The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1894-09-14
From o Letteranf -.,s;jja...ssssiia -l:;j:..ssia Franklin
E 81 n Eaasn .gS ~
MEST FROM THE BOROUGH OF CALNE
WRITTEN IN 1884.

agine, that the interest of few in
dividuals should give way to general
interest; but individuals manage
their affairs with SO much more APP
plication, industry, and address, than
the public do theirs, that general
interest most commonly gives way to
particular. We assemble parlia-
mcnts and councils, to have the ben
eft of their collected wisdom but
lwc necessarily have, at the same
time, the Inconvenience of their col
lectcd passions, prcjudiccs, and pri-
vatc interests. BY the help of these,
artful men ovcrpower their wisdom,
and dupc its possessors =; and if we
may judge by the acts, arrets, and
cdicts, all the world over, for regu-
lating commerce, an assembly of great
men is the greatest fool upon earth.
| have not yet, indeed, thought of
a remedy for luxury. Tam not sure
that, in a great state, it is capable
of a remedy; nor that. tho evil is in
itself always so great as is represent
cd. - Suppose we include in the def
milton of luxury all unnecessary ex-
pensc, and then let us consider
whether laws to prevent such expense
arc possible to be executed in great
country, and whether, if they could
be executed, our people generally
would be happier, or even richer. Is
not the hope of being one day able
to purchase and enjoy luxurics, a
great spur to labour and industry ?
May not luxury, therefore, produce
more than it consumes, if, without
such spur, people would be, as they
are naturally enough inclined to be,
lazy and indolent? 10 this purpose
l remember a circumstance. The
skipper of Il shallop, employed be-
tween Cape May and Philadelphia,
had done us some small service, for
which he refused to be paid. My
wife understanding that he had a
daughter, sent hcra present ola new
fashioned cap. Three years after,
this skipper being at my house with
an old farmer Of Cape May, his pas
scngcr, he mentioned the cap, and
how much his daughter had been
pleased with it. "But (said hey it
proved Il dear cap to our congrcgo-
ton. -" How so -" When my
daughter appeared with it at meeting,
it was so much admired, that all the
girls resolved to get such caps from
Philadelphia; and my wife and l
computed that the whole could not
have cost less than a hundred
pounds. -" True, (said the farmcr)
but you do not tell all the story. l
think the cap was nevertheless an
advantage to US; for it was the first
thing that put our girls upon knit
ting worstedmittcns for sale at Phil
adclphia, that they might have
wherewith to buy caps and ribbons
there; and you know that that in
dustry has continued, and is likely
to, continue and increase to a much
greater value, and answer better pur-
poses. Upon the whole, | was
more rcconcilcd to this little piece of
luxury, since not only the girls were
dcthappier by having fine caps,
but the Phladelphians by the supply
Of warm mittcns.
In our commercial towns upon the
scacoast, fortunes will be OCCASION
ally made. Some of those who grow
rich will be prudent, live within
bounds, and preserve what they have
gained for their postcrity; others,
fond of showing their wealth, will be
cxtravagant, and ruin themselves.
Laws cannot prevent this and per-
haps it is not always an evil to the
public. A shilling spent idly by a
fool, may be picked up by Il wiser
person, who knows better what to do
with it, 1t is therefore not lost. a
vain, silly fellow builds a fine house,
furnishes it richly, lives in it expen-
slvely, and in a few years ruins him
self; but the masons, carpenters,
smiths, and other honest tradcsmcn
have been, by his employ, assisted in
maintaining and raising their fami-
lies; the farmer has been paid for his
labour, and encouraged, and the
estate is now in better hands. In
some cases, indeed, certain modes of
luxury may be public evil, in the
same manner us it is a private one.
If there be nation for instance, that
exports its beef and linen, to pay for
the importation of clarct and porter,
while great part of its people live
upon potatoes, and wear no shirts;
wherein docs it differ from the sot,
who lets his family starvc, and sells
his clothes to buy drink? Our
American, commerce is, | confess, ! IA
little i'll this way. We sell our
yictuals toiY1.o isloDls for rum and