Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1854-12-16
u From TIE Buffalo Con- Advertiser.
MODERN EXTRAvAGANCE.

from the Buffalo Co.. Advertiser.
MODERN ExTRAvAGANCE
| Those who make sny note Of the signs Of
1.-THE times, cannot have failed to- observe thai
conspiuous among the most marked Of them i
defaication Of persons who, up to that event
have been not only considered respectable
but who have exercised large indnence j,
their own society. Crime has its victims n.
mong the upper ten-iaH its most astound-
ing DEVELOPMENTS in the marble palaced ay-
enues, and among the silk and satin tapestries
and rosewood furniture of the leaders Of fash
ionabl9 life. Among young men, too, just
beginning life, starting with silly notions oil
what constituted respec,ability of position.
or foOlishly emulous Of the extravagant life
of their neighbors-among this class crime
has its victims. The rage for fine houses
and gay trappings, for luxurious living, and
for silly display which provokes the ambition
of weak persons, has led men into crimes
and ruined forever the once fair prospects Of
many families. 1t is mot alone dabbling in
stocks, or rushing wildly into hazardous
! specnlations which leads men to crime, in
the vain hope of saving their property.
1t lis extravaganza in living, which, more than
absorbing all honest income, drives its poor
victim into speculation, and then to utter
run. Young people not content with begin
ming where their parents began, and working
| a path through the world up to competence,
must dash at once into a kind Of life which is
destructive Of oil hope Of ultimate credit and
responsibility.
| What lamentable instances Of this fact
have the papers furnished within. the past
month. In the one case, a young man on a
salary IF four thousand ayear, built a twenty
| FIVE thousacd dollar house, in the midst Of
fine grounds, furnished extravagantly, and
kept up in a style which three times his in
come would hardly have supported. His
income was large-enough to make himself
and family comfortable even in gay, corrupt
and extravagant city; but he must needs be
among the foremost Of those who live and
dress extensively and give grand entertain
ments, and the devil that lead him into such
manner Of life, brought him to criminal
methods Of keeping up his style, and then
turned loose on him the ministers Of the law.
Satan is a cunning old fellow, and gener-
ally outwits his keenest dupes: if he treats a.
while to fine living, and puts his victim into
ways of keeping along by sharp operations,
at the last he gets possession, and turns him
over sacrifice to grinning scorn and infa-
my.
This is now prolific source of social evil
and moral death; ard it is eminently Ameri-
can. 1t is not the vice Of any other land,
because the first indication of living beyond
ones income elsewhere ruins credit, and
brings down upon a man in one fell swoop
all his angry and distrustful creditors.
Credit in this land is too cheap, men, have
too great opportunities Of ruin by means Of
it. If credit were dearer, INTEGRITY and bu-
siness capacity would be at higher standard
and induce ments to men to live and do bu-
siness too fast would, in a measure, be taken
away. Do away with our extravagant and
wicked ways Of living; make it respectable for
a man to wait until he is forty before he is
said to be acquiring a fortune, and to live
until that time before he sets up his carriage;
teach children that fine houses ana rich furni-
ture are not essential to their comfort and
responsibility at the beginning Of life, and
that no man is honest or worthy Of credit who
lives beyond his income. and let them improve
the lesson, and society and the world will bs
the better for them, and poverty and crime will
keep away from their doors. Men and wo-
men, with rich apparel and flashing with gau-
dy jewelry, IRE none the more respectable for
it; bat on the contrary, in majority OF cases,
are more conspicuously silly and con,empti-
Bile. If a rich dowdy woman, pulled out with
fat and folly, or a long necked, scrawny help
mete of a nabob, make their yulgarity more
obtrusive by Haring and costly apparel, it is
foolish for you, my pretty friend, to be ambi-
tious of such fools, and drive your husband
into debt to initiate so bad an example.
Neyet mind coach and horses my
young friend, nor the wine and late suppers
OF your fusty neighbor who SYSTEMATICALLY
parades his wealth before your face; it is
enough that you have not the means to do it,
and 1T is hazardous to make the attempt
W ait awhile for the silve. and mahogany, if
your If come will but warm your honse and
keep your table sufficient for all the purpo-
SEES of health; wait awhile until industry and
economy will enable you to live more expen-
slvely, but never in more happiness. Of one
thing rest assured, if you attempt on slen-
and display which characterize larg. cities,
you will become just as wicked and miserable
as are tn, victims Of f5shion, and end your
career with loss Of character, if not in pri-
son cell. The men of fortune in this com
try who aIe most respected and reliable, are
of that class who have built up their estates
by degrees, in long and industrious life by
honest means, and it is the example Of such |
men that is most worthy of imitation.
HoS. ADRIAN LINcoLN-We observe by one
of our exchanges that Mr.. Lincoln has de-
clined to accept the Office of Representative
in the Illinois Legislature from Sangamon
county, to which he was recently elected. We
are grati6ed at this movement on his part,
as it will leave him perfectly free to accept
the Office Of United States Senator, which We
have reason to hope will be rendered him by