The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1885-09-24
Written for the DEMOCRAT.
Self-Control.


The courage Of self control exhib
its itself in many ways, but in none
more than is honest living. Men
without the virtue Of self-denial are
not only subject to their own selfish
desire, but they are usually In bond
age to those that are like minded
with themselves. What others do
they do. They must live according
to the artificial standard of their
class, spending like their neighbors,
regardless Of the consequences, Wthe
same time that all are, perhaps as
piring after a style of living higher
than their means. Each carries the
other along with them and they have
not the moral courage to stop. They
cannot resist the temptation OF living
high, though it may be at the ex-
pense Of others, and they become
reckless of debt until it enthralls
them. In all this there is great
moral cowardice and pusilamity and
want of manly independence Of
character. A right minded man
will shrink from seeming to be thst
which he is not, or pretending to be
richer that he really IS, or assuming
a style of living that his circum
stances will not justify. He will
have courage to live honestly in his
own means, rather than dishonesty
upon the means Of other people, for
he who incurs debt is striving to
maintain a style of living beyond
his income, is in spirit as dishonest
as the man who generally picks yor
pocket. To many this may seem an
extreme view but it will bear the
strictest test. Living at the cost of
others is not only dishonesty, but IL
is untruthful IN deed as lying is in
word. Salisbury somewhere says
that a restlessness to have something
we have not, and to be something
we are not is the root of all imnoI-
atty is the foundation OF all manly
and noble character.
The honorable man is frugal in
his means and pays his way honest
ly. He does not seek to pass him
self off as being worth so much more
than he is, or by running in debt
upon an account to ruin. As that
man is not poor whose means are
small, and his desires under control.
That man is not rich who handles
a great deal, but he who makes the
proper calculations and lives not be-
yond his yearly income. Besides,
for justice for all, there is a moral in
promises and obligations which ey
cry man, woman and child in all this
broad land should learn, that is to
do unto others as you would have
them do to you. No man ought to
buy saw mill and run it three
years and then let it fall back with
out paying damages. So he may
buy land with the same result, and
so on down to the paper of pins,
socks, stockings, carriers, unnecessa
ny dress, corsets, cringers, curriers',
tooth picks, cheek powders, fashion
able magazines, aud in fact all must
be bought and promised to pay for
from a shoe string to a wagon and
team. The facts in the case certain
ly are, that people that live by
their daily labor cannot possibly be
able to make good their promises,
the consequences is failure on the
account Of not having self control in
making contracts that we cannot
pay. The remedy is to make safe
calculations and not on the account
of wanted dress or unnecessaries OF
life to go beyond your financial
ability. Z. Nj. LOVE.