The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-07-19
Misfellarlcons.
Popular Extrnvagance.

Our Christianity and our love Of coun-
try should put US upon fitting remedies
tor some Of the alarming habits of ex-
travagancs which prevail among u.s.
Ono of the sources of this manifold evil
has been fairly put in the following re-
marks of Wholesale merchant and i'm
porter, as given iu the annual report OF
1.-The American Woman's Education
Society,""
"You have got hold of great mat
ter, sir. / hope you will succeed. The
women are wrong, sir. They are not
educated right. They are going to
bankrupt the country unless there is
change. More is thought of show than
substance. We pay scores of millions
annually for ladies' ornaments which are
OF no use. We cannot afford it 1t is
worse than sinking the gold in the sea
We are paying more duties on artificial
flowers than on railroad iron! God help
you to elevate the position and the aim
of woman ="
The fact that a store in this city en-
ployed in the sale Of laces and other
superfuities in that line, pays "a rent of
ten thousand dollars year, is a signif-
cant comment upon this speech. There
IS no cure for such an evil, though it
threatens ruin to the country, and great
er ruin to Christian character, but in
something that shall divert the ambition
Of the female mind to something better
worthy of rational and immortal beings,
than this rivalry in expensive dress and
outward show.
There is another form of extravaganza
to which public attention ought to be
directed, for which the ladies are not so
much responsible. 1t is seen in the
present style of orr public steamboats,
and hotels. 1t is neither necessary nor
expedient for any of the substantial pur-
poses of the travelling community, that
our steamboats, should be floating palaces
and that every person who dimes at u
hotel, should be made to pay for sump7
tuous feast, involving all attainable lux
uries whether he wishes them Or not -
1t would be of great public. advantage,
if our hotels should adopt the European
plan, of furnishing only what should be
specially ordered There is a manifest
absurdity as all will grant, in making
every person who dimes at a public table,
pay for wine which he does not use; but
no greater than in making every guest
pay the cost Of sumptuous meal, while
he partakes of only the plainest dishes
and desires no other.
Another evil of this system is, that at
these public tables, the example Of lux
ury and extravaganza is set, which pro-
notes the same in private life. This is
one of the many forms in which habits
of luxury are gaining upon our people,
and from which we must be reformed,
OF be ruined. The innocent in such a
case suffer with the guilty. IF the ex-
travagant only beggared themselves the
evil were less to be dcplored. But their
habits are the source of those great COM
inercial disasters which press most hcav-
lily upon the poor, who are thus thrown
out OF employment, and cut off from the
means of earning their bread. Such
extravaganza is one of the forms of pub
lie wrong, of injury to the common
wealth, of violence to tho general hu-
manity, and every sentiment and pre-
cept OF Christianity is against it-Pur-
itan Recorder.