Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1915-01-01
INFLUENCES FELT
MOST IN RURAL LIFE
tny Mrs. ]. d. punaeanl

tlon. that az the point OF highest cul-
turc and civilization, philanthropy
holds an important place.
Often political struggles. indus
trial successes and wars have cement
ed the foundation Of nation and
security OF strength and national
pride Is felt. there comes higher
sense OF duty. born OF the ethical life
OF duty to ones posterity and fellow
man.
Sometime during the preceding cen |
tury this strange force was born
10 the world again. into the hearts
and minds of men. rich and poor.
A force at first inflntesimal In the
strength. but with the years has de-
veloped into the greater power today.
We call this old impulse OF life So
eial betterment.
The movement was launched with
great ceremony and much public dis
cussIon and was the overflow Of
wealth from the Golfers OF such men
as John d. Rockefeller and Andrew
Carnegie; Helen Gould went farther
and has given not only her wealth
but her home and herself. Anne Nor
gan, daughter OF the great financier.
is the big sister of the New York
working girl today. Mrs. Russell Sag
has made OF herself n public bene-
factress and there are others. numer-
Gus and beyond mention.
The young men and women OF the
cities and colleges OF the Y. w. c. A.
and Y. NJ. c. A. and students volun-
teer movements are doing a work un
parallelled in helping their own kind.
They have established themselves in
majesty and power and their study
IS to help men.
We have homes for the lame. the
aged, the halt. the blind. the orphan.
the unbalanced. the incompetent and
many OF the churches and the Saliva
ton Army are demonstrating that
Gods arm is long enough to reach
into the depths OF sin and degreda-
tion and save. Most OF these philan-
thropis ideas and institutions, Il is
true, have been worked out in our
larger cities. but the spirit is in the
smaller cities. towns. and. villages,
also. Hardly village that has not
its woman's clubs that has for ita
object the civic improvement and the
social uplift OF the community is in
every way conceivable. The chain OF
women's Clubs. forming a state and
National Association. compose the
largest army OF women that has ever
been organized in the histor yof the
world FOR social betterment.
During the last few years a flood
OF proposals for rural uplift has beer
sweeping the country. Already thou,
sands OF country district are made VI
of homes. comfortable, prosperous
contented. They have the r. F. d
bringing them the daily papers anC
the magazines so that their finger
are on the pulse of the world life
They have good roads and automo
biles that give them access to th'
best school and church facilities. AM
here IN ere is no thought OF poor cor
ditions. But we know that there arr
other communities where the qualit.
of life is defective. industrially ant
socially.
Where good roads are not and tn
postoffice is miles away from tn
farm house and the church only live
in the memory of few parents. n
Sunday school and no commol
sense teachings of the Savior OF ma
presented to the rising generation
only in the twisted, emotional and u
satisfying forms OF the itenerant hol
roller, holiness and other bands O
religious fantasy Go! or course tn
people will go. driving miles night O
day. because it is the only thing oi
fered in the community to break tn
monotony of life and give them Sc
cial intercourse.
After the emotional stimulus is oN
er the apathy of life is greater tina
before. for truly they do not kno'
where they are religiously.
The human interest which is tn
main spring of social life is now {
stake in country life. because OF tn
lack of rural leadership. Not thi
the country doe snot produce leader
for IL does. There are families
every community who stand for III
best and who will respond readil
and gladly to any outside influenC
which will stimulate and enlarge tn
capacity for a better neighborhoo'