San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-12-04
coNTRIBUrED SCRAPS.
Written for the LIGHT.

The idea that the possession OF
money constitutes the summum
benum is gaining ground daily ;
will become supreme in another
generation.
Parents begin betimes, to teach
their children, that the chief end
OF man is to gather together
money and that money is the only
desirable thing in this world and
supplies all other things, such as
intelligence, integrity and good
name.
Aristides after being the chief
officer for years, in Athens, when
he died was so poor that he was
buried at the public expense.
William Pitt, the younger, after
filling the Office of prime minis
ter OF England for about fifteen
years, died a pauper and was &C
corded funeral at the public ex-
pense.
Money is alike necessary and
desirable as a means to an end,
viz, independence and comfort,
but "the love of money ia the
root of all evil" We see this truth
eXemplified everyday in the year.
Diligence and economy will
amass a competency, and it is
well enough for parents to incul-
cate these admirable virtues; but
they are essentially wrong, when
they foster the love of money in
their children.
The love of money realizes the
truth of Shakespeare's saying,
that "appetite grows by what it
feeds on" Economy slides into
miserliness and miserliness STILES
all noble impulses and generous
aspirations and begets absolute
and entire selfishness and isola-
tion from the human race.
The forecast Of the coming six
months lie gloomy. A large crop
of failures and fires is in store.
Every branch of business is
over done. Merchants cannot
sell Their stocks Of merchandise
and goods, because the people at
large are destitute Of money with
which to purchase them.
The farmers, as a class, possess
very little money. The low price
Of farm products, com bined with
unpropitious seasons, has very
materially reduced the income OF
farmers and, consequently, their
means Of purchasing goods.
Half the working men are with.
out work, and the other half are
lucky If they get three days work
in the week, and more lucky IL
they are paid for these three days
work.
There Is vast number of lots
and houses in San Antonio for
sale, and farms and ranches in
the country for sale, but buyers
are hard to find. Want of money
is the cause Of this state Of
things.
Now is the time to buy real
estate while the price is down,
but not one person in a thousand
can lay his hand on 5000. He
may own $4,000 in real estate, or
have that sum out in loans, but
ready cash he does not possess.
A merchant whose capital has
been laid out in a stock Of goods
must either sell his goods, or exc
cute an assignment.
Now the hard times will ease
up so very gradually as to render
the slight Improvement imper-
ceptible. Good times will reappear
just as days break-by impercep-
tible degrees.
But the return of goo1 times
will not come in time to help mer-
chants, whose entire capital con-
sists in goods of any description
and character. There is too great
competition and what little
trade there is to be picked up, is
too much divided to help a man
in a spell Of hard times such as
this country is now wrestling
with.
Better to sell at prices little
above cost, or even at cost than to
be forced to assign. Better to
compromise with ones creditors
by turning the goods over to
them than to assign. The pinch
Of hard times is yet to come.