San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-11


steady and systematic frugallty, by
means of which a reserved fund may be
created by small daily and weekly saw
ings from their earnings. Frugality 10
the foundation Of comfort and compe-
tenCy-indeed, they can be reared upon
no other foundation, and, by the prac-
IltiCe of steady trugality, every lAD0rlng
Y man may lay up fund, by slow and
small accTetiOns, as the ant hill IS reared
which will suffice To render him COM
Portable. FTugality is sure to grow and
to become fixed habit, when men and
women realize its advantages, and how
much can be accomplished even by
| small savings continued from year to
! year.
As the American laborer receives al
most as much for y days labor as an
English workingman receives for
weeks labor. he Is able to ''lay up some
| thing for a rainy day." without the least
real Inconvenience. Were labOring men
| to practice frugality, they would soon
! be able to acquire homes and to furnish
! them comfortably, and when they reach
that point, they become good citizens
| ana possess a sure antidOte against the
poison distilled from the lens and
tongues of unprinCipled demagogues,
| intent only upon self-aggrandizement.
But wage-workers are prone TO spend
their earnings as fast as they realize
| them.
Frugal persons are seldom q prey to
| discomfort, or lit tools for demagOgues;
while spendthrifts soon fall into the
clutches of agitatOrs and demagogues
and become their willing tools in bring
! ing about changes and agitatiOns, which
are sure to injure the lsbOring class by
alarming
which is proverbially timid,
1t L. the bounden duty OF the govern
ment to employ all practicable means
| that are at its disposal to encourage and
! foster habits of frugality in the people,
| and particularly among the class OF wage
workers, who are most exposed to fall
prey to the arts and artinces of the dem
agOgue.
Now, the chief obstacle to frugality on
| the part of the labOring men Is the want
| of some perfectly safe institution wherein
| they can deposit their petty savings.
| The savings banks, 80 called, have
ruined their depositOrs and cheated poor
men out of the pittance saved from their
scanty earnings. Almost every savings
| bank in the union has failed through the
defalCation OF its officers and left deposit
| tors in the lurch. This state of things
u
| aging influence upon labOriDg men and
has disinClined them to attempt TO lay
| by a portion of their earnings. Nor can
we blame them for their dlstrust OF
what are called savings banks" III the
| savings of years are to be tilched from
| him by the dishonesty of bank officials,
no man would feel disposed to stint him
self for the purpose of depOsiting his
mite in some bank; he would prefer to
| enjoy il himself while he had 1t in hand.
Ii IL sheer folly in working men to de-
| pOsit their money in sO-Called savings
| banks, since they all have failed and
ended by ,defraudlng their depOsitOrs.
National banks do not care to be
bothered with such petty deposits, as
| poor people usually are able 10 make.
and are not willing to pay interest on
such deposits, even where they consent
| to receive them. If labOring men retain
their earnings in their pockets, they are
in danger of losing them, of being
| robbed of them, and are hourly tempted
| to spend them In the purchase of some
| article. which they might make a shift
| to do without; hence. q safe depository
| is absolutely essential to the practice Of
frugslty by the IabOring class. | hope
| the reader will bear in mind the grounds
maintained by me-tirst. that frugality Is
the only method by which poor men can
| attain to independence and comfort, and
| shield themselves from the arts and arti-
| ices of the demagOgue, who is always
| lying in wait TO entangle the distressed
| in the meshes OF his net. Secondly, that
| il is the imperative duty of the govern
ment to encourage and foster the habit
| OF frugality, or Of saving; thirdly, that
the lack of a perfectly safe depositary
disincllnes poor men to practice fru-
| gality.
Now, the United States should receive
small sums, on deposit, at each post-Of-
fee. and issue certificate for every five
| dollars, so deposited, to draw interest at
the rate of three cent. per annum. and to
| be payable one year after date. Such
certificates of deposit should not be
assignable to any person whatever, nor
be subject to process of garnishment and
| attachment.
Ifsuch law should be enacted, its
results would be markedly beneficial to
the laboring class as well as to the en-
tire population Of the union. Every de-
position would feel direct interest in
the welfare and prosperity of the gov
| eminent, from the circumstance, that
the payment of his savings and the in
terest thereon, would depend on the well
fare and prosperity of the government.
The enactment Of such a law would
stimulate laboring men TO practice
steady frugaliiy. by ensuring the pay
ment to them or their heirs, of whatever
sum of money they might deposit. Fru.
gality would soon ripen into habit and
become epidemical, and spread through
out the labOriDg class in the union; nj
event that would cut up demagogueism
by the roots, since men with money
lodged in safe dispositary are not like
ly to be discontinued, sOured and prone
to agitation, the kind OF material dems.
gogues use in their nefarious work.
The discontinued Of the laborlng class
Is an element of weakness to any gov
eminent, and hence should be guarded
against by showing laboring men thai
by practicing steady frugality, they can
attain comfort, II not be enabled tC
adopt a description of labor more con
genial to them. This would prevent 8
glut OF labor In the market, which is Sc
disastrous to such as have no capita
except their capacity to labor. Con.
gress should pass the law herein recon-
mended, at the present session, and put
the postal saving system into speedy
operation. ToNEY.
| Without Adeouate Cause