The Newark journal., 1919-05-15

Mr.. Mariners speech delivered before
the Community League meeting at
the High School Auditorium last Tues
day night
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men:
Every citizen of a community
farmer, laboring man, professional
man-each and all, owe heavy debt
to their home town. Altogether too
many citizens are objects of charity
from their fellow citizens in accept
ing community prosperity and nioy.
ment without givin.: value received
The citizen who does not desire 70
live in a good community is far from
being a typical t:.nerican That man
or owman who is content to reside in
the isoiat on of bankrupt commun-
ity is in greater or less degree pau
per in practice and possessions, par
ticularly in possessions of the larger
life which IS only experienced in shat
community where the social wealth
is worthy of the present age.
A person who has no wish to boast
concerning his home town is abnorm,
al; he is as deplorable as the man
without a country. Young men often
leave home because they cannot en-
dure the humiliation of residing in
community without anything to boast
about. Therefore a father who de,
clines to associate himself with his
fellow citizens for better commun-
ity, may be unconsciously guilty of
driving his children away from home.
being an exhibition of animal life ev-
en- lower than that of cat or dog,
which cling to their offspring as long
as possible
Let us suppose the existence II .
little city of ten thousand inhabitants.
without church or school house, or
library, or a lyceum or any insti-
tuition of any kind for moral, intel,
lectual and social culture of the PEG.
pie. Let US suppose this city to be
rich in material goods and in the IA
cilitieS for augmenting it. Would
property be safe in such a city?
Would vice be under control. Would
men be Industrious there? What
things in all the world would aid
r;cst to the value of real estate and
personal property in such a city?
| Would there be man among its ten
thousand who could find better in
vestment for his money than by pay
| Ing his share toward building five
churches and zen school houses and
endowing the public library and ly-
ceum? Such an investment as this
would double the actual market value
of all the property in the city. No
man could afford to place his money
a. simple interest while such an in
vcStment waited to be made. Any
man who permits institutions like
these to go begging in city which
contains his properly land it might
be said his labor convicts himself of
business incompetency, such institu-
tions being a positive money produc-
ing and money-preserving power 1t
isn't benevolence to give money for
these institutions it is simply neces-
sary that man have the instinct and
foresight of an ordinary business
man.
The hour has come in hundreds of |
communities when the local citizens
mus, sacrifice financially and with |
their effort and energy to defend |
their social welfare. Many communi. |
ties might better mortgage their |
homes for Industrial funds than buy |
automobiles as is the prevailing prac.
tire. The times are treacherous to
the preservation of hundreds of com.
munities fnesides, and the call is
clear for loyalty and liberality in pur>
Sc and personal effort by local c;ti,
zens. The decay and death of com.
munity life is deliberate and self in :
MISUNDERSTANDING no power can
destroy community's vitality il the |
home citizens are all loyal to local
interests.
One cause for the disappointment |
and defeat of many commercial clubs
is that they expect to accomplish 700
large things before they are prepar-
Ell to do SO. Months and years of |
training ere necessary before the best
can be realized. The most effective |
commercial clubs have been years