The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-03-23
Industry and Frugality ,.

| Next to sound religious and moral train-
| ing, there is nothing more important to be
| taught the young than habits of industry and
| frugality. No man properly and faithfully
fulflls the relations of life 40 son, parent mas
ter, servant or citizen, without possessing these
qualifications, to degree more or less perfect;
| Starting out with these trite and oft-repeated
truths as our guide, let us consider two Of these
! important requisites to proper position in
civilized society, namely, Industry and Fru-
gality.
The savage is not provident creature. He
cares but little what tomorrow may bring
forth. The Qualifications of the wants and de-
| sires of the present moment, are his highest
aims. He lays but little by for the future, and
never dreams of providing against the de-
mands of age or infrmity. Just in proportion,
then, as men in civilized communities lack
those qualifications necessary to make them
good citizens, do they possess the original ele-
ment of the savage in their nature. The man
who only works long enough to obtain the
means to carry him through span of idleness
and slothful indulgence, is no better than the
Indian, in his village of wigwams, who dozes
in the sun while the products of his last hunt
remain, and is only reused to active e1ertion
when the pressing demands of hunger force
him again to seek the forest. This may seem
to some like very strong way OF putting the
case But is it not true, that there are thou
sands of such men in all civilized communi-
ties who are not one whitmore elevated in their
aims and ambitions than the savage We speak
of. and are but little more enlightened, only
by the force of the circumstances that placed
them in civilized community?
To avoid this Indifferent state Of existence,
should be the ambition Of every man. This
can only be done in one way, to wit: by indus
try and frugality. To live from hand to
nlouth-that is, to work enough to live, and
pay all it costs to live and have nothing over
is not enough. The workman who would
prosper, must labor and saue. The man who
fives from hand to mouth lives but life of
unrequited toll. Tho moral effect of such
treadmin existence Of monotonous and cease
less drudgery, cannot, be very inspiriting or
elevating. If such man does work his way
through long life of labor, without the hope
of reaching point at which he may some day
lay by the implements of toll, and rest, and
without q frequent desire to throw off his yoke
and enter upon some course of life that will
produce, in some extraordinary way, the means
of obtaining his release from toll, he is either
very Indifferent, or very extraordinary spec
linen of humanity.
But we will venture to assert that there is no
lQCelllRtuG nOIAuuhu HaO ooOo INV PooSSSo
within him the hope, that in some way, either
by dint of his own exertions, or by lucky
stroke of fortune, or in some other way unde-
fined and undefnable, he will at last reach
point when daily labor will not be absolutely
necessary for the obtaining of his daily bread.
In view of this fact, how very few, compara-
lively, act up to the spirit of this hope in an
intelligent and systematic manner. Howmany
live and work, inspired by this very hope, and
yet go down to the grave, bent and warped in
body and mind by ceaseless toll, without any
realization of their dreams. Now the idea We
wish to enforce is this: That it is the bounden
duty of enlightened men to do more than just
live. An oyster does this much. The horse
and OK do more than this-they earn the pro-
lection and care of their masters. 1t is the
duty of every man, then, to get ahead of his
wants as far as possible, and just in proportion
as he is thus in advance will he be indepen-
dent. Industry and frugality point the way,
and happiness and quiet content welcome to
the goal the man who Is in advance Of his neces-
sites.
We disclaim any intention of encouraging q
miserly, sordid or grasping spirit of gain, mere
" for the sake of gain, or for the sake of the
indulgence in luxuries afforded by wealth: On
the contrary, we hold that wealth should be
valued chiefly for its elevating and refining in
fuences, and for the independence it creates
in its possessor and for the ability it gives him
to be Of greater use to bis fellow men.