, 1922-04-13
WHAT MAKys II HIcK7

Ii Is oft.n wondered just how wise the wise guy
e. Whether it is not simply his presumption that he
gets away with, and that the simpler guys who accept
his judgments and dictums are not very simple in
deed to permit it. The Kansas City Star writes a
= 1t is the difference in viewpoint, only, that makes
the-hick town As in the case of the Kansas town in
question, everything is in favor of the hick town. The
Star tells this story.
aAt a big religious meeting I'm Newton, Kas, re-
Gently, a stranger was impressed by the activity Of
the county officials in church work Tho sheriff of
the county conducted the devotional exercises. The
probate judge presided at a public church meeting.
The county clerk is the superintendent of a Sunday
school at Halstead in Harvey county. The county at
torney is an active Presbyterian and the district clerk
As \ pillar IN one of the other churches
~waat an old-fashioned community Newton,
Bas-, must be to elect men of that sort to office.
Why, in a county of that kind the underground work
iers have no standing at all. It is doubtful If Harvey
county would countenance graft in its public admin
~istration, and, as likely as not, it would defeat a man
for office for boodling.
aHarvey County has had no scandals in the ad-
ministration of its business affairs, il is said, for
many, many years, and it is Of that peculiar turn of
mind that it rejoices in the fact that it has had honest
government. Indeed, the community appears to take
Il for granted that honesty in public administration
is a normal condition, and the people do not seem to
realize that they have missed anything worth while
by not having a touch Of underworld injected into
their public life.
Yet Newton, with aIIFfts oldfashioned views about
decent government, has miles and miles of paved
streets linked with white ways. Ornamental drinking
fountains adorn its street corners. It is proud of its
modern high schools and It's ward schools IL has Two
big hospitals with homes for the nurses. It main
fains public health nurses for its poor. It has a coun-
try club with a clubhouse. It has extensive railroad
shops of the Santa Fe railroad, employing hundreds
of men-and the laboring men appear. to be amaz
ingly well pleased with the conditions Of the municipal
and county government
"There are so many motor cars owned by these
old-fashioned people in Newton that ordinances and
rules are necessary to the convenience Of traffic and
one gets the impression, from every angle and view
point, that for some reason the people who live IN
Newton are fairly wen contented with a public policy
that has kept lawlessness out of the government and
has not winked at vice and wickednessa and dishonor.
POSSIBLY Newton doesn't even know that it is
what the wise guys of the big cities call a hick town
or else it doesn't give a whoop for what the wise
guys think of it."
The situation in Harvey County and the whole
some lessons taught may be embraced with profit all
over the union. Even in Wyoming. It is no disgrace
to be called a hick town or a ,hick county when you
are hicking in the right direction and especially when
lit happens that the fellow who calls you hick does so
because you don't hick his way.