The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-26
Reconst ruction

With peace only matter of time the allied
governments are preparing for the momentous
changes which will follow the cessation of war
fare and the return of the governmental and in
dustrial systems to a peace basis. The United
States alone Of the great powers has given little
study to this great problem. Two measures in
Congress seek to formulate a reconstruction pro-
gram, but no action has been taken on either of
them.
Irrespective of the problem of national recon-
struction, however, is the individual problem Of
re-constituting ourselves to the new views and
ideals that will prevail. As result of the war,
transformation will be seen not only in our in
dustrial, financial, religious, social educational
and political systems but also in our own attitude
toward life and its problems. The war will leave
nothing as it was before. No one wants a return
Of the old days. All of us want to be associated
with the new era.
Our participation in it will be limited by our
understanding Of it's principles as they pertain
! to national, state, municipal and individual af-
fairs. Richmond, as city, will be re-made only
if its citizens grasp the new idea and collectively
assert 1t in their civic life.
We have many shortcomings as a city that
do not square with the generous spirit born on
the battlefields of France and Belgium. Rich
rnond for instance, still clings persistenty to
narrow-sighted municipal egotism that sees in it's
beautiful shade trees, picturesque parks and
good streets, eternal principles, forgetfu that if
envy avarice, greed, selfishness, meanness, jeal-
ousy, backbiting and distrust flourish luxuriant-
ly where cooperation, neighborliness, forbear-
ance, kindness, and charity ought to grow, all
our so-called municipal advantages are merely
a somber setting for dead city.
A city is great not in direct proportion to it's
spacious parks and aggressive community aux
iliaries, but in proportion to the nobility of the
spirit that dwells in the hearts and animates the
lives of its citizens. France is great today, H.
limitably great, not because she put her trust in
bristng war machine, but because she relied
upon the unconquerable spirit of her people and
trusted in their fidelity to principle. The spirit
of France saved her. 1t Numbered through her
artillery and spoke through her bullets. The
materialism of Germany ruined her. and thous-
ands of Krupp cannon and millions of grey-coated
soldiers could not stave off defeat. Heroic quail
ties of the soul elevated France. Grasping, self
ish, arrogant and presumptuous ideas of her own
Importance degraded Germany, plunging her
into the abyss of shame and disgrace.
AS with nations so with cities. municipal
ity whose citizens constantly impugn each others
motives, find fault with organizations and their
leaders, mistrust almost every public movement,
see graft and corruption where it does not exist,
stir up class strife, denounce men who are pros
pering, malign persons who take the lead in pub
lie affairs, and keep the community in state of
unrest, belongs to the day that is gone and never
can forge to the front. 1t must reform to
succeed.