The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-06-03
As The Editor Sees It

The American people have one dis
tinct and besetting popularity. They
think today and forget tomorrow. In
this respect they probably are unlike
any other nation of people on the face
of the globe. To demonstrate the
force of this statement you have but
to glance at the pages of any of the
great papers of the country. A sem
sation will be sprung today and it will
be blazoned in big type over the first
pages of the press. Unless its i'm
portance is of tremendous magnitude
tomorrow will find it relegated to an
obscure corner of the paper. 1t is
forgotten. About the only exception
to this rule is the newspaper story
that is reeking and Shiny with scan
dial. 1t holds the public eye and is
played up to the limit.
X \ II
Preparedness is just now the great
and overshadowing question before
the American people. Everybody is
talking about it, either for or against.
A few months ago monster peace pa
rades were held in the large cities, and
war and preparedness against val
were denounced on every hand. Today
you can find scarcely a man who can
tell you even the month in which one
of those parades was held. They have
been forgotten. A few weeks ago
New York City held a monster pre-
paredness parade, in which $4,000
people participated. Chicago imme-
diately followed suit with one of the
greatest parades in the history of this
country, all in the interest of prepar-
edness. Other cities, large and small,
all over the country caught the fever
and paraded for preparedness. Gov
errors proclaimed Preparedness Day,
and everybody marched and shouted
for preparedness. But these, too, will
be forgotten, for it is the way of the
American people to do today and for
get tomorrow.
X X X
And as it is in national affairs, so
it is in the smaller confines of the To-
cal community. A rainy season
along, unpaved streets become muddy
and impossible, and everybody raises
his voice in a loud and vociferous wall
for pavements. But time soothes him
into forgetfulness. The rains cease,
the sun dries up the mud and the
streets and sidewalks assume more
normal conditions. Traffic is less i'm
peded and the citizen promptly turns
his attention to other and more press
ing matters of personal consideration.
The streets and sidewalks are forgot
ten until the next rain falls.
X X X
The red tongues of flame sweep over
a town and destroy a good section of
territory. Thousands and thousands
of dollars are swept away and the
people rave and storm over the lack of
adequate protection from loss by fire.
The tumult of indignation is at fever
heat for a few days, and then begins
to subside. Time only is needed to
send it, too, into the realm of forget
~fulness, until the next fire comes along
and creates even greater devastation
and death. 1t is easy to forget.
X X X
Some n arises in a public meeting
and proposes a practical scheme for
development of the commercial inter
ests of the community. He is sincere
and eager to do something for the
benefit of his home town. He believes
in progressiveness. His scheme looks
good and sounds better to other bust
ness men and citizens and everybody
begins to talk in it's favor. The editor
backs it up in his columns and for a
few weeks it is the general topic of
conversation. No forceful leader
seems to be at hand, and the rest of
us are too engrossed in our private af-
fairs to assume the duties and respon-
sibilities of leadership. Time does the
rest, and a practical forward move
ment is begged in the mire of forget
fitness.
X X X
We might go on for hours citing
similar instances, for they are legion
in number and local in application.
But what's the use? You, too, would
read and ponder and exclaim today
and forget tomorrow. 1t is our way.
Americans are a great people and they