Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-08
C4LIFORNI4'S SPESDTHRIFT
H4BTTS
From the San Francisco News LIE ter

FROM the san francisco News LIE Ter
The reform most needed in California Is in
our extravaganza, which is not only an evil in
itself, but is the cause of nearly all the abIsrs
which have crept into our government and
society. There are two things which have
come down to us from the days of gold, and
we could very Well do without either OF them.
The one is reckless extravaganza: the other
that queer Specimen of humanity who takes
came to this stale in '49 or the spring OF 81"
The grim destroyer is reforming the later
very fast in the only way it is possible, viz:
by shutting off his wind: for so long as he has
breath, so long will he bore you with the story
of his past glory, when he could throw slIgs
1--WE mean golden ones) to the birds. But the
1t, and death has no power over it, and only
gives it an OppOrtunityt to show itself TO adj
vantage in long line OF carriages a silver
mounted casket, and all the Pomp and vanity
a poor SOulleSs clod of earth to its last rest To
such an extent has this thing been carried
whilst extravaganza has taken from him the
means OF living; and were it not for the free
lunches and occasional help from generous
friends, he would be placed in the position of
tween Two Fires, who, hanging by his hands
from the orchard wall finds his retreat cut of
by bull dog, while the irate owner advances
upon him from the other side of the wall. This
is city Of SpendthriftS, beginning with the
poor newspaper man, who spends the whole of
his weeks earnings upon, the last thing in
friends up to drink and spend their last half
dollar, although they knew their family was in
want of bread. 1t might be thought this IN IN
was drunkard. Nothing of the kind. He
probably only drank soda water. He was only
following the fashion, and was merely
thoughtless, reckless, Californian. The
men Wom classes and Of chdfsn
alike. Children in San Francisco spend
more more money on candy and playt!ings
Wor o w Ps bse IN of the
amount of money squandered in children's
dress is something awful to contemplate. At
ehildren,s ball given here few years ago,
child OF 3 or years OF age appeared in a dress
which cost $1,000, and her father was not
millionaire. The laborer in San Francisco
spends more upon his living and dress than
consequence is that when hard times come he
goes to join kearney and the other commun
lists on the sand-lo, and it Is the example of the
rich which has brought him to beggary, and
changed him from the honest laborer into the
tool in the hands of a To- of INSCRIPTIONS dem
agogues, who aim to make political capital out
about by a bad example and his own folly. The
e!erk here spends more than the merchant in
England, and robs his employer to feed hisex-
celves $50 per month dresses as well as the
merchant who is making $4,000 per annum.
The ladies vie with each other In dress, the
their e9ulpageS. The men in the number and
value of their horses, and the beauty and ex-
penSe OF tnelr mlStreSSeS; and this causes
state OF dishonesty and immortality painful to
contemplate in this otherwise beautiful city
1t must not be inferred that this state of things
is peculiar to San Francisco. What we saw of
this city may with equal truth be said of any
other large city in the Union. Bank presf-
dents embezzle, clerks rob their employers,
government officials steal. men comnil fIrye-
~ and women adultery, all to keep up this in
ferral extravaganza: and unless there is
great reform in This, we need never eXp,.t 10
see an end of the private aud public imm rail-
ty which SO disgraces the U. S. A. 1t is impos
slbe to get honest representatives from among
a people wholly given up to this ce. L e
chi dren suck it 10 with their mothe s mi k.
are brought up and educated in it, until is he
{. mes second nature, aud Tile next genera
'lOh bids lair t. be worse than the present,