Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1881-01-04
Pecuniary independence.

We talk Il great deal 2holt our l"llti-
cal. intellectual, moral and social lnde-
pcildrncc all the world has heard MS
talk about them. We donot enjoy them
as fully. perhaps, as We think. How
much Independence of thought has the
iOuna! It. for instance, who must Ind
for an audience, the author whose first
thought must he never TO dlspieaSc Il
reader, the orator who must repeat the
stock notions Of his hearers, the pro-
fcsSor who has 10 recocile evolution with
theology; how much liberty OF action
has the voter who depends upon a Gov-
ernmcnt salary, or WHO is Ill Il politl-
clans employ? One cannot very seri-
o,lsly blame these people, to whom III
dependence often means starvation.
| What | want to set III clear light Is this :
that independence in life and thought
depends, more than We like to believe,
upon pecuniary independence; 1t Is not
/ to be had 10y wishing merely. Indl-
viduals there are, and always VIII hc,
! who will suffer for their moral or intel
! lectual independence but the communl-
/ ties will be what circumstances make
/ them. This, again, l want to set III
/ clear light: that we are, as q com
mllnity, deficient, III spite OF all our na-
tional wealth, andunnecessarily deficient,
i'll the best part OF independencc-thc
power to enjoy our lives. In this re-
spect We are behind our friends III
France, with their 2,000,0O Of people
living upon their incomes.
These 2,O00,O)0 Of people are not, for
the most part, either idle, or frivolous,
or wealthy people Many of them live
i'll the cities, but more of them are quiet
people, living on their modest proper
ties in the country, and enjoying then
competence i'll rational way-enJOynG
friendships, social pleasures, family af-
fections, and all the kindly observances
OF home lite i'll II way that We have little
idea oi-in Il way that the tourist IL
Paris sees nothing of. We have mNcl
to learn from the French, and among
the things that we have to learn are
some that may surprise us. One oi
these things Is the comfort, the unity
and the pernanence Of French homes
The French home and family, their hap
pine5s, their unity, their permanence
these have been developed by the com
bined industry, thrift, and domestic sen
timent oi the most intelligent people IL
Europe, and especially by its great mid
die class. We have the significant ties
timony of Prince Bismarck "that tn,
French nation has social solidity sucl
as no other nation of Europe enjoys.
And Mr.. Matthew Arnold, from who's,
"MiXed Essays" quote, adds: "Thi
can only come from the broad basis o
well-being, and of cause for satisfaction
with life, which in France, more than il
other countries, exists. If We ha,
1900, 900 of people, or 1000, 900, VIII,
Were enjoying competence, earned o
inherited, can it he doubted that W,
should be happier people, and bet
ter one. than we are? France and tin
| United States have this important feat
ure in common-in each country neari,
one-half of the people live directly b,
agriculture but our country homes an,
families have not attained the comfor
a or the permanence of theirs.-T. VI
(; Codn. in Harper's Magazine
His Honor.
S Stepping into the Office of lawys
t who prefixes Hon" to his name, Jont
was informed by the clerk. Mr.. Blan
WAS talking of going TO New Yorl
+ Very likely his honor has gone IN
doubt of it. said Jones, is he closed I'll
t door; mo doubt Of tiff he ever ha
any.