The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-08

It has been acknowledged by all who have
carefully considered the causes of Ireland's
decline, that one of the great sources of her
weakness was the continuous drain upon
her capital, made necessary by the residence
of her wealthy men in foreign countries.
This evil is so common that word has
bsen set apart in the language TO describe it,
and sbsenteeism Is the specific term for the
desertion of his native land by an Irish gem
tleman. The process by which absenteeism
brings about national ruin is very simple
and easily understood. For instance, sup
pose the case of an Irish laEdad proprietor,
whose income amounts to 100000 year,
and who spends his time in England or
Italy. The people on his estates labor with
out ceasing to pay their rent, and all their
surplus production, instead of being turned
into fixed capital, or expended in the sup
port of native industry, is sent of to
a foreign country. 1t Is there squandered
in the purchase Of every luxury,
and in the patronage of foreign trades
men. The land is exhausted and labor is
wasted, and no Improvement or advance in
prosperity gives evidence OF the unremit-
ting toll of the people. To put it briefly:
What the Irish peasantry earn is devoted to
the good of other lands. This illustration is
used by way of introduction to the discus
sion of a growing evil in modern American
life, namely, the passion for European
travel which has taken possession of our
people since the close of the war. When this
epidemic for making foreign tours first set
in, no one would have dreamed of regarding
IL as leading to any serious financial misior-
tuaes, and we were inclined 10 be less
alarmed over the amount of money spent
abroad by American travellers, than over the
foreign airs and grsces with which
they returned. There was less notice
given to their foreign clothes and fancy
ton of transatlantic manners. 1t would
have been thought more ridiculous to sup
pose their extravaganza could affect the
prosperity of the country than to assume
that their folly could faint our republican
institutions The financial distress OF the
past two years has, however, led to the
serious consideration of every source of
national waste and expenditure, and it is
simply amazing to estimate the loss we are
enduring through American absenteeism.
The New York Times, in treating OF this
subject, makes the following estimate:
Fifteen steamers leave the ports of the United
States weekly for Europa. Each steamer carries
on an averase if Y passengers each trip. That |
makes total exodus per year Of ne srly 1000
persons which is a low estimate. Suppose eac ! |
person spends abroad a thousand dollars, in ten |
years four hundred millions OF dollars 10 gold |
have been lost to the country, which II placed /
In circulate N here would 90 far toward solving |
the ve1ed questions that are constantly arising |
out of the uepresssd condition Of trade. Gentle
men who are in a position to SPEAK authorita- |
would be much nearer the mark. They say |
that the average Europe n tourist spends a great |
which he could just as well purchase az home.
From which it may be seen that the great
wealth-giving tide OF emigrants pouring into
the country is almost overbalsnced by the
tide of wealth squsndering tourists pouring
out of it. 1t has been estimated that each
emigrant is, economically considered, worth
81 900, and therefore each tourist may be re-
garied, from the political economists stand
point, as killing off one emigrant. The
direct and indirect results of this mania for
forsign travel are very well put by the
Times:
In short time the custom of furnishing
houses from PARIS, of purchasing crockery in
Dresden. OF wearing dresses of Worth's design
ing, of riding out in Eng fSh equipages, OF keep
ing running account with Engii tailOrs, and
Of educating children at European schools
spread among all classes OF the Weather portion
of the community. Custom house officials say
that they can go to the Cunard wharf on
auy day of the arrival Of steamer from
England ia the busy season aud count
SlO,OO 20 worth of imported goods that pay
no duty, in plain sight, TO say nothing of
the pa Eenger's baggage. Every person of the
3OO on board has umbrella in his hand. each
OF which is worth SlO. some carry two, and even
three. Many have costly walking sticks. ET ~
man has an opera glass slung across his shOul-
der and a fancy rug across his arm. All carry
uEdutiabe watches IN their pockets; all are at
tired In unduIiabie foreign made clothing: all
wear undutiabls foreign made hats. The women
have camel's hair shawls on their backs, aud
fnreign-bought jswelry TO any extent they
choose on their parsons"
1t becomes a serious question, what can be
done 10 stay this expenditure of American
money abroad. OF course nothing can be
done directly to discountenauce foreign
travel, aud, indeed, il may be- SAID, that
there is much TO he gained by having 20
many of our people brought into contact
with older civilizations, but an effort may
DO made TO check indirectly the extravaganza
OF the age in this regard by trying to re-
establish the old idea that man may be a
very respectable American who has never