Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1855-01-25
Progress of LnXnrY.

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ismortal pages the truth that the United
States afford ne exception to the genera
rule. The simple habits and manners
and the stern, inasxibls integrity of tn,
! illustrious founders of eur free and lib
eral institutions have already passet
away, and exist or y in the memory o
those who lamont their decline. If W.
have developed thsresourcss of the coun
try, impro, ed in the arts and sciences
extended commerce and manufactures
and increased in wealth and luxury, with
q rapidi,y hitherto unseen, it is also de,
piorable fac, that the concomitani vices
Incident 10 civilization. have been deYel-
oped with a rapidEy and to an exIsn,
even exceeding the physical improve
ments- While, IS people. We were
poor,ws had tho national character OF
being honest; but rs we increased in
riches. luxurious tastes and habits super
yened, which have proved fatal to The
prevalence of virtuous sentiments and
honest conduct Previous 10 the year
1898 such a person rs q de(aulIing public
officer was unknown; and when. 80 the
succeeding year, President Jackson caus-
ed Tobias Watkins TO be indicted aud
tried for an Illegal appropriation 10 his
own use Of four thousand dollars Of tae
public money. !ts country from Matte
10 Georgia, was shocked by the snor-
nifty oil The offence. Watkins plead on
he trial that he was entitled to tbs mon
ey. aud went forth to ,he world sn &C.
Quilted and Q ruined man. since then.
crimes Of this character have increased
astonishngy in num5e and in magnitude
Of the amount embe zzled. until the sums
thus acquired are now counted by mil
lions.
The public sentiment is diseased. aud
there is needed some judicious treatment
10 bring it back TO its normal state Of
healthful action. What that treatment
shall be, is the difficult problem presented
for solution
One OF the most. transparent evils of
the age is the rampan, energy with which
the excellence Of physical progress is III
culcated into the minds Of the misses
Under the operation of this all prevailing
passion, Tor such il really is. the man who
erects magnificent mansion. establishes
a bank, or builds railroad, is lauied as n
public benefactor. regardless entirely
whether the funds with which it has been
done were The results Of honest industry
or the avails Of cunnin. devised fraud
Thus is the exhibition Of wealth mads the
type of merit and the test Of considera-
ton. The result is that life In the Uni
ted States ha s become not pursuit OF
happiness, but race for riches, in which
all ore struggling md S,raiuing evcry fac
ulty TO come out ahead.
IL is not Q matter Of wonderment then
that Of the multitude who are thus eager.
ly engaged in this indiscriminsie ecrnm
BILE for riches manv Of them turn aside
from the highway oftrWh and honesty.
into The byways OF fraud. falsehood aud
crime. When the world wos startled
with the news OF gold mines in California
richer than any that had ever been worked
before men Of sober minds predicted
sudden increase Of luxury. with lis temp
tationsa and crimes. The increase of lux
ury followed immediately. Men who
wore reared in poverty became suddenly
afIiuen,, aud made that use of their gains
which the newly rich are very apt to do.
adopting snowy and expensive habits Of
living. There is uo,hldg more, contagious
than such habits in a community. Men
who are less uble 10 supper, them are daz.
zled by them. and are seized by desire
to intimate what they SO much admire. =
Then come the temptations to supply for
forbidden means the extravagancs into
which they are betrayed. Merchants
clerks embezzled the money Of their EN-
ployers; post-office clerks rob the. mails.
tellers in the banks pocket the funds of
the institutions which employ them; per.
sons 10 whom the management of rail.
roads is entrusted issue spurious certi6-
Gates Of stock.
Everybody 10 striving to live in tho
same style of slssan, luxury and ease
which wealth se,itlss its legitimate own
ers to enjoy. Everybody wsnts to live
in q palace and ride in a coach, and they
oread 10 be ihoYgnt poor because il has
almost become reproach to DO so. while
the exhibition Of wealth indicates progress
and secures sttsntivs considsration.-
These are strong temptations TO the weak
and the vain to seek the achievement OF
wealth even q, the expense ofhonor and
integrity.
1t is not so much the habi, Of DWELLING
in elegant and spacious houses. sumpticus.
ly furnished. driving handsome carriages.
going magnifcsntly dressed, and giving
costly sntsr,ainmsnt-though there may
be carried 10 high pitch Of fastidiousness
and effeminacy-that dsmoralizes the
community by its immediate effect, as The
wish which it awakeus in others 70 copy
The same style Of liviag. For this reason
the man OF great wealth who lives in 4
style of respectable plainness does more
for public morals than ATTY declsimcr .
gainss vice.
Blu. although the example of plain sim.
pliciiy in the style Of living by the really
rich might be productive Of good results.
We. il is TO total feformanon in the sys'
tenn Of rearing and educating children that
We must look for permanent and sfica'
cious remedy for this great and growing
evil. Children should b taught BY their
pusn,s habits Of industry temperance and
irugaliiy; and integrity Of purpose should
be- inculcated as not only . virtue but q