The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-30
A NATION OF sPIHDTHRIFTs.

One Of our contemporaries tells of youn
man who kept an account Of his expenses 70
the year ending July 4. 1875, with the view Q
learning how much money he laid out IN
necessarily. The total Of his needless dis
bursements is not given. A single item wa
cigars, of which he estimates his consumption
at eight per day, or 1920 in the whole year
costing about eight cents each, or total o
1888 60, sum sufficient for the support, fire,
from actual suffering of a large family for tn,
entire year. If his expenses for wines. fo
superfuous ornament for play, for fancy
dress and for pleasure were in the same pro
portion, bis unnecessary expenses might b.
counted by thousands instead Of hundreds
If We suppose that he is addicted to the
vice Of drinking ardent spirits, wines or beer,
and that be takes upon an average four
glasses each day, we shall find him expend.
ing another sum of more than $500 per an
mum. At fifteen cents per glass, one glass a
day will amount to nearly $55, or the interest
for year at per cent on $3.50. If in the
H~AAAO WY We OOuht ny ti4O oNAA "a va tAO
young mans expenditures, we shall find him
spending the interest on thirty or forty
thousand dollars
Our government collects an excise duty on
distilled and fermented liquors amounting to
hundred millions year, representing q
consumption of twice that number of gal-
Ions, costing to consumers twice that sum-
Another large sum is collected by govern
ment in duties on foreign wines, brandies and
liquors. There is besides considerable
quantity of ardent spirits distilled from
fruits, which pay no duties, all making the
total consumption of malt, vinous and alco-
holic liquors consumed annually in this
country amount to value rather over than
under three hundred and seventy millions, or
a million of dollars day. Not enc fourth Of
this is necessary; the balance is certainly
without benefit, and the most Of that balance
damaging and pernicious.
Glanc ing over the annual summary of i'm
portations, we find them to consist in large
Of silks, fine cloths and other arti-
Giles of luxury. If the years importations
have amounted to six hundred millions we
shall find that about one-third part consists
Of articles either entirely of luxury, or articles
lar more costly than convenience, health and |
comfort require. In almost equal proportion
The products Of domestic manufacture are |
made to cater to love Of extravagant luxury.
The people Of the United States are, in pro- |
portion to their means. the most extravagant
n the world, and in spite of all that is taught |
~ moralists and preachers, the vice is growing
lpon us as nation from year to year. It's
,rowth outruns the production of solid |
wealth, and vast sums that ought to be added
Q capital from year to year are frittered away.
The vulgar spectators who have become
uddenly rich have no other means to com
nand attention and popular applause than by
ulgar ostentation and costly parade. With
hundreds Of thousands the chief pleasure is
. spend money Even those who earn
honey by their daily labor consume as much
8 they can of their earnings in some form of
axurious indulgence out of keeping with
heir condition.
With frugality, all who work with their
ands in this country, comprising twenty
illions out of the whole forty millions, could
'pitalize Or save more than one-foursh part
what they earn and produce; but, as it is,
arcely one in twenty saves even q tenth part
his income The county increases
wealth, because property advances in =
lue, because public works are constructed,
'cause new and extravagant structures are
ected, and because considerable part of y
nat is expended wantonly by some, is seized
d kept by Others But the whole country
es not grow rich in the way that France
Belgium, with their industrious, sober
d frugal lower and middle classes, aceumu-
Q and capitalize the results of labor from Il
Ar to year. As a nation, we are sadly in
bt, and the most of our Indebtedness has n
sn incurred in procuring lu1uries which 81 q.
might have dispensed with. 3;
t would perhaps be an idle hope that p
people Of this country might return to m
plain and sober economy and thrift of Sc Sc
: ancestors Those who have money or
er means of securing pleasure will not 10
restrained from ths vice Of improvidence OF
any warning as to the consequences which ~ ~
st follow. The wealthy will not, for the di
9 of promoting frugality, practice self pl
iiah and set examples of transformations tn
ng. They will continue to be dsmonstra- ~ ~
In the display Of their wealth, and the Of
'ses less favored by fortune will continue in
ir envious imitation. With honest economv pc
cticed by all classes this republic would
n become the wea!thiest and most power wa
member of the family of nations LIE
in
eff