The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1926-01-22
BOOSTER VS.. STENCH-DIGGER.

appreciate our home town. And, il
we do appreciate it, how are we show
ing this appreciation? When one
looks back over changes of residence
touching various towns, the conclusion
is reached that all towns are good
towns-that one town is really just as
good as another The town one lives
in is just as good as some other town
and has the same problems. If the
problems confronting a town are han
died more successfully in some other
town than they are in our own, it is
because of the fact that residents of
the other town are recognizing and
exercising rights of citizenship which
we are not doing in our own town.
The other fellow is looking after his
town while we are not.
1t is a stumbling block in ones pro-
gress and also in the towns progress
If one gets to thinking that he is too
the one who thinks he is too good for
the town he lives in. The question
really is, is one good enough for his
town? Again, is one good enough for
his job or his business in the town?
Is one really doing his best in his job
or business and is he making his town
distinctive in that particular respect?
The critic is one who has fear be-
cause of his own shortcomings. He is
also one who lacks gratitude for the
benefits and privileges which his town
affords him. In every town there are
many benefits and privileges for which
to be grateful Any other attitude,
any lack of gratitude, or neglect OF
thankfulness, any failure to accord
credit where credit is due is to with
hold that which is due and truly ow
ing to the town. Withholding is de-
privation, little short of robbery. Es
pecially is this true if in Withholding
gratitude one resorts to knocking,
fighting improvements his neighbor
wants, quarreling about politics,
.Aass. biting-the city coaneil@s22RGa BELT
Ting local institutions, roasting the
board of education, complaining about
service in the stores, criticising the
firemen and the police
Those who give themselves some
thing to do by appearing to discover
how much worse conditions are than
no shnI tboi cnxy,'
and how much worse others are than
they; those who think they are rem
dering a public service by finding
something unclean or crooked in ev-
erything and everybody, are really not
as benevolent scavengers as the buzz
yards, because the buzZards find un-
clean things only where they are, dis
pose of them with as little annoyance
as possible and each takes his breath
away with him. But this type of
would-be reformer finds an unclean
thing, or tries TO make it seem I'M
clean, and revels in and over it. He
becomes a stenchdigger and fills the
air as far as possible from the scene
of his discovery with the aroma of his
find.
The stepchdigger sells his own soul,
dooms and damns his own town and
debars himself from seeing fine and
beautiful things in people and in his
town He sees the cherished and de-
cent destroyed, he litters the land
seape with structures he tears down
He gives no thanks. He builds not.
Some persons make themselves
wanted everywhere by their sheer
power of encouragement, They are
not tiresomely bright. They do not
scintillate in epigrams. But they do
radiate good nature They do not fuss
They laugh away trifing incident
and they turn a CHEEKY face to each
new day. They give thanks. They
build.
The Mainland is a very representa-
tive part of this human world It's in
situations are mortal and fallible
The Mainland is just as young as 1t
ever was. 1t is still in it's formulative
condition, or state The same prob
lens of growth, the same requirements
for expansion are here today as they
We're. If anything these conditions
are aggravated, The problems may be
multiplied above those of the previous
generation. But if they are, the peo-
pie of today are better equipped with
resources and facilities to meet and
overcome seeming handicaps.
In every direction there is demand
for improvement and expansion to
meet the requirements of the years to
come. Every man, woman and child
is called upon to do his and her best
Constructive critics are always neces-
sary. But ten critics to one man who
works, especially if the man who is
working is a councilman or member
of some board or fire fighter who is
working for no pay, are about as use
full as ninety umpires would be at a
ball game. We may run out of ideas
or funds or strength or workers, but
not if the critics, as numerous as the
order of the compositae among the
flowers of the field, will turn their