Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-08-19

man to GO west, that region was enjoy
ing unexampled prosperity. The ter
ritory was being rapidly developed
and towns and cities were springing up
like mushrooms in summer night.
Eastern and European capital flowed
freely in. Instead Of carefully invest
ing and protecting their enormous
gains, and living on frugally until they
had come to solid wealth, the western
people lost their heads. INDUCED in the
most iamboyant prodigality, threw
their money right and left until their
extravaganza became IA proverb, and
then, when the bodkin of natural law
puncturea the tire of their debt scOrch-
ing, down they came Ever since the
collapse they have been wrestling
with mortgages, burst booms and the
other debt-born members OF the family
of Nemesis.
and heartily repenting, the people
have turned to the government. Dem
agogues found it easy rs persuade a
spendthrift people that it the govern.
ment had done it's duty they would all
he rich, and that if the national treas
ury by some sort of paternalistic device
would but now come to their rescue all
would be well. The thrifty and fore
handed are abused by all manner of cx-
pletives for not dividing with the
prodigal.
The average American who suddenly
finds himself elevated 10 position
where he draws Il salary of $4,000 or
81, 900 year, instead of still living as
modestly as he did when he had but
5000 year, Immediately rises TO the
occasion-and little above. Instead
Of saving his wages and investing it in
permanent property he rents an ex.
pensive house in the city in winter
and an expensive cottage by the sea-
side in summer, dresses his wife as
well as the best, employs several serv-
ants, sends his children TO an eXpen-
sive school, gets him carriage, joins
| IA fashionable club, and when he dies
leaves his widow with Il heritage OF
| expensive tastes and small life insur-
ance. His daughters are expected to
marry money, on peril OF their social
standing. His sons must begin as poor
rs he was when he began, but handi-
capped, as he was not, by being started
out on a social plane where they have
| no means adequately to support them
| selves.
Where does all the money go-all
this that is squandered by the people?
| 1t naturally flows into the hands of the
great wealth units. The immensely
rich, even if they are extravagant, have
IA large bulk of money that is untouched,
which goes right along increasing and
attracting to itself the little mole
cules that have slipped through the
hands of the spendthrift poor. After
all our philosophizing about the laws
OF GENERALIZATION the common. sense fact
is that the best distributor Of wealth
evenly among the populace is thrift,
and unthrift is the most potent central.
izer. A thrifty people keeps money
widely and generally dispersed. Il prof
ligate people is the favored soil on
which 80 grow money kings. The stu
dent Of history will find il easy to sub
stan'iatc this statement.
| One oi the greatest consultations OF
capital is the colossal brewery trust
now forming. 1t represents many
millions. Every nickel OF its posses
sionS is derived from the sensuality and
weakness OF the people. suppose
gifted statesmen will come soon to the
front with congressional schemes TO
control this aggregation. But the
people could dispense it in IA shower
OF blessed gold all over the and, bring
ing joy to thousands OF impoverished
families. if they would simply stop
drinking beer. But Of course such a
suggestion j. silly. Any reform is all
right which proposes to change the
government or the arithmetic or the
neighbors, and can find myriads OF en-
thusiastic adherents; any reform is all
fright except one which proposes that
we begin by reforming ourselves.
| There are two or three practical
points anent this matter. One is that
government should do everything in
it's power TO encourage saving habits
among the people. Bank and building
and 4oan associations should be strictly
guarded by government oversight, and
those officers who make away with the
trust funds of the people should be
most strenuously prosecuted. This