The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-07-18

VAAAS
taAe the time of the merchant and the
time OF his accountant, and you take
the time OF the messenger who brought
you the goods. Now, if you must steal,
steal in way to do as little damage
to the trader as possible.
John Randolph arose in the Ameri-
can senate when question of national
finance was being discussed, and,
stretching himself to his full height,
in shrill voice he cried out, Mr.
Chairman, have discovered the phil
osopher's stone, which turns every
thing into gold-pay as you go!" So
ciety has got to be reconstructed on
this subject or the seasons of defalca-
ton will continue to repeat themselves.
You have no right to ride in carriage
for which you are hopelessly in debt to
the wheelwright who furnished the
landau. and to the horse dealer who
provided the blooded span, and to the
harness maker who caprisoned the gay
steeds, and to the liveryman who has
provided the stabling, and to the driv-
er, who, with rosetted hat, sits on the
coach box.
Oh, am so glad it is not the abso-
lutte necessities of life which send peo-
pie out into dishonesties and fling
them into misfortunes. 1t is almost
always the superfuities. God has
promised us house, but not palace;
raiment, but not chinchilla; food, but
not canvasback duck. l am yet to see
one of these great defalcations which
is not connected in some way with
extravaganza.
Extravaganza accounts for the dis
turbance of national finances. Aggre-
cations are made up of units, and
when one-half of the people of this
country owe the other half how can
we expect financial prosperity? Again
and again at the national election we
have had spasm of virtue, and we
said, Out with one administration
and in with another and let us have
new deal of things and then we will
get over our perturbation" I do not
care who is president or who is Sec
rotary of the treasury or how much
breadstuffs 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 be no permanent prosperity. Look
at the pernicious extravaganza. Take
the one fact that New York every
year pays S3,0O0,000 for theatrical
amusements. While once in while
Henry Irving or an Edwin Booth or
Joseph Jefferson thrills great audi
ence with tragedy, you know as we'll
as do that the vast majority of the
theaters are as debased as debased they
can be, as unclean as unclean they can
be and as damnable as damnable they
majority of those dollars going in the
wrong direction.
Harmful and Unnecessary Expense.
Over hundred millions paid in this
country for cigars and tobacco year.
About $2,000000,000 paid for strong
drink in one year in this country.
With such extravaganza, pernicious
extravaganza, can there be any perma-
nent prosperity? Business men, cool
headed business men, is such a thing a
possibility? These extravagances also
account, as have already limited, for
the positive crimes, the forgeries the
abscondings of the officers of the banks
The store on the business street
swanped by the residence on the fash
ionable avenue. The fathers, the hus-
bands craft capsized by carrying too
much domestic sail. That is what
springs the leak in the merchants
money till. That is what cracks the
pistols of the suicides. That is what
tears down the banks. That is what
stops insurance companies. That is
what halts this nation again and again
in its triumphal march of prosperity.
In the presence of the American peo-
pie so far as l can get their attention
want to arraign this monster curse
OF extravaganza, and want you to pelt
it with your scorn and hurl at it your
anathema.
How many fortunes every year
wrecked on the wardrobe. Things
have got to such a pass that when we
cry over our sins in church we wipe
the tears away with a $3.50 pocket
handkerchief! show you domestic
tragedy in five acts:
Act the frst-A home, plain and
beautiful. Enter newly married pair.
Enter contentment. Enter as much
happiness as ever gets in one home.
Act the second-Enter discomfort.
Enter desire for larger expenditure.
Enter envy. EnSer jealousy.
Act the third-Enter the queenly
dress-makers. Enter the French mil
liners. Enter all costly plate and all
great extravagances.
Act the fourth-Tiptop of society.
Princes and princesses of upper ten
dom floating in and out. Everything
on a large and magnificent scale. En-
ter contempt for other people.
Act the fifth and last. Enter the as
signee. Enter the sheriff. Enter the
creditors. Enter humiliation. Enter
the wrath of Cod Enter the contempt
of society. Enter ruin and death.
Now drop the curtain. The play is
ended and the lights are out.
l called it a tragedy. That is a mis-
homer. 1t is farce
Providing for Ones Own.
know it cuts close. l did not
know but some of you in high dudgeon
would get up and go out. You stand it