The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-05
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Jhnmu> hnm. IL IL, Ini.,,o,.

Physical moral aud spiritual health
do not depend upon many-room hpus
c> IN Tact the fewer the rooms. within
reason. the >wcctcr and better the
family life.
y very rich man. and also hard
worker was conrra:iilAtcI b. a friend :.
r You "urht to be- a .rry happy man
"Wonld you 10 all that | do for yonr
board and clothc- was the reply
40 II c"ur>". not Well that is
all ,ci \nd tia. j AL any nf ~
get work and worry wc never 80 hard
aud the one blc-> >cd feature nf it all is,
that ruiiin- have no safety ,.;aults. 1t
j. full ,.mr that everybody realizes
these hrmcly truths. The time is
past when ninety nine men out Of one
hundred can have any reasonable hope
ever t" get rich.
The ideal condition for any man is
the ability to make living, and at
the same time Dc independent in
hort To be his own master 40 en-
pl"ycc is, or can be that in the high
est and best sense. His time is not his
own. he has sold it for labor. His
service. in one sense, may b. for the
sake Of the loved ones at home and
those otherwise dependent upon him.
In another sense, he works for
his employer, and as present condi-
tions Of the labor market grow harder,
he is more and more at his employer 8
mercy.
twenty-five or thirty years ago it
was not SO. A faithful man, with a
thorough knowledge of the duties re-
Iuired of him, could easily get anoth
er situation at the same wages. Fight
ing for jobs. except those exception
ally rcmunerativc. was comparatively
unknown. Employees were as indie
pendent as their employers. Are they
now? Is there any prospect of i'm
provemcnt: Trades unions and other
organizations may and do, to certain
extent, keep up the standard of wages,
but trades union can not create work
They cannot prevent the introduction
of improved machinery. They can
not furnish labor and wages for the un :
employed.
Twenty-Five years ago, and later than
that time. in some localities, it was
regarded as step up in life for farm
or boy to obtain situation in city,
or town, store or factory. To-day It
is very decided step down, and cv-
cry man of sense knows it. Then, the
common type of novel and story de-
signed to inspire country boys to be
honest and manly, held out the hope
of getting situation in some city,
store or business, being promoted
until finally he reached partnership
and married his employers daughter
To-day he may wear decent clothes;
he has to do that to'kccp his situation.
but when his board and clothing are
paid for, he has little or nothing left.
Marriage to these young men is be-
coming more and more dream. If
one dare to marry, he can possibly,
with close economy, take small fiat.
Il kind of bird cage, on the third or
fourth floor Of building occupied by
from dozen to fifty other families.
1t children come, and what is home
without them az soon as they are
large enough to make any noise step
downward into cheaper and more dan
gcrous surroundings for children must
be taken, as no children" is the ordi-
nary rule for flat buildings in good
neighborhoods. No, my country boy,
and especially my farmer boy reader,
coming to the city now is stepping
down, and it will not be stepping up
in your lifetime.