West-Jersey pioneer., 1878-07-18
For the WEST JERSEY PIONEER.
THOUGHTS OF A FARMER.
BETTERING THE CONDITION

We often hear the remark, eff he had at
tended to his own business as well as he at
tended to the business of others, he might |
now have been rich man. which, though |
it often tends to make him to whom it is
applied feel resentment, and think that he |
is wronged and insulted, would, neverthe- |
less be good and wholesome, if some farm
ers as well as some merchants and mechan-
les would consider it applied directly to
themselves as advice.
In these times no one can succeed without |
patient toil-drudgery some might say. IF
any PERSONS business is attended to, he, |
himself, must do it, and if he does it thor
oughly and conscientiously, he will have no
time to attend to the business of others.
Things will take their inevitable course
whether we interfere Or not No king,
no parliament, no legislation can make
prosperous people. From the despotic
governments of the East, from the consti
tutional governments of Europe and from
the republics of America, come the same
cries of poverty, want and distress. Great
and sudden changes in the policy of gov
ernment may make change in the condi-
tion of its citizens, yet things will, even
tually, settle themselves into some smooth,
undertaking channels. A stream, flowing
from the side of II ountain, may be turned
from its course for time, but will, at last,
find the foot of the mountain. 1t takes CEN
turies to make changes, and thousands of
years to make great changes.
This nation has been powerful one, not
because it is republic, for numerous other
republics have been destroyed not because
1T has good constitution, other republics
modelled their constitutions after ours, and
have now ceased to exist, but because we
have good constitutions, and have insured
the success of the government by exerting
ourselves for our own prosperity. We
might say, almost with truth-mind your
own business and the government will take
care of itself. We can say with truth
Mind well your own affairs and prosperity
of the government will be insured. Daniel
, Webster, one of the the greatest politicians
to which our country has ever given birth,
himself in public life, as Representative,
Senator, and Secretary of State, for forty
years, on one occasion said: s'Do YOUR
duty as private citizen, but let politics
! alone"
| A good government and just laws cannot
make good and prosperous people, but
good citizens are the materials of which
good governments are made.
Demagogues, though protesting to be the
friends of the workingman are their great
est enemies, they assert that the old parties
are corrupted, and because they are friends
to the workingman they are believed, but
if any right-minded man be he rich or poor,
high or low, but look and see, he will find
that the most of these statements are false.
and that the men that make them are those
who have not forsaken their party till their
party has refused to give them office be-
cause of their rascalty or weakness. The
Republican party has passed through two
years of investigation? by party which
seeks its destruction, and it to-day stands
as clear and free from blemish and as worthy
of the aid and support of every citizen of
these United States as at any time since it's
organization. And it is very probable that
the most of those who have deserted TO the
Democratic ranks charging corruption, stood
by that party in its opposition to the strug-
gle for constitutional liberty. The Repub-
lcan party has accomplished more good
than any other party that ever existed in
these United States, and it still has great
work to do. No one should desert it in IFS
time of need.
The following advice by a workingman is
very different from the talk of the dema-
gogues, who have been very abundant in
this country during the past year: ssPru-
dence, frugality. and good management are
excellent articles for mending bad times
they occupy but little room in any dwelling,
but would furnish more effctual remedy
| for the evils of life than any Reform Bill
| that passed both Houses of Parliament"
Equally good is the following advice, given
by John Bright, the great friend of the la
boring classes in England, to an assembly
of workingmen: ''There is only one way
| that is safe for any man, or any number of
men, by which they can maintain their
present position if it be a good one or raise
themselves above it if it be a bad one.-
that is by the practice of the virtues of in
dustry, frugality, temperance and honesty.
There is no royal road by which men can
raise themselves from position which they
| feel to be uncomfortable and unsatisfactory,
| as regards their mental or physical welfare,
except by the practice of those virtues by
which they find numbers among them are
| continually advancing and betterlng them
selves, and l would recommend every man
to pay no attention whatever to public
speakers OF writers, whoever they may be,
who tell them that this class or that class,
that this law or that law, that this govern
ment or that government, can make them
prosperous, comfortable, and happy. |
assure you after long reflection, and much
observation, that there is no way for the
working classes Of this country to reform
| their condition but that which so many have
alreaedy avaied themselves of,-that is. by
the practice Of those virtues, and by reli-
ance upon themselves.
Yours, w. B.
s-u--s,s-uaS-.--.----.-----xr---z--
Royalty is an expensive luxury in Eng
land, and the worst Of it is that it becomes
more and more expensive as each of the