Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-07-19

NANN iOl OAAs itiIh = SDCOS. OUT YOU
take the time OF the merchant and the
time OF his accountaut. and You take
the time OF the messenger who brought
you the goods Now. IL you must steal.
steal In a way TO do as little dama:e to
the trader as possible.
john Randolph arose In the American
senate when n question OF national
finance was being discussed. and.
stretching himself 10 his fun height. in
a shrii voice be cried out, "sIr. Chair
man. l have discovered the philoso-
piers stone. which turns everything
into gold-pay as you 60" Society has
got to be reconstructed on this subject
or the seasons Of defalcation will con.
unue 10 repeat themselves. You have
no right 10 ride in II carriage for which
you are horeleSsly in debt to the wheel
wright who furnished the Landau and
to the horse dealer who provided the
biooded span and to the harness maker
who eaparisoned the gay steeds and to
the iivcryman WHO has provided the
stabling ami TO the driver who. with
rosetted hat. sits on the coach box.
Wasted Wealth.
Ga. am 80 glad II is not the absolute
necessities of life which send people
out into dlShonesties and ding them
Into miSfortunes- 1t is almost always
the superfiuties. God has promised us
house. but not q palace; raiment. but
not chinchilla; food. but not canvas
back duck. am yet to see one of
these great defalcations which is not
connected in some way with extrava-
gance.
Extravaganza accounts for the dis
turbance of national finances. Aggre-
sations-are made up of units. and when
one half of the people of this country
owe the other half how can we ex-
pect financial prosperity? Again and
again at the national election we have
had a spasm of virtue. aud we said,
Out with one administration aud in
with another. and let us have a new
deal OF things. and then we will get
over all our perturbation" I do not
care who is president or who is score
tary OF the treasury or how much
breadstuGfs go out OF the country or
how much gold is imported until we
learn TO pay our debts and it becomes
a general theory in this country that
men must buy no more than they can
pay for. Until that time comes there
will I've no permanent prosperity. Look
M the pcrnicious extravaganza. Take
the one fact that New York every year
pays S:i.C00.00o for theatrical amuse-
mpDts. While once in awhile n Henry
Irving or an Edwin Booth or Ioseph
jefferson thrills great audience with
tragedy. you know as well as do that
the vast ma jority of the theaters are
as dehascG as debased they can be. as
unclcan as unclean they eau be aud as
damnabie rs damnable they can be.
Three million dollars-the vast major
i;y Of those dollars going in the wrong
direction.
Over n hundred millions paid In this
country for cigars and tobacco n yearl
About $2.O00.o00.0OQ paid for strong
drink I'm one year in this countryi With
such extravaganza, pcrnicious extrava-
gancc. can there bc any permanent
prosperity? Business men. cool head
cd business men. is such thing a pos
Sibilityi These extravngances also ac-
count. as have already hinted, for the
positive crimes. the forgeries. the abb
srondiugs OF the officers OF the banks.
The store on the business street swamp
cd by the residence on the fashiona Bile
avenue. The fathers. the husbands
craft cnpsizcd by carrying too much do
nestle sail That is what springs tho
leak i'm the merchants money Till. That
is what cracks the pistols OF the sui
cidcs- That Is what tears down the
banks. That is what stops insurance
companies. That is what halts this M,
ton again and again In its triumphaI
march OF prosperity. In the presence
or the American people. so far as can
get their attention. want TO arrsign
this monster curse of extravaganza.
and l want you 10 pelt IL with your
scorn aud hurl ut IL your anathema.
Fortunes Wrecked
How many fortunes every year wreck
cd on the wardrobe, Things have got
TO such a pass that when we cry over
oar sins in church we wipe the tears
away with a $3.50 pocket handkerchief,
l show you a domestic tragedy in five
acts:
Act the first A home. plain and
beautiful. Enter newly married pair.
Enter contcntmcnt. Enter rs much
happiness as ever gets In one home.
Act the second-Enter discomfort.
ENTER desire for larger expenditure.
Enter envy. Enter jealousy.
Act the third-Enter the queenly
Enter the French mil
liners. Enter all costly plate and all
great extravagances.
Act the foCrth-Tip top of society.
Princes and princesses OF upper tendon
hoating in and out. Everything ON a
large and magnificent scale. Enter
for other people.
act the fifth and last-Enter the as
siSnee. Enter the sheriff. Enter the
creditors. Enter humiliation. Enter
tie wrath of God. Enter the contempt
OF society. Enter ruin and death. Now
drop the curtain. The play is ended.
and the lights are out.
called Ii tragedy. That Is a mis-
homer. 1t is farce.
Extravaganza accounts for much OF
the pauperism. Who are these people
whom You have TO help? Many of them
are the children of parents who had
plenty. lived in luxury, had more than
hey needed. spent all they had, spent
mere. toe; then died and left their fam
lies in poverty. Some of those who
'aii ON you now for aid had an ances-
ry that supped on Burgundy and
vcodcock. couii name n score of men
Who have every luxury. They smoke
he best cigars. and they drink the fin
Isl wines, and they have the grandesf
surroundings. and when they die their
antilles will go on the cold charity of
he world. Now, the death of such a
nan Is grand larceny. He swindles
he world as he goes into his coffin, and |
&c deserves to have his bones sold to |
he medical museum for anatomical |
specimens, the proceeds to furnish
'read for his children.
l know il cuts close. / did not know
INT some Of v0u in hinyl d,,I~-oox<