The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-02-21
Blaming the Government.


The delusion the popular mind labors
under that government is in some way
responsible for it's disasters is most ar
tistically illustrated in the financial
panic at present ravaging Newfound-
land. For generations the merchants
there have been supplying the fishermen
what they need on credit. Fishing is
the industry on which the island de-
pends for it's life. The fish have been
gradually becoming scarcer, so that tho
industry does not pay SO we'll as it used
to do This being the case, number Of
the fishermen have deserted the schoon-
ers and taken employment on the rail
ways that have been lately constructed.
This makes the catch of fish smaller
still. Nevertheless merchants have con-
tinued, just as before, to fit out the fish
ing schooners with all their supplies
for the season, provisions, fishing tac-
kle, bait and clothing on credit, trust
ing to the size of the catch to reimburse
them. In bad seasons the catch did not
nearly do this. Then the merchants had
to borrow money from the banks to tide
them over. For many years this went
Oh, but the bottom fell out at last, as it
always must do where business is done
on the principle Of borrowing money
and going in debt. The merchants fail
ed all in a bunch, and then the banks
that had loaned them money failed, too,
and chaos reigns in Newfoundland.
Now the Inhabitants are bowling that
it is all the fault Of the government
The average mortal does not know much
Simply Shocking.
DR.. T. Veblen contributes to The
Popular Science Monthly the most re-
markable paper that has yet appeared
on the subject Of woman's dress. He
says it was designed originally to show
off the wealth Of the husbands who
owned the women. 1t was designed SO
as to make it physically impossible for
women to walk or work, thereby show
ing that their husbands or owners were
go rich that they did not need to walk
Or work. THE mutilation Of the Chi
nese woman's s feet is an illustration of
the same principle. Conspicuous
waste" is the keynote Of woman's dress.
Women must appear to be idle in order
to be respectable; therefore they must
wear the monstrous clothes that custom
prescribes This is particularly hard on
women whe are obliged to earn live
ihood
But hear DR.. Veblen himself:
The cardinal principles Of the theory Of wo-
man g dress are these three:
!. Expensiveness Considered with respect
to Its effectiveness clothing, apparel must
be uneconomical. It must afford evidence Of
the ability Of the wearer's economic group to
pay for things that are in themselves Of no use
to any one concerned, to pay without getting
an equivalent in comfort or in gain. From this
principle there is no exception
2. Novelty. Woman's apparel must afford
prina facie evidence of having been worn but
for a relatively short time, as well as, with
respect to may articles, evidence Of inability
to withstand any appreciable amount of wear.
Exceptions from this rule are such things as
are Of sufficient permanence to become heir
looms, and Of such SURPRISING expensiveness
as normally to be possessed only by persons Of
superior (pecuniary) rank. The possession Of
an heirloom is to be commended because it
argues the practice Of waste through more
than one generation.
8. Ineptitude. It must afford prima facie
evidence of incapacitating the wcarer for any
gainful occupation, and it should also make it
apparent that she is permanently unfit for any
useful effort, even after the restraint Of the
icv
exception. Hsi sr
Possibilities OF the Bicycle.
A paper in The Century calls atten-
tton to some recent feats Of bicycle rid
ers. This autumn for the first time in
the history of Alabama. tho elections 1ss1 rA-