The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-03-14
lEvYlNe TRIBUTE.
How Gift-Making Has Degenerated Into a
lenteel System of Blackmafl.

How Gift-sgakins Has Degenerated Into
Genteel System of BIackmail.
Almost from the first era of which
history gives any record the beautiful
custom of gift-making has been in
vogue. Even the ancients. whose Gus
toms are explained in the Bible, observed
the custom, carrying pieces ofgold end
silver. cloths, pots Of honey and wine
and spices TO contemporaneous people
when making visits of friendship or
when going on missions of peace or err
rands connected with governmental af-
fairs. Kings gave to Kings, Princes TO
Princes, peasants to peasants. and mem
bers of the same family living at dis
lance always carried some tokeI of es-
TEEN when paying visits to each other.
Frofn time immemorial it has seen
the custom for lovers to exchange pres
ents upon any and all occasions, whsther
or not an excuse could be found for it
outside of their desire to mutually please;
the people have lavished costly gifts
upon rulers without compulsion and
with; friend has given to friend, and
employees to employers. This system of
expressing love and esteem has always
been a popular one, and if it had been
preserved, as It should have been. with
ont the faint of ''paying tribute, would
be to-day as beautiful and ennobling as
it was in the days when the widow gave
her mite, without coercion and without
expectation of benefits therefrom in the
hereafter.
Time. It Is said, changes all things. 1t
certainly has changed the custom under
discussion. Like many others, it has
degenefated until it has now become
almost as hateful as it once was beauti-
full. The why and wherefore must be
answered by those whose conscience
readily announced their guilt; the inno-
cent must look to the knowing ones for
information. How this deplorable state
of affairs has been brought about can be
explained by almost any one.
In olden times people who made gifts
did SO of their own accord. This at least
was the case up to the time of the
Caesars. When the Roman ruler Clau-
dius came into power he became dis
gusted by the manner in which his pre-
decessors had imposed on the people by
levying tributes, and issued a decree
limiting the practice This edict re-
ferred to the gifts made on New Year s
Day and other fete days, but it was sufs
ficient tn break up, to large extent.
the pernicious habit into which those in
power had fallen.
In modern times every conceivable
occasion is grasped by some for gift
making. Holidays, birthdays, wedding
anniversaries, promotions, election to
Office, departures and almost everything
else must be celebrated in this way. and
it is this which has made the custom an
odious one.
A gentleman was talking on the sub
iect few days ago
''Do you know" said he, ''that many
man in this city has been compelled
at times to rob his family of some
needed comfort in order to keep up with
his fellow employees in gift-making?
Well, it is fact, and to say the least of
employed in store, and some event in
the life of their employer makes recog-
milton and remembrance on their part
essential-not justly so, but still they
must not appear picayunish, and a
present is decided upon, and each fell
low assessed enough to make in the
aggregate the sum required to purchase
it. Some of these men have families
which they find it hard matter, on
small salaries, to provide for. These
two, or three, or five dollars taken from
their purses are needed at home, doubt
less, but still they have to give it up to
pamper to foolish, aye, criminal GUS
tom, or be called niggardly, and, may
be, if their 'stinginess' becomes known
to their employer, incur his displeasure
and lose their places"
''Do you think any man would be
mean enough to discharge an employee
because he refused to rob his children
for such purposep"
'.Do Ip Well, should think so. !
know of instances where men have been
given to understand that they were ex-
pected to contribute, and, failing, would
have to look for work elsewhere. 1t is
this system of robbery which has made
gift-making so pernicious. The worst
feature is that it is growing steadily,
until now some men can scarce turn
around without expecting some one to
give them something"
"Are not the people who give pres
ents in a measure responsible for this
state of affairsp"
"Some of them, doubtless. There are
always people who seek to curry favor
with their superiors through the instru-
mentality of presents; there are still
others who have no better sense than to
think that is the only way to spend their
money for which they have no other
use. The latter are as bad as the form
er. They do not stop to think when
they go around among their fellow
workmen, subscription paper in hand,
expecting everyone to contribute some
thing, that the natural pride of many
who have nothing to spare will force
them to give up for foolishness what
maybe is needed at home for barefooted
or bareheaded youngsters"
s.And this habit is spreading?'
Like wild-fire. Nowadays every
body has the craze. School children
give to teachers, employees to employ
ers. and holders of appointive offices
under city, county, State and national
governments to the heads of depart
ments, sometimes, though very seldom,
as unanimously free-hearted token OF
friendship; often through coercion. 1t
is shame
'Is there no remedyp"
1.-THE only one know of is through
prohibiting such things. 1t should be
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