Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-02-10

1u"nChlHG thirst: Not NJ III II might
rnthcr he called the art of making
thirst inextnguishable Frank liher
tinaGc, does il desiden the sting Of the
senses: No; ii cnvenoins It, converts
Rturnl desire into n morbid ohsession
md makes It the dominant passion.
Let your needs rule you, pamper them.
you Will see them multiply Ike insects
In Che sun. The more you give them
thc moro they demand. He Is sense
less who seeks for happiness in mate
rinl prosperity alone. As we'll under
take IL fill the cask of the Danaides.
10 thoS" who have millions, millions
urc wanting; 10 those who have thou
sands. thousands. Others lack twep-
- franc piece or Il hundred sous. When
they have Il chicken ip tlAe pot they
ask for 4 goose: when they have the
goose they wish II We're turkey. and
so on. We shall never learn how fatal
this tendency is. There are too many
humble people who wish to initiate the
great, too many poor wOrkfhgmen who
ape the We'll to do middle classes, too
many shopgirls who play Mt being la
dies, too n.any clerks who act the club
man or sportsman, and among those in
easy circumstances and the rich are
too many people who forget that what
they possess could serve n better pur-
pose than procuring pleasure for them
selves, only to find in the end that one
never has enough. Our needs. in place
SO t1.a -, l.
have become a turbulent and seditious
crowd, legion of tyEants In miniature.
\ man enslaved to his needs may best
be compared to a bear with Il ring In
Its nose, that is led about and made to
dance at will. The likeness is not fiat
tering, but you will grant that it is
true. 1t Is in the train of their own
needs that so many Of those men are
dragged along who rant for liberty,
progress and l don't know what else.
They cannot take step without ask
ing themselves If 1t might not irritate
their masters. How many men and
women have gone on and on, even to
dishonesty, for the sole reason that
they had too many needs and could not
resign themselves to simple living!
There are many guests in the cham
bers of Mazas who could give us much
light on the subject Of too exigent
needs.
Let me tell you the story of an ex-
cellent man whom knew. He ten
derby loved his wife and children. and
they all lived together, in France. in
comfort and plenty, but with little Of
the luxury the wife coveted. Always
short Of money, though with a little
management he might have been at
ease. he ended by exiling himself to
distant colony, leaving his wife and
children in the mother country. l
don't know how the poor man can feel
off there, but his family has q finer
apartment, more beautiful toilets and
what passes for an eQuipage. At pres
ent they are perfectly contented, but
soon they will be used to this luxury
rudimentary after all. Then madam
will find her furniture common and her
eQuipage mean. If this man loves his
wife, and that cannot be doubted. he
Will migrate to the moon II there is
hope Of larger stipend. In other
cases the roles are reversed and the
wife and children are sacrificed to the
ravcnous needs Of the head Of the
family, whom an irregular life, play
and countless other costly f0llies have
robbed Of all dignity. Between his ap-
petites and his role of father he has
decided for the former, and he slowly
drifts toward the most abject egoism.
This forgetfulness Of NIL responsible
ity, this gradual benumbing Of noble
feeling, Is not alone to be found among
pleasure seekers Of the upper classes
the people also are infected. 1 know
more than one little household which
ought to be happy. where the mother
has only pain and heartache day and
night, the children are barefoot, and
there Ia great ado for bread. Why?
Because too much money is needed by
the father. To speak only Of the ex-
penditure for alcohol. everybody knows
the proportions that has reached In the
last twenty years. The sums swallow
ed up in this gulf are fabulous-twice
the indemnity Of the war Of 1870. How
many legitimate needs could have been
satisfied with that which has been
thrown away on these artificial ones!
The reign of wants is by no means
the reign OF brotherhood. The more
things q man desires for himself, the
less he can do for his neighbor, and
even for those attached to him by ties
Of blood.
The destruction Of happiness. indie
pendence, moral fneness, even Of the
sentiment of common interests-such Is
the result Of the reign of needs. A
multitude Of other unfortunate things
might be added, Of which not the least
Is the disturbance of the public vel
fare. When society has too great
needs it is absorbed with the present,
sacrifices to 1t the cOnQuests of the
past, immohtes to it the future. After
us the deluge! 10 raze the forests in
order to get gold; to squander your pat
rimony in youth. destroying in day
the fruit Of long years; to warm your
house by burning your furniture; to
burden tho future with debts for the
sake of present pleasure; to live by ex-
pedients and sow for the morrow trou-
BILE, sickness, ruin, envy and hate-the
enumeration Of all the misdeeds Of this
fatal regime has no end.
On the other hand. II we hold to SIM
pie needs we avoid all these evils and
replace them by measureless good.
That temperance and sobriety are the
best guardians Of health is an old sto-
ry. They spare him who observes them
many a misery that saddens existence.
They insure him health, love of action,
mental poise Whether 1t be q Ques-
ton Of food, dress or dwelling, simple
ity Of taste Is also a source Of indie
pendence and safety. The more sim
ply you live the more secure Is your fu-
ture. You are less at the mercy Of
surprises and reverscs. An illness or
period Of idleness does not suffice to
dispOssess you; a change Of position.
even considerable, does not put you
to confusion. Having simple needs.
you find it less painful to accustom
yourself to the hazards of fortune.
You remain a man. though you lose
L. 4 H.