The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1918-03-23
THEY WHO Dance
MUST PAY FIDDLER
People Cannot Take More Out OF
a Community Than They
Put In.
COLLAPSE IS INEVITABLE
Town VIII Not Survive Long " us
Commercial Structure Is TORN
Down Faster Than II Can
Be Built Up.

Be built Up
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union
lie who dances must pay the iiddler
That Is an old saying which Is full OF
truth. The primary idea in this say
ing of course. is that one cannot have
any pleasure without paying for II IN
some way, but this Is not the only
sense in which it may be construed.
II means that we cannot pursue any
foolish policy indefinitely without pay
ing for 1t In the end.
No man can overtax his physical
strength indefinitely without risk
ing ultimate disaster. Dissipation
or oyerwork may be continued Tor
time without any noticeable results
but If continued for "A sufficiently long
time the inevitable comes to pass. The
laws of nature cannot be violated WIN
IMMUNITY. If one takes out of life more
than he puts In, If he tears down ms
physical strength faster than he builds
If up, he must eventually pay the nd
dler.
What Ia true of the laws of nature
IL equally true of economic laws. The
people of community may for Tune
tear down the commercial structure ol
town faster than they build 1t up
without meeting disaster. but 1t cannot
he continued indefinitely. In the end
they must pay the fiddler.
Exhaust Resources Of Community.
The person who makes his living In
a community, receiving the money OF
the community for his labor or the
products of his labor, and then spenus
bis income outside of his community
Is helping to exhaust the resources OF
the community just as the man VINO
expends his energy through dissipa-
ton or overexertion faster than he
builds 1t up is exhausting his physical
resources. One man may do this, of
course. without noticeably affecting the
economic strength of theOcommunity,
but when dozen men or women 90
II the effect becomes noticeable and
when hundred do 1t the resources OF
the community become exhausted to
the point where collapse Is inevitable.
Those who are responsible for this sit
uation may think that they have profit
ed individually by their actions, but
they have not realized that in the END
they must pay the fiddler.
There are some persons who seem to
| he able to get through life without
much effort. There are some who pro-
] coed on the theory that the world owes
them living and they proceed to col
| Iect 1t. They take what they can get
and give nothing In return. Such per
sons, however, are not very numerous
| Most Of us must pay for everything
| that we get. Some may have to pay
| more than their share and these are
| carrying the burden Of those who get
more than they pay for. The fact re-
mains that, as general rule, one can
| not have much worth while without
| paying for 1t.
| The merchants of any community
are the backbone of that community
so far as its prosperity and progress
are concerned. Individually there ma,
be some Of them who do not exert
themselves to boost their community
but collectively they are the men upor
whom the living of every person II
the community depends. The success
or failure of an individual nerchan
may not be of particular concern L
the people Of community, but tn,
success or failure of the merchants a.
whole Is a matter Of the very great
est concern.
Provide Market for Farmers.
The merchants of town, In the frs
place, provide a market for larg,
part Of the products Of the farmers
In the territory surrounding the town
They buy the produce of the farmer
In small quantities, In accordance will
their need. and some of them buy il
larger quantities for shipment to for
eign markets. If the merchants cOult
not do this there would be no marke
ut least for the small quantities excep
ut ruinous prices. II the farmers coul'
not realize reasonable profit iron
their products, there would be no mon
ey for them to spend and there coul'
be no money to pay for your product
or to pay for your labor. 1t Is there
fore. Of the greatest Importance to ev
cry member Of the community, wheth
er resident of the town or a fnrme
In the country surrounding the town
that the merchants be enabled to pre-
vide this market for at least part 0
the farmers products.
Every dollar sent away from tow
to mail order house helps to diminis
the ability of the local merchants t
provide market for the farmers proc
ucts or to do any of the many othe
things which the merchants Of ever
town do for their community.
Business In community cannot b