Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-03-17
10 MCDILL'S MUSINGS.
PROSPERITY OF THE NATIONS.

An able author on ''The Prosperity of the
Nations by the name OF Lecky, gives the
following as the cornerstone of true prosper
ity:
''Its foundation is laid in pure domestic life,
in commercial integrity, in high standard of
moral worth and of public spirit, IN simple
habits, in courage, uprightness and certain
moderation of judgment which springs quite
as much from character as from intellect"
So far as my observation and reading ex-
tends, prosperity rests upon quite another basis
according to general teaching. Politicians,
newspaper writers, and even preachers, are
taken up with the doctrine that bank cearngs,
bank deposits, value of crops, manufactures
and exports, and volume of trade generally, is
the evidence from which to base conclusions.
The reader will observe that Lecky has not
word on the production of great quantities of
wealth; not word as to public improvements,
big crops, new manufactures, development OF
natural resources, increased commerce or bank
deposits.
Industry and skill are the factors in rapid
production, but for people to be prosperous,
there must be honesty and fair dealing in dis
trbutlon. If the people who produce wealth
are no better off when they produce large guam
titles of wealth than when they produce small
quantities. it cannot be said that the wealth
producer is more prosperous when productions
are large than when they are small. 1t follows
that fair distribution belongs to general pros
perity. To insure fair distribution, there must
be commercial integrity. If there is CONNER
cial integrity, there must be high standard of
moral worth and public spirit. If there is a
high standard of moral worth, there must be
well-rounded character, with intellect. The
formation OF all these things lies in ''pure do
mestic life" Such is my Interpretation.
Behind all prosperity is the home. Within
the home are the mother and babies. Without
and around the home is the father, bread winner,
faithful to wife, temperate, industrious, kind.
Bread is short for plenty of life's necessaries,
with sanitation and cultivation.
The best citizenship comes from the best
homes. The environment of the child, and the
growth, influence, shape and control the dest-
nies of the, human race. The surest sign,
tnen, OF prosperity 10 WuSiS lhSiS niS lhS OSo'
homes.
Americas greatness came from her home
life, and, such being the case the greatest duty
of the hour is to build and protect the home.
AS has been pointed out in former articles, a
large number of the American people have no
homes, in the strictest sense. A tenant has no
home-only temporary abiding place. With
out ownership there is lack of pride. No ten
ant cares to improve and adorn another mans
possessions The object of landlord in rent
ing is gain, and gain only The tenant aims
TO get as much as possible for the least outlay
Likewise, the landlord. Both parties pull in
opposite directions, and neither one pulls in the
direction of the real home. We cannot reach
real homes through the landlord-and tenant
system. The tenant has no surplus. Capital
and the commercial spirit of our age, and of
ali ages, is to mold the tenant down to the
point of paying rent and livng--rens to live,
and live to pay rent. This is the rule.
The home goes back to labor.
can do no better than to quote Governor
Hoch, in his message to the legislature: