The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-08-06
The Worm Ii Turning


like center, Los Angeles comes a word of protest
against perennial self lauAtion, the hiding and
squelching Of any criticism Of the climate, city
government of any public matter that might
dollar from local circulation.
Vanderbilts Weekly urges attention to the
local problems and in doing anticipates that
many good people will rise up and protest that
the truth is "hurting the town"
1t is almost a mSdemeanor in Los Angeles to
criticse the weather and near felony to dispute
the chemical pureness of the water, and to insin'
uate that expansion in town lot additions has
reached the saturation point would be little short
of fatal.
But to quote what a Los Angeles paper says about
Los Angeles:
There are people in this town who be-
lieve that anything you say about Los
Angeles that has any degree Of truth in it
that Is not Of a lauIitory nature is praC-
tCally treason and possible sacrilege.
They to think that every word that is
printed about Los Angeles is gobbled up
by eager world soon it is In type.
AS matter of fact, do not think that the
world is one-tenth-possibly onehun-
dredt!--as interested in what Los Angeles
does as think it is
Before we 60 any further. let it be here
recorded that | live in Los Angeles l live
here for a very definite l live here
because it is the most desirable and most
comfortable place to live that know any
hing about. The average person lives here
for that very Either that be
he has not money to go to some other
place that he thinks he would like better
But think that the average resident of
Southern California lives here because he
wants to. l know Of nothing compulsory
about it.
But there those who have false
idea of what should be said about Los
Angeles. They adapt to Los Angeles the
theory that king do no wrong. They
believe that whatever is in Los Angeles is
absolutely right and no foolin. They think
that because a condition is here, If it is good.
it is here because OF welknown and GER
tain favortism of God. If it is bad it IS
not to be mentioned and they attribute it
to San Francisco. the Denver Post and
jealous eastern cities and newspapers
The situation is pretty much the same in ever
American city. SO many crimes committed /
the name of civic pride: too many grafers ply thei
trade under the banner of city loyalty. Occasion
ally the turns and utters word OF protes
that sometimes breaks down inertia and spurs cit
zens to action. The attitude of most cities is to
'pollyannash' for the good Of the communlt,
Most OF them take their problems and their fai
name too seriously. Political machines understan
the psychology of this situation and make the mo:
of it to feather their own nests.
William Allen White nearly had to out
his state for asking: What is the matter wit
Kansas? He innocently suggested that kansa
should raise wheat and less hell In al
cient Rome when critics of the ruling powers becam
too insistent they invited forced into exi
Reaction to criticism of political conditions whel
ever it disturbs those at the public crib is the sam
in every hamlet whether it is Los Angeles or Ups
lanti.
But fortunately those who evils that shout
be corrected go laundering along voicing crit
cisms. 1t may be all voice in the wilderness b,
at times the other side Of the picture is necessa1
antidote to the Rabbit philosophy which keeps tn
civic bubble always inflated tremendously nee
the bursting point