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Show tiik liorsK Diii)i:i). "A house divided against itself (.'in not stand. " 'I lie words are true in nil ages nnil wiih all peoples. That failure will invariably follow disunion is as certain as that success rwulls from unity of purpose anil action. ac-tion. fortunate indeed is that town that Is Mossed with a citizenship that can come together as a unit whenever the town's Interest calls. It argues well for the bre:ulth of mind of its citizens Unit they can see beyond tlielr purely personal affairs and ca'.eh a view of prosperity in the large. But the real cause of disunion in the average town is not that its citizens citi-zens are so deeply engrossed in their ov. n personal affairs, but that one is jealous and envious of another, one cli(iie suspicious and distrustful of a: other. Not only this, but each is really willing to forego any advnnce-ri'cnt advnnce-ri'cnt if by so doing the other may be thwnrdted. This is a deplorable stnte for any town to fall into. It Is sure death to all progress, and not only tha:, but is invariably the direct cause of v that town being left behind in the march of progress. We are well aware that all communities com-munities have their factions and their divisions of sentiment, and interests. We are equally certain that this fact need in nowise deter the town from feeing every opportunity to further its interests in every available way. If men could once be brought to see that by thwarting the interests of the town through their opposition to a faction, they were injuring them-sehes them-sehes vastly more than they were injuring in-juring their community, surely they would take a different view of things. The man who deliberately, stands in the way of his community's progress pro-gress is disloyal. Just now this word has an ugly sound, but we can use no other, because no other so well fits thg offense. Placed in broader circumstances, cir-cumstances, the offense would be magnified. No man's personal interest inter-est and no man's personal animosities can for a moment weigh in the scale w'th the welfare of his community, and the '.nan who permits them to do so is as truly disloyal as the man who deliberately plots against his country in the large. There is a difference dif-ference only in the magnitude of the offense. Fortunate indeed is that town which, when any move affecting the f.ereral welfare is being considered, can drop its factional disputes and r,-r a united shoulder to the wheel in he public interest. No man has the right to inflict his re "onal grievances on his commun-Itv commun-Itv -.Mid compel it to suffer because of li s own sore toe. Yet this is just wh t he does when he is not willing to join in with "the other side" in every matter that is patently for the r.cV'nncement of the community into in-to "Ct. We have said that all towns have factions. Towns will always have tho 'i. This does not ifiean that the town's progress is re'arded by them. ' -.any cases the factions serve but ;o stimulate rivalry in achievement. Where this is the case they are beneficial. bene-ficial. A wholesome slogan for any town world be: "Go after an opportunity rn-J land it; then if we must scrap, lot is be over a division of the spoils." |