The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-06-29
Living and Means.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

One Of the most misclieyous phrases in which Il
rotten morality--a radically false and vicious
public sentiment DISCUSSES itself, is that which
characterizes certain individuals as destitute Of
financial capacity. a kind, amiable, generous,
good sort OF man. $50 runs the yainish,) but
Htterly unqualified for the management Of his own
finnnces'--a mere child in everything relating to
money" &c, DC. Meaning that with an income Of
5000 year, he persisted IN spending $1,000: or
with al income Of $4,000 TO $4,000, lie regularly
spent $1,000, according to his alilityto run in
debt, or the credui;y ofothcrs in trusting him.
The victims of this immoralliy--dcb b;Or Us
creditoF-arc entitled to more faithful dealing at
the hands those not directly effected by the mis-
demcanors of the former Ii is the duty Of the
community torebuke, and repress these perncious
glosses making the truth heard aud felt that inor-
dlnae expenditure is hnayery and crmc.--No
man has Il moral right thus TO lavish ON his own
appetite money which he has not earned, and does
not really need. If public opinion were sound
upon this su6ect--it II man living beyond lis
means, when his means were commensurate with
his real needs, were subjected to the reprelenson
he deserves the evil would be instantly checked
and ultimately erad,cated
The world is full of people who can't imagine
why they don't prosper like their neghbors, when
the real obstacle is not in banks or tariffs in bad
policy nor hard times, but in their own oxtravi-
ganCo and needless ost,uation. The young me-
chanic or clerk manies and takes house, which
lac proceeds TO furnish twice as expensive MS he can
afford, and then his WIFE, instead Of taking hold To
help Lin to earn a liyilhood by doing her own
work, must have hired servant to spend his lin
tied earnings Then years afterwards YOU will
find him struggling on under double load Of
debts and children, wondering why the luck was
always against linn while his friends regret lis
unhappily destitution OF financial ability. Had
they Iron. iLc FIRST been frank and honest le need
not have been 50 uulucky.
Through every grade oisocicty this vice Of in.
ordinate expenditure irsii.uat,s itself The single
nan "hIGcd OUT in tie country ut ten to fifteen
dollars per iaoSih, who cpntriycs to dissolve lis
wears earnings m rolics and fine clothes the clerk
who has three To live hundred dollars a year, and
mets down twenty to fifty OF it into liquors and
cigars, are paralIeledby the young merchant, who
fills spacious house with costly furniture, give,
dinners aud drives a iat horse ON the strength Of
the profits lie expects To realize when his goods
are all sold aud his notes all paid Let man
have genius fer spending, mud whether his in-
come Is II dollar day or Il minute, IL is equally
certain 70 prove inadequate. Ii dining and par
tygiving won't help him through with it, bull
ding, gaming and spcculatng will be sure to
The botomleSs pocket Will never ill, 10 matter
how bouteous the stream touring into it, Tho
man who tbping oiugIe) doe hot save money va
siX dollars Il week, Will not be apt to On sixty and
he who does not lay up something in the first year
Of independent cXCltiOn, will DC likely TO wear :,
poor mans hair into his grave
No man who has the natural use Of his aoul
ties and his muscles has any right to tax others
wt,h the cost of his support, this class of habit
ual non financial gentlemen haGualy DO II ID
their common mistake to fancy that if debt 10
only paid at last the obligation OF the debt is full
filled hut the fact Is not so. A man who sells his
property for mothers promise 10 ply next month.
and is compelled to wear ont II par of boots in
running after his due whcl, he finally gets aitera
year or two, is never really paid Very often, he
has lost the face OF bis demand by not having the
money when he needed it, besides the cost aisl
veXation of running aftc it--1hcre is Just one way
to pay an obligation in full, and that is to pay it
when due, llcwho keeps up n running fight be
tween bills and loans through life, is continually
living on other mems mcalls--is u scrious--is u
serious burden and dctriment to those who deal
with him, although his estate should finally pay
every dollar of his legal obligations. lnordnatc
expenditure is the cause OF great share OF tho
crunc and consequent misery which devastate the
world. The clerk who spends more than he earns
is fast qualifying himself fora gambler and a thief
the trader OF mechanic who oycrruns his incomeis
very certain to become in time a trckster and
cheat Wherever YOU see man spending iastir
than he earns there look out for villany to be
developed, though it be the fartles' thing possible
from his present thoughts
When the world shall have become wiser, and
its standard of morality more LOFTY, il will perceive
and affirm that profuse expenditure, venby those
who can pecunnrily afford It, Is pernicious and
minstitiable--that 4 man, however wealthy, has
no right to lavish on his own appetite. his taste,
or his ostcnaton, that which might have raset
hundreds from lesttution and despair to ccmlort
and usefulness Eut this is an improy cmcntl IN
public sentiment which must be waited fol, whllc
hc other is more ready and obvious
The ncaaucss tho dishonesty, the inqm'r ci