St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-23
LESSONS OF HARD TIMES.
Judges Brill and Willis Address the
F'' $Cru sss ders.


An unusually large number of the
members of the Crusaders Total Alb
stinence society and their friends as
sembled at Cretin hall yesterday after
noon, to = participate in the exercises
or Rally Sunday, a bi-monthly insti-
tuition OF the organization. The speak
ers of the afternoon were Hon. H, r.
Brill and Hon. j. w Willis.
Judge Brill delivered an Interesting
and enthusiastically received q address
upon economies, selecting as, his sub
Ject, Reflections Upon the Recent
Hard Times" After brief review
of the country's prosperous condition
prior to 1889, at which time the i'm
pending crisis began to make itself
manifest, Judge Brill explained the
causes which. in his opinion. had led
TO the great financial depression of the
past two years, and pointed out how,
in the future, a recurrence of the dis
aStrouS times could be avoided
"A rev years ago, said the speaker,
the United States were enjoying a pc
riod of unparalleled prosperity. The
people were. engaged in legitimate busi-
ness enterprises. and contented with
thelr lots. but an uncomfortable desire
for the sSeedy amassing of riches had
seized upon them, causing caution and
prudence to be thrown to the winds.
with the inevitable result-a financial
panic. In former times men had been
content to measure their standard OF
living by their incomes, and had fur
ther been satisfied with moderate com
-petences. Conditions had changed.
/ Men saw their neighbors growing rich
while they remained poor. Inspired
by this seeming. Inequality, all had
rushed into ventures with an end in
view, but wholly oblivious to the means
they employed. Foreign immigration
had choked the cities, yet, in their av-
ar1ce, farmers had sold their farms
and further congested the metropolitan
centers. Speculation and questionable
forms of investment had finally weak
ened the supports of a firm financial
Institution until the entire structure
tottered and fell. Such consequences
were inevitable. False methods of busi-
ness and unrestricted borrowing would
always so result.
Judge Brill condemned speculative
enterprises, and, as he stated, the too
prevalent custom in vogue among the
young men Of today, of living UP to
and beyond their incomes. No matter
how small their salaries, some portion
should be laid away for emergencies
and old age. Earnings were spent in
liquor and cigars, in small proportions.
perhaps, nevertheless, which would, if
saved, rapidly develop fund that
Wouiu TeHueT independence assured,
and freedom from want certainty.
The recent panic had been a deserved
rebuke to loose business methods in
which the country had become in
volved. An unworthy or unstable en-
terprise deserved, to fall. There was
no place in the commercial world for
such concerns. They existed to secure
gain only through certain loss to 9TH
ers. The panic had taught a lesson
by the hardest, though the most i'm
pressive means of experience, which,
II needed, would .pEeyent a similar dis
aster in the future.
Judge Willis spoke but briefly, in
dorsing everything, Judge Brill had
said, and urging. upon those present
the good which would accrue from fol
lowing the advice ito which they had
listened from 80 eminent an authority.
Following sbng, by quart tacte com
posed of MessEs. Gehan, Morrow, keat-
ing and Murphy, the special exercises
closed with plane selection by Miss
Katherine Collins
AT the business session, twelve new
members were elected to the society,"
Arrangements: were also made for q
joint debate between the Crusaders
Total Abstinence society and ST. Jo-
seph's Total Abstinence society, which
will take place at Cretin hall next
Sunday. The question for discussion
will be:
Resolved, That ambition will inspire to
greater effort than love- .-.