The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-06-05

Ofthe NutiOu--WhitherW we are TEND
ing as n People.
The last Round Table dwells upon the
laziness in the land-upon the thirst for
money-and the morbid thirst for dis
play. People are working hard in order
to accumulate enough to live in idlenes
and rear their families without work.
The Round Table tells us, and we fear
too truly, that women once decorous,
modest and womanly, have donned the
most shameless fashions and haunt the
most extravagant ornaments, that the
worst of all that Frace can offer is
poured in upon us with no regard for
either decency or economy, and that at
least one-half the people are living be-
yond their means. 4tass rr7Fsg
"we are drifting sadly, terribly away
from the old landmarks and from every
beacon of sense and security. 1t is the
natural tendecy of Republican Govern
ment to produce extrayagance. When
one man of poverty is held as great as
his neighbor of abundant riches, the
poor man is tempted to make as great
display as he who can afford II.
Young men are carried away with the
mania and make fools, if not scamps, of
themselves. Acquiring fortune by the
old legitimate ways is quite too slow.
The more honorable callings and pro-
fessions are deserted for the more exPe-
ditious roads to fortune. And SO the
nation is cursed with race of crazy
money-getterS instead of noble, high
minded men, who are content to work
and live as common sense and the
claims of good citizenship urge that
man should live.
Men that have but small incomes
feel that they must live within limits
OF style and location which they know
are beyond their means. The fact is,
the greater part OF the evil attaches to
men of small means. We find fault
with the wealthy for their useless,
wicked waste and unfortunate exam
Pile, but their MISTAKE is not SO great,
nor their conduct so blameable as that
of the other and larger class who know
ingly live beyond their means. Here
in is the supreme folly OF
the hour. Not conent with liv-
ing in quiet and careful way,
young men rush to the cities and soon
are seized with the fever for money
getting and display. They are taught
excesses and extravagances which tend
weIl-nigh TO their ruin. They drift
with the tide, and soon are living be-
yond their means, all for show and
name. Fashionable women too often
encourage them in their course, and
instead ofsafe and economical men, we
have excited and reckless spectators.
Fortune must be made in some way, or
the man considers himself OF little ac-
count He has no time for the devel
opmeut of his heart and head, no time
for public and benevolent enterprises.
He must maintain his place in "socie-
ty," go to given number of parties,
and live upto "polite" standard OF
expense and enjoyment.
We have no heart to dwell upon the
indecencies which French demi-nonde
fashion has been thrusting upon US.
1t is shame to every respectable wo-
man in the land that the customs of
French prostitutes should be foisted
upon our people by French milliners.
The extravagance and shamelessness
of too many of the women is astound-
ing, Once, young women were the in
spirers of economy and provident care,
and young men could hope to have
homes, by due diligence, before the
best part of their lives was thrown
away in the wear and tear of business.
Now matrimony is almost out of the
question except one of the parties is
very wealthy, or both are content to be
very poor. This is one OF the most unfor-
tunate results of the shameless, cruel
extravaganza of the times, and an evil
which is likely to prove bitter curse
tothe country.
There is but one road to happiness
and prosperity, for either individuals
or a nation, and that is economy, faith
full persistence in the legitimate paths
of business. The riches that come in
an hour generally go in an hour, and
do more harm than good. Hence we
call upon all good people to unite in an
effort to stay the tide of wild excess.
Let man be frowned upon in society
when it is known that he is living be-
yond his means. Let all noble and
true women express their disgust at the
extravagant and Indecent display of the
followers of fashion-n