Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-08-14

! If he should die his wife would not
be a pauper? No. 1t was for the one
purpose Of getting his wife a $50
sealskin sacque. [ am just giving you
fact 1 know. The sister of this wo-
man, although she was a very poor
girl, was not to be eclipsed, and so
she went to work day and night and
toiled and toiled and toiled almost in
to the grave until she got $3.50 seal
skin sacQue! Well, the news went
abroad all through the street. Most
Of the people on that street were Ia
boring, hard working people, and they
were not to be outshone in this way,
and they all went to work in the same
direction and practically said, though
not literally, Though the heavens fall,
we must have a sealsl1in sacquer'
A clergyman in Iowa told me that
his church and the entire neighbour
hood had been ruined by the fact that
the people mortgaged their farms in
order to go down to the Philadelphia
Centennial in 1876. First, one family
would go, then another family, and
finally it was not respectable not to go
to the Centennial at Philadelphia, and
they mortgaged their farms. The
church and the neighborhood ruined
in that way. Now, between such fools
and pauperism there is only a very
short step. In time of peace prepare
for war. In time Of prosperity prepare
for adversely. Yet how many there
are who drive on the verge Of the
precipice, and at the least touch of &C
cident or sickness over they go. All,
my friends, it is not right, it is not
honest! He that provideth not for his
own, and especially those of his own
household, is worse than an infidel A
man has no right to live in luxury and
have all comforts and all brightness
around him, taking his family with
him at that rate-everything bright
and beautiful and luxurious until he
stumbles against tombstone and falls
in, and they all go to the poorhouse.
That is not common honesty. I am no
advocate of skinfiint saving. 1 abhor
it. But I plead for Christian provi-
dence.
Savings Banks.
Some Of the older persons remem-
Der very we'll Abraham Van Nest Of
New York, one of it's Christian mer-
chants. He was often called mean
because he calculated so closely. Why
did he calculate closely? That he
might have the more to give. There
was not Bible society or a tract So
ciety or a reformatory institution in
the city of New York but he had his
hand in supporting it. He denied
himself many luXuries that he might
give to others the necessities. He has
been many years reaping his reward in
heaven, but 1 shall never forget the
day when l, a green country lad, came
to his house and spent the evening,
and at the close of the evening, as I
was departing, he accompanied me to
the door, accompanied me to the steps,
came down off the steps and said:
"Here De Witt, is $40 for books. Don't
say anything about it." 1t is mean or
it is magnificent to save, according as
you save for a good or bad object.
l know there are many people who
have much to say against savings
banks and life assurances. I have to
tell you that the vast majority of the
homesteads in this country have been
the result of such institutions, and I
have to tell you also that the vast ma
for the laboring classes will be the
result of such institutions. 1t will be
a great day for the working classes Of
England and the United States when
the workingman can buy a barrel of
flour instead Of flour by the small
sack; when he can buy a barrel of
sugar instead of sugar by the pound;
when he can pay cash for coats and
hats and shoes rather than pay an adj
ditiOnal amount for the reason that he
has to get it all charged.
Again I remark: Great relief is to
come for the laboring classes of this
country by appreciation on the part of
employers, that they had better take
their employees into their confidence.
can see very easily, looking from my
standpoint, what is the matter EN-
ployees, seeing the employer in SEEM
ing prosperity, do not know all the
straits, all the hardships, all the loss
es, all the annoyances. They look at
him, and they think, "Why, he has it
easy, and we have it hard" They do
not know that at that very moment
the employer is at the last point Of des-
peration to meet his engagements.
I know a gentleman very we'll who
has over 1000 hands in his employ.
I said te him some years ago when
there was great trouble in the labor
market, GLOW are you getting on with
your men?" "Oh," he said, 81 have no
troub1e!' why" 1 said, thave not
you had any strikes? ooh, nor he
said. Il never had any trouble"
"What plan do you pursue?" He said:
81 will tell you. All my men know ev-
cry year just how matters stand Ev-