The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-01-30
Economy is Wealth.
BY ELEANOR KIRK

The would-be Solomons Of the past
century have in their egotism formulated
certain sentences was about to say
principles-upon which the youth of diff
ferent generations have been raised. Some
of these aphorisms, if not all, contain a
grain of truth A few will bear the test
Of syllogistic analysis, but there are others
which are so misleading as to be positively
dangerous. Among them is the one above
quoted Economy is Wealth. We will
all agree that if the word economy is
properly understood, the danger will be
modified if not eliminated, but if there is
one word in the language which is less
comprehended than another, that word is
economy. 1t means precisely what the
individual wishes it to mean. Even true
economy will not insure wealth. 1t will
insure: under ordinary circumstances,
degree of comfort in later years which is a
very good thing to plan for. But the
ordinary translation Of this ancient saw
does not embody this principle. Men in
hot pursuit of wealth say to their wives
who ask for money to provide, in many
instances, the actual necessaries Of life,
ave must do without these things; Econo-
my is Wealth, you know. The farmer
sees his wife grow shabbier and uglier and
weaker, day by day, but economy is
wealth, you know, and so she scours, and
washes, and irons, and bakcs, and makes,
and mends, until she develops a tumor or
IA disease of the lungs, and loses her reason
in the awful hand to hand struggle with
circumstances which never should have
come into her life. The farmer digs and
plants, grows careless and slovenly in his
appearance, and has no interest in any
thing but taxes and mortgages. He may
work as hard as his wife, but his environ
ment makes very great difference in the
effect of his labor His roof is the great
blue sky, and he is helped and sustained
by all the beautiful forces of nature. He
may not care for these things-in the
majority of instances does not-but oxygen
is oxygen whether one cares for it or not,
and the effect of deep and pure breathing
goes IL great way toward counteracting
other evils.
This is all the difference there is usually
between the ambitious farmer and his wife
who is killing herself by means of this
hoary headed falsehood. His economy is
not wealth; it is poverty-poverty Of the
mind poverty of the soul, and poverty of
the body. | believe that | am in full
sympathy with women, but my sorrow for
the farmers wives and daughters of this
country is an abiding sentiment. We talk
about the women workers of the old world.
They cannot labor any more necessarily
and their tasks are no more difficult than
our women are obliged to perform. Our
wives have kinder husbands. They are
rarely hart and Inundated by blows; but
there are farmers whom | know, and who
are regarded as Just men and loyal citizens,
who would not allow dumb beast on
their places to be treated as they treat
their wives. wish these wives would
strike-would absolutely refuse to do GER
tain things which have been heretofore re-
quired of them, and for which they are
incapaciatated by weakness or illness. |
wish those who have common sense would
assume this attitude of independence before
they are too i'll or too weak to perform
these incredible tasks Such labor is a
slow suicide for which there is no excuse.
Why | would feed my family on bread
and milk, and beans, and apple sauce, be-
fore | would work myself into the gray
with the preparation of pies and dough-
nuts, and jelly cake, and goodness knows
what, that the farmers wives think they
must prepare for their husbands and
children.