Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1917-02-21
Senator Wolcott
Visits Newark
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But there is such a thing as just
pride in our merits. Every town
that has a splendid sewer system,
first class public utilities, and
beautiful streets has cause for just
pride. A town ought to have pride
in it's shade trees and preserve
them. 1t should be ashamed tc
lose them" The speaker paused
to relate the effect of the streets
of Dover, arched with beautiful old
trees, upon himself during a visit
last spring.
Every community should have"
he continued, "a very just pride II
the nature of it's homes. Again
Mr.. Wolcott related a personal ex-
perience in the West. He was
walking around for months among
towns of Colorado in search of
health. Nowhere could be find a
town with a touch of home pride
stamped upon it. Until finally he
hit upon little mining town that
seemed to be located in a funnel
in the mountains. Here there were
little wooden homes, but they were
all freshly painted, the gates
swung free on their hinges, they
had a water system connected with
a reservoir up in the mountains
for irrigation, the men were out
in the evenings watering their
lawns with hose, everything was
green and beautiful. 81 thought
that town was one of the most
beautiful spots on Gods earth. 1t
is the home more than anything
else that gives tone to a commun-
ity. "Our puplic officials" Mr..
Wolcott declared, SHOULD set the
standard of the upkeep of prop
erty. l do not refer TO any local
conditions, for | know nothing
about them, but there are towns in
which the public buildings are the
most careless looking in the com
munity.
Again, every community has
certain ideals; certain things dom
mate in the popular thought. In
some communities the dominant
idea is to make money and save it
in others it is the custom to make
money and save nothing; in other
places they don't care whether
they make money or not, they are
dead, lazy. There are communities
where those who ought to set the
standard seem to be possessed with
the wrong point of view. | can
think of one community where the
principal diversion of the leadinp
men is playing poker. This matter
of ideals is very influential in it's
reaction upon community customs.
There was time when lotteries
were in good repute. Some of our
churches were. built from the pro-
ceeds of lotteries. Did you know
that at one time our State House
at Dover, was reconstructed from
lotteries? But if the standard il
once set, and few lead, others are
bound to measure up to it.
Zone trouble in a great many of
our communities, Mr.. Wolcott said,
sis that the people who should do
not take any part in the local gov
eminent. The city of Wilmington
every year spends S1,000,000
Every serious-minded man should
have a serious thought as to how
that money is being expended. Yet
on municipal election day the
'ward-healers' have the greatest
difficulty in getting the people Out
to vote. And the best people in
town are the most reluctant tc
vote. | heard a man say in des-
peration at recent city election
The Legislature should make q
law to close the Country Club on
election day. Half the men on my
list are out there playing golf and
| can't get them in here to vote.
And yet the government that
touches the citizen is the govern.
men right here at home. If the
citizen is going to neglect any one
activity it seems to me he ought
to neglect last that very thing thai
lies at his own front door. | be-
lieve this Indifference is the re
suit Of the fault finding to which
we subject our officials. A grea
many people do not care to sub
iect themselves to the narrowing
things of public life. When w,
stop to analyze it we wonder why
men seek public Office anyway. I
isn't the money, for they are ex
pected to give back to charities
and funds, and fremen's bazaar's
the salary that thew get. Is i