The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-31
American Wastefulness.

american Wds'Si
The Rev. John Watson Uan Ma
claren) enjoyed greatly his recent visit
to this country and since his return
has been saying many pleasant things
about the American people hot natur-
ally h finds some things to criticize.
We can bear these gentle reproois with
the better humor when we remember
that the faults % which he directs at
trution hlv" received abundant ana
much sharper censure from cisatlantic
commentators Especially WIS TINS
thrifty hut delightful Scot impressed
with the prodigalty shown 10y Ameri-
cans in general. Says ne:
III one were placed in a witness box
he might he obliged to declare that
they wore distinctly thriftless. An
American ningS about his money with
gorgeous pIodigality. Times there are
wren / hard-bitt"n, poverty-stricken
Scot chclishes Il bitter grudge against
his more friendly cousin. 1t is when
he follows him into a continental hotel
and finds the laCkcyS despse his poor
walls after the royal largesse they have
lust received. We can only stand aside
and wonder at our kinsman VINO gets
his money So easily. who holds ii 50
lightly. who spends il so laVishly-a
man surely of very prinCely habit
and far removed about thought of saw
ing. And Yet it may be allowed us to
shake our heads and have some mis-
giVingS as to whether this prOdiGality
~ for tn good of individual character
and the firm upluilding Of Il people.
j. the ostentatious waste If food in
hotels wholesome or justiliable, where
the c'menu is bewilderng IN variety and
;hc portions supplied beyond all neC+s-
sity, and more IS taken away tnan Is
used? Does il cOnduce to STABILITY and
self-reStrlnt to be quite Indifferent
about tomorrow and to reserve moth
ing of tCday's earnings? Have rot the
farmers traded recllesslv on the vir-
gin resources of the land? Have not
III" forests been imprCvidently cut
down? Is there not evoIyWhcr" GER
cain want of prudence and manage
mcrt which cannot in the long run
minister To moral strength or even TO
material wealth? If it be true, as is
cuntcnded, that evory great empire
mas been built up on thrift this means
that the humciest of virtues does not
end in the accumulation of money, but
results i'm the creation of manhood.
And the best friends of America, there
fore desire that amid all her proSperi-
ty she shall not fall away into improvi-
derce and luxury but ever retain and
cultivate that nabit of simple and Sc
rere living which was shown by her
Puritan fathers
Without questioning the accuracy of
this Indictment; in fact. admitting il
10 be true and just. t needs to be
said that steady reaction toward
closer economies is already in pro-
gress. 1t began in business. but it is
found to end in social habits and in
the general style of living. 1t is the
testimony almost invariably of for
eigners who inspect our large indus
tries that in the ingenuity with which
our supcrintendents of industry guard
against small leakages and study the
already we'll in advance Of continental
Europe. The figures of the bureau of
statistics at Washington show that IN
the matter of the average per capita
consumption of food products and in
other necessaries, economy is making
steady inroads. Everywhere our mer-
chants are being forced to do business
on smaller margins The popularity OF
the 40, 80 or other udd-cent bargain
instead of the former round nurber is
proof that thrift in the American char
aCtcr is by no means a latent quality
This tendency to diminish the per
certage of extravaganza is young yet;
il will grow forward not backward
The report that Spain will give VI
Cuba is undoubtedly true. but it vii
not come about voluntarily nor yet
while the United States consents Il
bolster Spain up, tolerate her outrage'