon drinking water; may
aENN4 A4atyphoid epidemic of alarming cur
8 lStnadequate fire patrol may mean
N&kNHnltAkfNtfon uf 9scfty-wide proportions.
3gesthe ETY. a. the welfare OF each
Observation-Disclosures insxtricably united
@asap sthe Gonlnaon nslLAre, there arises&a
- nta "A i purely AgrtcuitnrsI onnun
6Tsss4Aa A smids IS the oipnipresent city
eicatys a6ndssitaei9
ma #tussssA1lg0yx kMn&rtcaus6itaes there
r. civic ai8bltianswhich
SS2Gljs naF6frSH f1kory.s ThAre . &
l1 lfE &heaNd AMscity planning. pre-
as.sessss s3assas. zee pro-