Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-30

Suue ana Leather Reporter, July -.
There are signs that the people gem
orally are beginning to realize how rapidly |
wealth has been accommodating in the |
country during the past is months. Two
causes have contributed greatly to the an |
crease of the common hoard. The earn
ings have been fair, and the savings have
been large. y has been possible to live
ut less expense than usual without the
practice of any self-denial or much
economy, because everything has been SO
much cheaper than it formerly was. But
i'll such times as we have been lEving,
everybody acquires the hnbit OF frugality
by sort OF common impulse. and it
makes an immense difference in the
course of year whether man is prodigal
or prudent, A cUrtailment az outlay of
40 cents a week ON the cost Of main
tenanee of each inhabEant, Of the land
would make sum total annually of over
thousand million dollars. II docs
not seem eXtrlyugamt to estimate that
the savings effected by tine low prices of
all useful commodities have amounted to
thnt-indeed, it is II fair presumption that
that computation is far short Of the real
figure. IL was very necessary al fRst that
the policy of retrenchment should be
lavish. The wonderful turn in the tide
of fortune in 1879 produced u dizzying
effect upon the popular mind and was
the precursor of n wide variety of wild
eXtravagnces. When udv0rsEy al
monished us all that we wore going NJ a
rate Of speed that was dangerous, We were
slow to comprehend the full force of
the warning. But fof year past nobody
has had any doubt about the polio y
necessary to be pursued Caution has
marked every step that has been taken
III any and all the varied pursuits
of life. Those who have been ordinarily
o. the boldest have shared in the uniysr-
sal tinidity until the liabilities OF inli-
yidual debtors have become very much
reduced, and business SO completely
Invested of the speculative element tha1
there is scarcely any profit iii it. But,
on the other hand, it epn be done Will
exceedingly Slight risk. The small dealers
i'll merchandise are carrying cpmparu
lively little stock. Prices continue low
There will csmc n tilne--soOn it may be
late it had better hewhen the discover
will be made that there are Sapl
goods which are promising object
of investment. Thn There will Ii
considerable tradiRg III them, an
that trading will lie apt 20 enhance III
prices of them Such iucidtnts are til
natural sequence of period of deprcs
sion. The brislnoss that follows is til
inevitable reaction froma prolonged tern
of enforced restraint. When prices III
dropping people buy as little rs they ca
possibly get along with; when they N
rising, they buy more than they reall
need. They will thke fancy ono {
these days, to enlarge their holdings.anC
when they do, consumers will have to pa
larger tax ON the neeessaries Of life, ~
producers will get the benefit of /
1t is time, perhaps, that ii
latter had some share IN the gtE
cral thrift their experiences have bee
particularly unpleasant for quite Will
they have toiled hard and TO no purpos
they are poorer than they would hay
been if they had done nothing. The
term Of waiting and hoping has Ice
long, and it has seemed longer than
was in consequence Of its tcdiousup4
II looks DIS though there was dayl:El
ahead but at the same time il is not he
for them TO be too sanguine or 10 reclyc
ON any success except what will come
them by making the most judicious u
possible of their appliances md o.
portunities. The age is too thorough
liberal to make il snfe 10 depend up,
mere luck for the favors Of fortune