Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-08
THE SEVENTH CITY


Nv There are at least six cities on this con.
" tincnt which every should see. Every
one should New York because 1t is the
g largest city In the world and because IT
X combines the magnificence. the wonder, the
t beauty, the sord,dn and the shame OF a
VIZ great metropolis every one should see san
.s Francisco because II Us SO vivid, SO alive,
ft 80 golden: every one should sec Washing
IS ton. the clean, white splendor Of which rs
(. like the embodiment of national dream
NJ every one should SEQ the old gray granite
i'M Mcity OF Quebec, piled on It's hill above
the river like some fortified town IN
France; every one should see the sweet and
& aristocratic city OF Charleston. which sug-
gests museum of tradition and early
x Anierican elegance and of course every
N one should see New Orleans.-Juian
& Street. in American Adventures
4 ME HAVE no quarrel with Mr.. Street for
omitting Philadelphia. He dipped his
pen into molten gold when lle wrote this
\ latest Of his American studies, and icwoud
be hard for him to sin beyond forgiveness.
Yet II is worth while considering why this
great community failed to attract all
author who has made it his business to SEQ
the country with an artists eye and study
its cities with the lovo of an heir. Are we,
Z too, simply one OF many another grouping
together of people who through generation
afte- generation have achieved no tradi-
lions ana stand in the national mind for
no certain things distinct and apart from
( other cities? Isn't Philadelphia worth
SEEING,
One of the two eminent gentlemen now
GEARING in this community does not smoke
but he sits in tho smoking compartment
when he goes down TO Washington to make
4 laws for the nation. lie wants TO hear
4 what the smokers say. and he finds that
4 they almost always knock" Philadelphia.
Z RS the fault Of the newspapers. thinks this
eentleman. which are always showing
things up. There is another gentleman
who does smoke. and likewise listens TO
z what is said in tho smoking compartments.
He also finds men knocking" Philadel-
phia. not because OF the newspapers. but
because the inhabitants are so supine and
.lcomplacent as 10 acGuiesce in political con.
ditions which would shame one-horse
village in Timbuctoo Has dirty politics
raised cloud that blinds America to the
historic Philadelphia? We doubt it. y
\ dozen Fifth Ward scandals could not OBJ
scure the glory of the Liberty Bell. t. it
the railroad stations? Heaven forbid that
any. pne. should judge Philadelphia during
trip from the Broad Street Station TO In
dependence Square. Yet, too often. that is
{ the only view of Philadelphia that strang.
.ere get. you ought TO see our agnf-
cent suburbs" boasted native TO De.
y troiter. II did not know you had any"
S vas the reply.
&y4 Yet, though they know little of us, per-
ihaps because we are too self.suf.cient,
y 6verybody knows what is meant by "a
: FhIiadelphia lawyer" philadelphia capon"
y standard and there are few "ico cream
(, psrlors" In the provinces which do not sell
sI'hiladelphia ice cream" Most people
know. that the Colossus Franklin kept one
inEton served here as President; that we
8 fzn4nced three wars; that we originated me-
I: cianical industry in the nation; that VIC
were bosom friends Of romance while New
York was trying to find out whether 1t
should speak Dutch or English. There are
usople down South now who still talk Of
<ho wonders and luxury of the Continental
otpl and do not know that there is a
>elworth Building.
~ one time an Americans idea of seeing
qpFica was to SEQ Philadelphia. We
kher suspect. in spite of Mr.. Street. that
y, millions of our fellow citizens still
~ the same idea We should never
- let supremacy in book publishing pass
1pr competitors. That 1t was fatal
ke Mr.. Streets analysis demonstrates
clearly.