The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-02-07
Rhilosphical Comparison.

WEALTH OF 1HE FARMER COMPARED WITH
.aF THE WEALTH OF THE MERCHANT.
. It Is most curious thing in philosophy
that the wealth, or the supposed wealth OF
merchants. should be so potent on the minds
Of those who witness it, when real wealth in
the hands Of our yeomanry, 10 far greater a.
mount, is wholly unnotced. 1t is because
one 10 chronicled in extensive ledgers and
blank-books, and the other is carried about
in the breeches-pocket Of those who own.
In one case there is display of fine broad
cloth, patent lever gold watch, and thou
sand dollar span of horses; in the other case
there 10 nought of display but of coarse ging-
ham, linsey. woolsey, and farm wagons So
Wealth in the hands Of plain farmers is like
an old picture in some garret, but when
cleaned and eiled and put into an expensive
gilt farme, is like the wealth of merchants,
gazed at by every one in seeing distance
So it is with the wives and daughters of
merchants; they are admired for their beau.
e ty, wit and polished manners, simply be-
cause they are dressed up in silks and laces,
= and are surrounded by rich sofas, ottomans,
: lounges: mirrors and chandeliers, while the
wives and daughters of farmers, possessed of
infinitely more real personal beauty, are un-
observed, or are pronounced coarse and vul-
gar, because they are attired in calico, and
are not ashamed to be seen in the perform
ance of domestic labor. 1t is fact we'll
known to all, who have the means of obser-
vation, that an exposure to the pure air Of
the country is peculiarly favorable to female
beauty as well as health-to ruddy cheeks
bright eyes, elastic steps; full womanly de.
.velopments, and sweet breath, like that Of
the delicious flowers whose odors are inhal
ed; while in the city, girls grow up resemb
ling plants secluded from the light and air
pale, fragile and infantile, and with breatl
foul and feverish. One might as we'll at
tempt to have good flower and vegetable
garden in his cellar, as to rear well-formet
and healthy women, shut UP for life in th
confined air of hecity. Agricultural wealtl
is overlooked, or not supposed to exist, be
cause it is in small sums; or, if known thu
to exist. it is comparatively despised by thos
who wish to be thought rich, when in realit,
poor, sa. .s.- ,. .-
:,s ,a Rasely does farmer pretend to be wortl
han hn so afko l. 4 -a.. =
property below its realvalue; whereas, tn
snassof persons in trade, especially thos
who are insolvent, use every means possible
TO be thought wealthy-sometimes living ex
trayagantly, and being profuse in charities
lest it should be suspected they are poor--il
reality spending more than they would
they owned all they profess-from the fac
that their business depends upon their credit
which depends on such public delusion a
originated in these systematic deceptions.--
Hence, an hundred young farmers, who ow
each one thousand, are looked upon as a spe
ocies of paupers; and although they are al
industrious, they could not, if they wante
it, obtain any more credit than one or tw
hundred each, unless they had endorsers, c
would secure the payment by mortgage o
their property; but let this hundred thousan
dollars come in the hands of one man, ar
they all become tenants to him, and he ca
have credit of two hundred thousand dola
at least-double of all he is worth, althoug
in thaother case, they could obtain no mo-
than about cne-tenth of what they are wort
Howabsurd! Such humbuggery is the st
plscommodity in certain classes in societ,
the very ones that give tone to public sent
ment.