The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-03-31
They Who Dance
MUST PAY FIDDLER
People Cannot Take More Out oil
a Community Than They
Put In.
COLLAPSE IS Inevitable
Town viii Not Survive Long II its
Commercial Structure Is Torn
Down Faster Than Il Can
Be Built Up.

Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Uraon)
He who dances must pay the fiddler.
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 1t in
some way, but this Is not the only
sense in which it may be construed.
1t means that we cannot pursue any
foolish policy indefinitely without pay
ing for it in the end.
No man can overtax his. physical
strength Indefinitely without risk
| ing ultimate disaster. Dissipation
or overwork may be continued for a
| time without any noticeable results,
| but If continued for sufficiently long |
time the inevitable comes to pass. The
laws of nature cannot be violated with
impunity. If one takes out of life more
than he puts in, If he tears down his |
| physical strength faster than he builds |
1t up, he must eventually pay the fid- |
dler.
What is true of the laws Of nature
is equally true of economic laws. Tie
people Of community may for time
tear down the commercial structure of
town faster than they build 1t up
without meeting disaster, but it cannot
be continued indefinitely. In the end
they must pay the fiddler.
Exhaust Resources Of Community.
The person who makes his living in
community, receiving the money of
the community for his labor or the
products of his labor, and then spends
his income outside Of his community
Is helping to exhaust the resources of
the community just as the man who
expends his energy through dissipa-
ton or overexertion faster than he
builds it up is exhausting his physical
resources. One man may do this, of
course, without noticeably affecting the
economic strength of theecommunity
but when a dozen men or women do
: 1t the effect becomes noticeable and
when hundred do it 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
I they have not realized that in the end
they must pay the fiddler.
x There are some persons who seem to
I be able to get through life without
0 much effort. There are some who pro-
: coed on the theory that the world owes
J. them a living and they proceed to col
I lect it. They take what they can get
t and give nothing in return. Such per-
q 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 a general rule, one can.
not have much worth while without
- paying for 1t.
o The merchants of any community
+ are the backbone Of that community
SO far as its prosperity and progress
- are concerned. Individually there may
q be some of them who do not exert
# themselves to boost their community
:, but collectively they are the men upor
s whom the living Of every person II
e the community depends. The success.
lie or failure Of an individual merchant
may not be of particular concern t.
y, the people of a community, but thu
success or failure of the merchants a.
a whole Is a matter of the very great
est concern.
Provide Market for Farmers.
The merchants of a town, In the frs
place, provide a market for larg
part Of the products Of the farmer
II -. 10, N
They buy the produce Of the farmer
in small quantities, in accordance wit
their need, and some Of them buy Il
larger quantities for shipment to fol
eign markets. If the merchants coul
not do this there would be no marke
at least for the small quantities excep
at ruinous prices. If the farmers coul
not realize a reasonable profit fror
their products. there would be no MOI
ey for them to spend ard there coul
be no money to pay for your product
or to pay for your labor. 1t is Their
fore, Of the greatest Importance to e.
cry member of the community, whetl
er q resident of the town or a farmt
In the country surrounding the tow
that the merchants be enabled to pr
vide this market for ut least part {
the farmers products.
Every dollar sent away from tow
to a mail order house helps to diminis
the ability of the local merchants
provide a market for the farmers pro-
ucts or to do any Of the many 9TH
things which the merchants Of ever
town do for their community.
Business in community cannot
conducted on one-sided basis. A me
cannot take out of his community
4 good living for himself and family al
give nothing In return. He may
so fer a short time and get away wi
It. but In The end he must pay Il
fiddler.