Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-12-19
The BARGAIN Counter and Crime.

| those. Poverty Is hard enough. But,
though poverty dresses in rags, power.
ty too often has handmade ready to
run ut her beck and call. Poverty's
handmade Is crime. and crimes name
can be spelled in many different ways.
Sometimes 1t is called immortality.
sometimes theft. sometimes drunken.
ness, sometimes forgery, sometimes
wrecked and dismantled homes. It Is
easy enough for some Of us TO be good
when we have full stomachs and are
sitting with our dear ones before the
CRATE In the cheerful library, but it Is
another thing for some of us to be
good when we are hungry and cold
and are hearing our little ones cry for
their daily bread Yes, the bargain
counter nearly always means poverty.
And, alas, poverty too often means
crime.
The history Of the bargain counter
is ruinous everywhere. 1t means pow
erty, and poverty too often means
crime. See that young girl leading a
life Of shame. The bargain counter
may have made her do It. See that
forger behind iron bars The bargain
counter may have made him din the
false pen into the ink. See that drunk
ard The bargain counter may have
lifted the intoxicating cup to his lips
You cannot buy something for less
than cost unless some one is being
pushed to the financial wall. The bar
gain counter always means pecuniary
loss somewhere, and the loser Is drlv-
en- by poverty and crime to take the
cup of despair and drink it to the bit
ter drcgs.
Now, there are two great practical
applications Of this subject. Never let
your children become the victims of
the bargain counters tyrannies. New
err start your own loved ones forth into
the battle of life unless they are men
tally and physically trained to do one
thing well, SO that by their own skill
they are able to earn decent living
The direct cause of the bargain coun-
ter is that this world is flooded with
unskilled labor Those unskilled la
borers are almost entirely at the mercy
OF the INSCRIPTIONS, who say to the
poor needlewoman. make these shirts
ut so much day or starve," and there
is no redress. The unskilled workmen
have to labor at starvation wages.
The goods mostly found upon the bar
gain counter are the products OF such
labor. Never let your children grow
up to join the pathetic army of I'M
skilled laborers. Make them learn to
do we'll some one thing by which they
can earn IN honest livelihood if there
should ever be "A necessity for 1t. And
this warning applies just as much to
what you shall do for your girls as for
your boys.
The Turn of Fortune.
ooh" but you say. you do not know
who | am. l am not pauper. am
one of the leading business men in
this town. When | die | expect To
leave my children enough money to be
independent Why. my wife would feel
disgraced If | sent my daughters out
TO work" Great mistake that my
brother The money you have saved
Will never make your family independ-
ent OF financial risks. The easiest
thing in the world to scatter is for
tune when 1t is gathered by the hands
Of another man. And l want to tell
you something else. The labor market
today is simply glutted with the I'M
skilled labor of the men and women
who were once deniZcns of wealthy
homes. Your daughter may know how
TO drum upon the piano from now I'M
til doomsday or paint upon some china
a few flowers which her teacher has
drawn for her, but such accomplish
ments In coming days of financial
stress will not gain for her her daily
bread. No man, | care not who he
may be, whether he lives in palace or
In hut, has done his full duty to his
children unless he gives his boys and
girls the best education in his power
and teaches them how to become skill
ed worbmen In some line so that they
can earn their daily bread. When !
have trained my children's brains and
hands to earn a living. have given
them the best boon on earth. next to
introducing them to my Saviour and
King.
! would impress upon your minds
today the old gospel lesson that our
mission should be to help those who
are helpless and to care for those who
are financially. morally and spiritually
tripped up in the battle of life. In the
old Roman Coliseum, when gladiator
was flung, the angry foe standing over
him had first to look up to the vestal
virgins to find out whether he might
spare him or plunge into his heart the
fatal sword. II the vestal virgins
wanted the PROSTATE fighter to live.
they would point their thumbs to the
heavens; If they wanted him to die,
they would point their thumbs down.
SO today by the lessons of the bargain
counter we hold the life and the death
Of mutitudes as they did in the Ro-
man Coliseum. Shall we say Thumbs
mp or Thumbs down"
The Earl of Shaftesburys Career.
Did you ever hear how the Earl of
Shaftesbury was led to devote him
self to his great life's work? No soon
er did he enter parliament as young
man of twenty-five than he at once be
gan to look around to see whom he
could help. First he arose and advo-
Gated laws for the alienation Of the
!, sufferingS of the insane in the public
asylums. AS soon as the pltlful eX-
istence of these poor unfortunates was