The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-17
dead The greatest sufferers Of ma.

Ueau. Ne SredteSI sufferers OI b Ud-
tons wars are the unseen sufferers.
Who, then, are the martyrs Of the
bargain counter? | will tell you. In
all probability those goods which are
who was driven to the wall and who
had to sell his stock for anything he
could get, or they are the goods OF
some poor woman who had to work In
the Chicago or the New York sweat
shops, or they are the goods that have
been marked down below cost in orGer
to run some rival out of business. 1t
Is easy enough for druggist to take
in a line of stationery and sell it at
cost in order to destroy the trade Of
the stationery store near him, but that
sale means blood money. No man ever
bought something for less than cost
unless some one had to suffer. God
pity the poor sewing girls whose nee
dies made those cheap garments. God
pity the wrecked business out of which
those bargain counters have been lift
ed. God pity the men and the women
who for years have had to labor and
yet all their labor go for naught. Do
you and l want to make a profit out Of
such tragedies?
The Bargain Counter and Crime.
But though it is hard to starve and
to wear ragged clothes and go to the
poorhouse, yet there are even worse
results from the bargain counter than
those. Poverty is hard enough. But.
though poverty dresses in rags, power
ty too often has handmade ready to
run at her beck and call. Poverty S
handmade is crime, and crimes name
can be spelled in many different ways.
Sometimes it is called immortality,
sometimes theft, sometimes dru4 ken
ness, sometimes forgery, sonnet mes
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 1t 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 dip 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 pecunIarA
loss somewhere, and the loser is driv
en- by poverty and crime to take the
cup Of despair and drink it to the bit
ter dregs.
Now, there are two great practical
applications of this subject. Never let
your children become the victims o!
er 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 a 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
at so much day or starve," and there
is no redress. The unskilled workmel
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 te
do we'll some one thing by which they
can earn an honest livelihood If there
should ever be necessity for it. An
this warning applies just as much te
what you shall do for your girls as fo
your boys.
The Turn of Fortune.
"Oh," but you say, "you do not know
who 1 am. l am not pauper. ! an
one Of the leading business men II
this town. When l die l expect t.
leave my children enough money to b.
Independent. Why, my wife would fee
disgraced If l sent my daughters gu
| to work" Great mistake that, my
brother. The money you have saved
will never make your family independ
ent of financial risks. The easies
thing in the world to scatter is for
tune when it is gathered by the hands
| Of another man. And / want to tel
| you something else. The labor marke
today is simply glutted with the un
skilled labor Of the men and womel
who were once deniZens of wealth.
homes. Your daughter may know how
to drum upon the piano from now I'm
til doomsday or paint upon some chin;
a few flowers which her teacher ha
drawn for her, but such accomplish
ments in coming days Of financia
stress will not gain for her her dali.
bread. No man, l care not who h
| NOV bo uhothor ho livoS in naIocn n