The Indianapolis journal., 1890-08-21

cross the boundary of ancestral vocation,
reference To superior station degenerates into
eervllity in the subordinate official. while hu-
mllity IN the servant falls into fiunkyism The
nolds In its iron wise the youth and manhood OF
european nations. and drives the enterprlslng
Anu A. ambitious into exile. How often mas . the
american IN foreign countries noted the chahng
under these social and industrial fetters. and
the h1sh OF shame which tells OF aroused and
panied ambitions.
In this country there are no barriers to wealth
or station which capacity and persistence can
not sweep away. 1t is the rule, and not the ex-
ception, that the chief magistrate has risen rom
tne scenes OF humble life. The career most in
conspicuous in the beginning has had the most
exalted and honorable elimination The lnnu-
ence of such examples would suffice TO stimu-
late the ambition of the humblcst. were II not
that they are an effect rather than cause the
result OF the atmosphere OF independence ana
elevation which surrounds the masses. which
acts with more promptness and potency than
the ultimate persuasion of a brilliant example.
Physical influences are here in harmony with
intellectual The Western world. in its most
temperate zone. with long reaches towards the
tropics and approaches towards the North pole,
with a breadth bordered by the two great oceans
OF the world and attitudes spanning practically
the possibilities OF climate. through altitude
Is in extraordinary measure independent OF
other lands. IL Is a new world though geologic
ally old; rich in soils, in woods and waters. min
erals and metals. These resources invite de-
velopment; and social and political freedom
stimulate noblest daring and highest enterprise
In their utilization. Labor has an incentive. en-
growth. Wealth results; and whatever the
grasping tendency OF human selfshness, which
or for the use OF capital. labor demands and Sc
cures larger share than in other countries he
cause 10 is not only more intelligent, but more
self respecting and self asserting.
The lab0rer stands on relatively elevated
plane. IL native born, he has no conception of
the limitations by which the life of his brother in
other civilized countries is restricted, and would
not tolerate them for a moment. He requires
more and better house room, food III larger
quantity and greater variety, clothing for his
family, books aud facilities OF education for his
children, and something for social life, amuse-
ments and even charities: He is apt to be inter
eeted in politics, in social, beneficiary, re-
1iglous organizations, and oftentilnes in all of
these. would not aver that his foreign brother
does not possess similar tastes aud pre- ferences,
them are In more restricted measure. under
the limitation Of purse and social
individual living is broad in every country; IL is
only the mean. the average mode OF life, that Is
here considered. Want is not unknown here;
the poor and afflicted are everywhere. Yet in
large districts in the United States aims houses
are unknown, ana the poor are too prond for
aims. In the older and denser settlements the
dependent classes few IN comparison with
those OF any country in Europe.
comparison with the most favored foreign
country will suffice. The tenth census returned
66,2O3 panpers. or 80 TO every thousand of the
population. The record of 1880 was 5O,353. or
2.17 TO every thousand. This shows gratify-
ing decrease In pauperism In a period remarka-
BILE for increase OF national wealth. in England
and Wales the number OF paupers in 1873, re-
ceivng relief in the several unions and parishes,
under boards Of guardians, was SS7 .345, and in
1888 the number was s25,5O The returns do
not quite cover the entire population. which was
2s.62s. .sO4 in 1888, but assuming that they
cover all OF England and Wales, the number
would be 2s.s for every Thousand people. This
Is In violent contrast to the situation in this
country. twenty-five to one Is q paralyzing diff
ference illustrating the relative status of living
OF the working GLASSES of the two countries.
COMPARATIVE FOOD CONSUMPTION.
In the use of food our people profuse and
even wasteful All classes use meat freely,
ordinarily three times daily. great variety of
fish, oysters that have a fame extending beyond
the seas. and various forms of crustacea, enrich
the national dietary. According to accepted
meat ration not over two-th1rds as large as the
American, France scarcely half as large, Ger
many. Austria and Italy still less. The more
favored and fortunately conditioned labOrer OF
continental Europe gets meat on Sundays, and
two or three times during the week, yet the
statement OF one of our consuls in Germany that
1.-THE working man rarely eats meat. except in
form of sausage, and his wife and children
scarcely know the taste OF it," is fairly repre-
sentative of large districts of many countries.
Another, writing from Italy. refers to laborers
as living on what our workmen would desplse.'
"A large proportion OF the meat used by the
peasantry and other continental labOrers is i'll
the form OF soups, to give a flavor and "a sugges-
ton OF fatness to the vegetables which constitute
the substance and nutrition o. the daily diet.
are boiled. which is sent to the sewer. would
suffice as the basis of palatable and nutritious
preferred to liquid, it may he had in Italy and
elsewhere; a "thick pOrridge, made Of vegetables,
mass OF the consistency of clay, cut with wire
like soap.''
The laborer's dietary is improving In these
England Mr.. Griffen. the statistician OF gov
ernment department, the Board OF Trade. In
Years ago p was not an article in the worRnsmans 3
diet as 1t has become since. He had little more
concern with its price than with the price of
ical and extreme, speaks OF the wOrkman's
home, "oyer which malaria hovered.'' with a
animal food that whendrenchedb by the tempest
ae6sed nss to ns wnda Of
woods" Thornton, forty years ago, said OF the
potatoes form the staple of their FOOD, and they
scarcely know the taste of meat" Now meat Is
ness n e fr Of se ss In an d
yoring of vegetables, aud in the solid mutton tat
of the heavy English breeds Of sheep. which a
flavor to cereal or vegetable foods. 1t is certain
that many family In England. Of the class Of
than an average "farm hand in this
country And tn the Engsn farm aboTer
use OF meat, as he falls behind the usage
or his American cOnfrere Yet the
condition OF the English laborer is greatly ad-
Nd1ccu ana MS IOOu consumption large III COM
parisOn with that Of continental labOrers. The
American negro, even in the days of slavery,
was usually allowed a weekly ration Of three
pounds OF bacon and peck of meal besides
vegetables and other products either of the
plantation or his own garden patch. This made
at least 80 pounds per annum, not to mention
the occasional opOssum and chicken that were
respectively his legitimate game and his legiti-
mate plunder; and this amount of meat Is more
than the average consumption of any European
nation and two three times much as the
average ration of several of them, including with
the peasant and artisan the citizen and nobility
The average consumption OF meat in the United
States is probably not less than l75 pounds per
Rnnum. OF other civilized nations only Great
Britain exceeds one hundred and many of them
scarcely average fifty pounds. The eonsump-
tion OF the cereals by man and beast is three
times as much. In proportion 10 population. as In
Europe. For the past ten years the average has
been forty five bushels for each unit of pOpula-
tion, while the usual European consumption does
not vary gredtly from sixteen bushels per annum.
While all is not used as food for man, no small
part OF 1t contributes to the meat supply. The
average consumption of wheat for bread ia
nearly live bashels, aud about three bushels of
maize and ore bushel of oats and rye. or approx
mately nine bushels for each inhabitant.
The average European consumption Of wheat
Is about 3a bushels. In the consumption Of
fruits the difference between this and other
countries Is marked with unusual emphasis.
Small fruits orchard fruits of all kinds and
tropical fruiys, as well as melons of many varie-
ties, are in DrOfuse and universal daily use in
cities and towns, and in the country the kinds
locally cultivated are still cheaper and more
abundant in their respective localities, though
scarce In the regions of recent settlement and
those unsuited 70 n wide range Of species.
Ihe consumption or vegetables 10 not exces-
sive The products that are rarest and dearest