, 1878-02-08
An Honest Nation.

Why is it that the mention of lIol-
lander is 50 ap, to raise luiicrous image.
in the mind pirdrich kuickoTbockcI
and hi, yrTHciIus history Of New York
are doubtless responsible for good
share 0i thi, tendency tp laugh % IN,
'ph.ygmliic Dutch, But the reality oi
their quaint WAY, aud scmI-rqustlc lite
iu their own queer little country Is ,uiii.
cigutly suggestive ot mirth tu account
for much Of our amusement at their
expense.
Yet there j, another side 10 the Dutch
character, much more worthy ol our at
ieution than the mirih. provoking side.
In many ways they deserve rather All
miration than ridiculc, and might even
serve A. models for the imitation of the
citizens Of our great Republic. Let US
see in what respects.
Our Minister at The Hague not long
ago transmitted 10 the Department of
state II report on the social and political
condition of the Dutch, in which he
states some facts in regard 10 their
methods of doing business which reject
the highest credit upon the national char
actcr. For instance, he says there has
not been bank failure in Holland dur.
ing the last forty years. This no doubt
is dull, humdrum way of managing
public trusts, but nevertheless it has its
advantages-especally to those whose
money is being managed. Again, in fire
insurance there has never been failure,
and although the rate of insurance
does not average more than one
half of one per cent, there does not
appear to be any occasion for failure,
since the companies do thriving busl.
ness, and realize from twelve to sixteen
per cent, per annum. There are people
on this side of the Atlantic who would be
glad if the managers of insurance and
other chartered companies here could be
inoculated with something of the spirit
which enables these honest Dutchmen to
return such satisfactory results. AS it is,
they will in many cases be fortunate if
they even get back their own again.
Railroads, too, are conducted in Holland
on economic principles which might ap-
pear comcal to great railway king
or daring specuator in other peoples
fortunes, but which permit very low
fares to the travelling public, and sub
stantial dividends to the stockholders.
And when, as rarely happens, a railway
official proves dishonest, his dishonesty
is accounted crime, and is punished
with inflexible severity. In fine, in all
branches Of business, public and private,
good faith and honest thrift are re-
garded as worthy Of honor, and the lack
of them as disgrace. Four millions Of
people, continues our Minister, live with
in an area of 10000 square miles, fact
without parallel in any other country {;
yet they appear to be happy prosperous
and contented. The secret of their pros
perity, he not upjustly concludes, lies in
the fact that the people live within their
income, and that the principles of in
dustry and honesty are so firmly estab-
lished that the violation of them is
looked upon as an offence against the
national character.
These homely virtues have little of the
flavor Of "smartness" about them-that
sHiai 'uess WHICH HAS COillc W ue TeSdIucu
in many minds as full equivalent for
every moral quality, and condonement
of every crime in commercial and official
life. But, after all, such virtues yield
the best results in the end, whether
practiced by individuals or by nations.
The worst evils of the "hard tines of
to-day are the proper outcome of public
and private contempt of them; nor may
good times be expected to return until
their binding obligation upon all is
again clearly recogniz9d-and as well by
those who make our laws as by private
citizens in their Intercourse with each
other.-Erdminer and Chronicle.