Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-06-27
Is Extrayagance a Blessing.


temporary OF the Waterman devotes
column and half to the discussion OF our
remarks on an item going the rounds TO
the effect that the queen of England spent
1925 900 annually on her yachts, and that
the sum would keep five hundred families
from starving for year. In our remarks
we said the extrayagences of the rich we're
the blessings of the poor, that the money
they seuandered came into the hands OF
poor people whose services the rich re-
ouire and pay for. All we said, had
reference entirely to the benefits OF extrav-
agance OF the individual, to those who
live about him and get the money the rich
man spends, and has no reference to the
personal effect on the individual who
squanders his substance in riotous living
nor did we think it necessary to caution
people against individual extravaganza
But if so able man, and so profound Il
s,udent of political and social economy as
DR.. Hoskins misunderstands US. we must
have failed to express our ideas with
sufficient clearness. The doctor opens on
us as follows:
..In the kingdom of the blind men, the
one.eyed man is king says an old
proverb Our brother agricultural editor
IS thoroughly convinced that he is
leoitimate claimant for the royal ermine
os AGAINST the "short.sighted" people who
think money might be better spent in the
aims house be-dotted realm of Victoria,
than paving it out at the rate of Sl25,000
a wear on the queens pleasure boats. This
money is first squeezed out OF the people
and then paid back to some OF them for
labor utterly unproductve, and usel ess
towards any other end than the mere
Injury of an overpaid and practically
worthless figure head to nation perfectly
capable of ruling itself without any such
costly excresence.
Thanks for the implied concession, that
we have one eye, and with that eye
we sec the world as it stands, rich and
poor living in it. We did not undertake.
to discuss the questions whether property
should be equally divided. whether there
should be people who accumulated wealth,
or the unpleasant consequences to its
possessor who fooishly squanders his
means. The last will need no especial
explanation to impress it sufficiently on
the mind of him who takes that course, so
let it be considered as clearly stated as
our belief that extravaganza is personally
disastrous. That extravaganza is the
spending beyond what ones means will
warrant. That man who is worth n
million, can safely and pruden,ly spend
sums which would be grossly ex ravtganl
in the man with but a tenth part rs much
"The fact is that labor laid out in suct
foolish WAYS is worse than wasted, be
cause, as in the case of queens steamers
and the millionaire's palace, not only the
first cost is gone, but there is continue
drain ever after to keep them up: and i
would be blessing to have them burned
if we could be sure they would never b.
replaced"
Our one eye assures US that this
wrong; that labor paid for brings brea'
and butter, and clothing and comforts t.
the lhDOTGT, WlllOuS " "uCtuS
the man who hires can afford it or moi
What odds to the doctor who raises an
sells such amounts of small fruits, whethe
the man that buys them is able to do SC
That's the buyers look out, and we don
believe the doctor ever refuses to Sc
because The customer is not able TO indulg
in such Injuries.
"Let us take the city of Boston fc
instance, Go up and down its hundred
of miles of streets and see the palaces {
trade and the magnificent dwelling
palaces, too, in everything but name, tn;
stretch 80 far strong man grows wear
in walking by them before 1.-THE of the
frontage has been passed. Is there an
reasonable need of business or of domest
comfort, that requires such immense e1
penditures, mounting into the thousanC
of millions-money spent in carved an
polished stone, in sumptuous furnishing
and adornments beyond description {
counting? All this must be built, renewe
and supported by the labor of man an
that labor must be paid for. What is
that supports and supplies ali this vas
expenditure? We are told it is the trad
OF DUSJOU, anu WHO uOGS DUSlOu
WITH She trades with all New Englan
and the west and south. Tolls on tn,
trade pay for all this magnifcence, an
the vast daily expenditure to keep it u
comes, too, from tolls upon the trade
Boston.
Now fifty years ago the business {
Boston was done. and well done, in chea
brick or wooden warehouses and th
oho If ooton i,, L.;
substantial homes of moderate cost. SUI
pose the present race of business men
that city lived to day, and transact
business to day, in the way their fathe
did, would not the plain people of II
country, the working men who produC
the wealth that makes Boston's trad
live better and have little more laid W
Can these Boston people eat so much
the cake without their customers beir
stntedP In short, are the profits fair
dvitedp"
We must again say, we are not discus
ing the question whether property {
profits are equally divided. Yes, suppo
the business men of TO day occupied Il
that their grandfathers or their fathe
did, where would be the army of lahore
who built those business palaces, in evel
department of every grade, from the pc
son who carried the hod, through Il
whole line of laborers to the archtec
who designed the structures, who
families have been supported, who
children schooled, whose homes mac
comfortable by the fruits of that labo
and so back through call avenues
industry, leaving Il little of comfort
every hand through which it passed
Truly, the doctor says, IAN this must b
built and renewed and supported by til
labor Of man, and that labor must be pal
for" THE italics are ours), and tn
country which can suitably employ tn
most labor at good wages is the mos
,,rneOnrOua