Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1920-04-23
The Old Home Paper

made famous by certain capable
writer's during the past few years.
In most cases these tributes to the
sold home town" were paid by men
who had lOnb since left the place of
their childhood. About all they
could know about the old place was
gotten through "the old home pa
per"
There is nothing personal in big
city daily. No one reader in a
thousand ever reads the metropoli-
tan paper to see what he can find
out about some friend. The tie that
binds Americans today into a close
family relationship is the old home
paper.
A few days ago there were five
people gathered together in a large
southwestern city. While they were
sitting enjoying the renewal of old
friendships the postman came. He
left small six-page newspaper
Now, these five people were from
five different corners of this coun-
try. One was from New York City,
another was from Kansas City, an
other from Dallas, Texas, another
from Tennessee and another from
Roswell, N. M. There was a good
natured scramble as every one rec
ognized the Enterprise. After hur-
riedly glancing through it and read
ing the various items aloud to the
others the group fell into discus
sion of the value to America of the
small town paper which follows the
former citizens around the world.
Human friendships after all will
be the final goal of social relation
ships. And it is generally true that
the early friendships of the cold
home town" remain the safest and
dearest. Any agency which keeps
the ties of early friendship unbro-
ken is a powerful influence in build
ing America close and true and
friendly.
Ideals rapidly change, and too
rapidly deterioate when the concious-
ness of personal responsibility is
lost by those going from the smaller
community to the great city. When
people think that they do not count
in the life of the big city and that
nobody knows them or cares what
they do, it is the natural thing for
them to cut loose from former moor
ings, to forget former ideals and go
with the crowd that travels the quick
road to social destruction. But
when the cold home paper" follows
them, and they read daily or weekly
of what the old home folk are doing,
of their sufferings, of their heroic
fights against poverty, of their high
high ideals of rugged honesty and
simple honor, they are pulled up with
a sudden force and stop and begin
once more to breathe the air of fresh
courage for the fight.
The ideals of America today for a |
healthy nation, for single standard
of morals, for pure Americanism,
spring up out of the soil of the ru.
raj and small town consciousness.
And there is no other agency to send |
these ideals out through the land but |
the cold home paper"
1t is the normal life of the people
which makes truly great nation.
That normal life is found only away
from the big cities. Fretful impa-
thence, with safe and sane develop
ment, is the attitude of the longest
ed districts. Feverish excitability is
seldom found on the farm. But it
this steady, unpreturbed, conserva-
tive, loyalty to old ideals that un-
derlies every advance step of our
national life. And this quiet
thoughtfulness, this still faith, in
true American purpose and ideals is
echoed in the cold home paper" and |
sent out through the land to stabil- |
ize and hold fast our sacred tradi- |
lions. So we pay tribute to the old
home paper that keeps us in touch
with John and jim and Mary and
Jane, refre.hes our memories of SIM
pie strong lives, and gives us a re-
birth of our faith in our fellow man,
in our country and our God.
And so, Mr. Editor, l enclose you
herewith check and ask that you en-
ter my name upon your subscription
list and mail to me care The Prairie
Oil & Gas Company, the regular is
sue of your paper.
Yours very truly,
RAY K. HART.