The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-27

n ALSO, am OF grandmarma's opin-
- ion. From the cradle to the grave.
in his needs as in his pleasures IN his
conception of the world and of him
self, the man of modern times strug-
giles through a maze of endless COM
plication- Nothing Is simple any long
er: neither thought nor action; not
pleasure. not even dying. With our
own hands we have added to existence
4 train OF hardships, and Topped off
many a. qualification. 1 believe that
thousands of our fellow men. suffering
the consequences of a too artificial life,
will be grateful If We try to give ex-
pressson TO their discomfort. and 30
Justify the regret for naturalness
which vaguely Expresses them,
Let us first speak of n series Of
facts that put into relief the truth
we wish to show.
The complexity OF our life appears
in the number Of our material needs
It is a fact universally conceded that
our needs have grown with our re-
sources This is not an evil in itself:
for the birth of certain needs is often
mark of progress. To feel the neces-
sity OF bathing, Of wearing fresh linen,
inhabiting wholesome houses. eating
healthful food, and cUltivating our
minds. is a sign of superiority. But il
certain needs exist by right. and are
desirable, there are others whose effects
are fatal, which, like parasites, live at
our expense: numerous and imperious.
they engroSS us completely.
Could our fathers have f0reseen that
we should some day have at our dis
posal the means and forces we now
use in sustaining and defending our
material life, they would have pre-
dicted for US an increase of indepen-
dence, and therefore of happiness. and
a decrease in competition for worldly
goods: they might even have thought
through the simplification of life
thus made possible. a higher
degree Of morality would be
attained. None of these things
has come TO pass. Neither happiness.
nor brotherly love, nor power for good
has been increased In the first place.
do you thing your fellow citizens. tax
en- as a whole, are more contented than
their foTefathers. and less anxious
about the future? L do not ask il they
should find reason 70 be so, but IL
they really are so. To see them live.
IL seems to me that a majority of
them are disconnected with their lot,
and, above all, absorbed in material
needs and beset with cares for the
morrow Never has the question of
food and shelter been sharper or more
absorbing than since we are better
uourished, better clothed and better
housed than ever. He errs greatly who
things that the query, What shall we
eat. and what shall we drink. and
wherewithal shall be be clOthed?" pre-
sents itself 20 the poor alone, exposed
as they are TO the anguish OF NOR
rows without bread or a roof With
them the question is natural and yet
II is with them that it presents Itself
most simply. You must go among those
who are beginning 10 enjoy a little
ease, TO learn how greatly satisfac-
ton IN what one has may be disturbed
by regret for what one lacks. And if
you would see anxious care for future
material goods, material good in all
ITS luxurious development, observe peo-
pie OF small fortune, and, above all.
the rich. II is not the woman with
one dress who asks most mistakenly
how she shall be clothed. nor is il
those reduced 10 the strictly necessary
who make most question OF what they
shall eat tomorrow. As an inevitable
consequence of The law that needs are
Increased by their satisfaction. the
more goods a man has. the more he
wants. The more assured he is of the
according to the common ac-
the more exclusively does ne
concern himself with how he shall live.
and provide for his children and his
children Impossible 20 con-
ceive Of the fears of 2 man established