The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-04

banquet the host delivered a long and
splendid speech to demonstrate that the
history of Rome throws great light on
the position of Puritanism in modern
America.
on another occasion, at Boston, at
banquet given me at the Union club by
Mr.. Fish, a great lawyer of that city, [
had on my right the managing director
OF one of the most important railways OF
Massachusetts.
He is a very intelligent old man,"
said Mr.. Fish while taking me down TO
the club. You will find it pleasure to
chat with him. I must, however, fore
warn youathat he takes no interest In lit
erature; Consequently do not be aston
ished if he has not read your book
AS a matter of fact, I chatted a great
deal with this aged man. who was very
interesting man. AT a certain moment
the conversation drifted to the subject of
his employees.
They are not bad fellows" remarked
he, " but they want such lot" And,
turning on the tap of his recollections,
he gave me a sort of historical picture of
American life. He described to me the
simple and austere America he had seen
during his youth, the increasing luxury,
the multiplied needs, the families subdi-
vided in the following generations.
This picture was so similar to that
which l had outlined in my history that
two or three times l thought l heard al
most literal phrases from my book ut
tered by the old Roman-who had not
read the work.
The old railway man had read a more
profound and more instructive book than
any Roman history-the living reality of
a society whose manners have been rapid
ly transformed by vertiginous increase
of wealth. l have written in one of my
previous articles that an exaggerated idea
exists in Europe regarding American
luxury. Accustomed to see their rich
classes live with very great display. often
even beyond their means Europeans be-
lieve that in America, where there are so
many colossal fortunes greater than the
greatest fortunes on the Old Continent
there must be fabulous, unheard-of,
unique luxury.
The rich Americans who travel In Eu-
rope had seemed to confirm this SUPPOSE
ton. People did not think that an Amer
lean, when he finds himself in the midst
of a society where the traditions of cen
turtles encourage luxury. where luxury
costs much less than in his own home,
would act differently than when in his
own country where he is influenced by
so many Puritanical and religious ira
ditions.
But If one has no right to speak of
American luxury when one compares the
wealthy classes of Rthe two continents,
one may speak of 1t when one compares
the life of the middle classes, at least of
those that reside in the cities. The mid
die classes in America expend much more
money than those in Europe, both be-
cause they much pay higher prices for
many articles and because they consume
a larger quantity of such articles.
The enormous commerce of North
America is not alimented by the very
rich families which, as everywhere else,
are quite unimportant numerically, but
by the middle classes. who represent mil
lions of families Education, books, news
papers, sports. travelling, the extremely
complicated obligations of social life
clubs, politics, religion, benevolence-the
minute prescriptions of tyrannic and cost
ly hygiene, the general tendency to null
tiply necessities and to complieate the
means of satisfying them by ingenious
inventions, the mania for rapdity, the
mystic cult of progress, which impels to
a continual change of habits and articles
because all new things seem better than
old ones have rendered the life of the
middle classes in America infinitely more
costly than in Europe.
The middle classes in America conse-
quently live much better than the middle
| classes in Europe, and it is therefore
| much more necessary for them to make
money. The habit of thrift scarcely ex-
| lists Several persons assured me that
| 1t is beginning to appear. / hope that
| is the case, as it would be an excellent
| thing for America. But up to the present
| the almost general tendency has beer
70 Hanoi ari nal
tally the strenuous life" OF the middle
| classes In America; this febrile existence
| directed toward quick riches and expen
! diture, occupied by incessant activity ant
| by continued changes, and which is be
| ginning TO weigh like an over-heavy bur
| den on many Americans.
| The middle classes are, then, not les.
| interested than the upper classes in thu
| intensive and rapid economic exploitation
! of the American continent. The conse
ouence is easy to deduce. The aspira
| lions toward a reform or even a mora
revolution of modern society possess ;
probability of realization only in so far a
! the reform and the revolution would no
arrest the economic development. or rem
der it over difficult. This fact constitute
a guarantees and a security for tn
wealthy classes of America far create
| than that of laws and armies.
In what measure Is 1t possible for Amer
lea to gain wealth rapidly and to i'm
| prove morally at the same time? Nobod.
could respond a priori with precision; tn
facts alone can furnish an answer to thi
| question Evidently many of the flcon
veniences of which Americans complain
can be eliminated by legislation, eve
without recourse to -tyrannical meas
ures. Europe, with her longer experience
can furnish to the Americans some GOO
models to study. For instance, man.