There is a type of mind which insists that it cannot understand why it matters to some of us what others eat, and drink, and do. It represents us as troublesome meddlers in the private affairs of our neighbors, and insists that none of the so-called evils of the time need trouble us in the least if we would attend to our own business. Our motive in seeking legislation to control the various evils that plague society has little to do with the question of the private rights of others. We care because we wish people well and naturally prefer to see them doing credit to themselves, but that alone would never lead us to organize reform associations, agitate reform questions, and seek the enactment of sumptuary laws. We do these things for three reasons. One is the fact that we too have to live in the world and be affected in many ways by the good or evil of its life. We have to help meet the cost of evildoing, endure the conditions which it creates, and suffer the general defeat of our ideals before its attack. The second reason is the fact that we care into what kind of a world we send our posterity to live. We may not care what a neighbor eats and drinks, but we do care very much what favorable or unfavorable conditions our children will have to meet when we are no longer here to help them. The third reason is the fact that what our neighbor eats, and drinks, and does, affects not only him, and not only us, but all mankind. Each individual transgression writes itself into the world life. So far as we are concerned, regrettable as it is, the man who insists on poisoning his body might go on getting to the last whatever satisfaction it affords him. But we are concerned because he passes the poison on to his children and to other people’s children. He degrades the life of society, makes his community less desirable, and even lowers property values in his neighborhood. In all these things we also have an interest. By all these things we and ours are profoundly affected. Why should we not care? What Makes a City? (1929) There is an old story about a town that had a high cliff from which was visible a particularly beautiful view. The citizens of the town, being enterprising people, decided to capitalize on this natural asset, and so they proceeded at once to make it a talking point in favor of their city as a show place and one desirable for residence. The advertising was effective. From far and near, people came to get a glimpse of the famous view. Needless to say, they spent their money while they were in town, and the business men around the square were able to note a change for the better in their bank balances. It turned out, however, that viewing the scenery from this cliff was not without its dangers. The precipice was high, and at its foot, the rocks were hard and rough.