Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-11-25

And suffer, IL you VIII not;
| Forthe wise gain knowledge by study
! And sloth maketh beggar and sot
No doubt the stockholders and Of
hcials in this institution (who expect to
reap rich dividends and big salaries as
a result of their arduous toll, expended
in loaning other peoples money!, huge
ly enjoyed the grim humor contained
I In the above lines. Perchance, how
ever. during moments of reflection,
they have grave misgivings as to the
result, If labor should apprehend the
paradoxical nature of this verse and
grasp the idea that labor does in reality
| produce all wealth-and pay all in
terest.
Uncle Ben then cheerfully proceeds
to classify all those who are not misers
or frugal men, l. e., who do not deposit
money in savings bank. He divides
them into three classes, as follows:
First-Prodigals
Second-Spenders.
Third-Non-savers
And then sapiently adds:
you see that the outspreading arms
of the spendthrift will embrace them
all, though in different degrees. Let
US endeavor to define these three"
| he then defines as follows:
"First-The prodigal, or the man
who spends all he can beg, borrow or
steal
"Second-The spender, or the man
who spends all he earns, though he
might, with frugality. save part of it
This class Is generally composed Of
young men, not married, earning 81, 900
or more every year in cities, and $500
or 5000 in the corc+=J.
"Third-The non-savers or men who
simply do not save because it really
seems as If they could not. And here
Is woeful picture of human existence
If 1t is as it seems to the eyes of many.
But think it is not So Amongst this
third class we may place nearly the
whole laboring population of the coun-
try who have nothing ahead But do
sincerely believe that there is not one
family out of every thousand in the
land that could not, If it would, save
something every week. The trouble is,
every body seems to have been trying,
by dress and living, to lift themselves
to a station In society above their own.
To lift themselves in the world, really,
is highly commendable. But to seem
to do it is not. Because, by seeming tc
be richer than we are, we toolishly
spend all we earn. This is not raising
ourselves in the world at all It is do
ing just the opposite thing precisely.
After which classification this prince
of humorists proceeds to moralize and
exhort after this fashion:
Ought we not to call every man q
spendthrift who spends all he getsi
Why not2 Who can be spendthrift,
If not the man who spends all he gets
Now, dear reader, do not deceive your
self any longer. Are you aspendthrifti
Have you anything saved from your
earnings to prove yourself not a spend
thrift? If not, why does not the oppro-
brious term fit your case? Excuses
avail nothing! The man who avoids g
wrong never needs to make an excuse.
Only those excuse themselves who fai
to do what they ought"
Was there ever q more delicious bit
of delicate sarcasm and yelled irony
How rich does this humor appear
viewed in the light of the fact that in
1880, the average yearly earnings O.
the wage-workers of America were $S4t
= a year, How ludicrously funny mus
be the interrogatory, who can be {
spendthrift if not the man who spends
all he gets?" to the man who gets $500
or $500 n year upon which to support
himself and familyl And then, how
beautifully he satires the impudent as
sertion of the drones and parasites O.
society, that labor, honest labor which
produces all wealth, tries too much
: to ape the foibles and fashions o.
the upper-ten society, who fare sumpt
uously on the proceeds of plundel
stolen from labor! The idea of it
, Preposterous, is it not? To think tina
: labor, oppressed labor, which make,
all clothes, should dare to think o.
wearing anything but cheap, common
APPAREL To think that labor, which
produces ali food and makes all con
\ veniences and comforts possible, SHOULD
dare to want to enjoy any of the con
n vepiences, comforts and decent neces
J, stiles of life, Perish the thought An,
It just think of It'll Labor, which build
h all houses, is beginning to demand tina
l. 1t be comfortably housedl The audac
ity of it.
LUCE AOt AdDOF KNOW LQat none Du
drones, idlers, parasites and beasts G
q prey, such as stockholders and official
8 Of banks, railroad magnates, brokers
real estate sharks and stock and graf
!. gamblers. can live in fine mansions an
:, wear good clothes2 Labor must b
: content to offer itself to the highes
and best bidder, and be industrious
sober and frugal, so as to be able I
: save . miserable pittance out of tn
: wages allowed, which are cunningl
so adjusted as to afford but bare sui
sistence for the wage-worker. Win,
= as Uncle Ben says, save something,
1t Is only ten cents q week" Ten cent
;, q week will amount to the sum of 81
at the end of thirty years. whic
viii, at least pay for d.
cent funeral One might eve
save one dollar week. and at the en-
of thirty years unremitting toll hay
the huge sum of 81, 500 just think {
I'll Almost enough to buy the flower
. for a4 upper-ten banquet! am speal
ing Of savings, pure and simple, unable
+ BY that unholy and accpysed thing Gale