The Coolidge examiner., 1932-03-18

unemployment, lack Of confidence business fail
ureS and hard times. These were the last things
that anybody wanted. The most say is
that there has been a general lack of judgment
so widespread as to involve practically the whole
country.
We have found out that we not big
as we thought we were. We were riding too high
We shall have to keep nearer the ground. We
may not feel so elated bat we shall be much safer
Economic well-being is very important, Dut
perhaps it is not so important as we thought 1t
was. If it is used as it ought to be, TO minister
to spiritual well-beng, we cannot have too much
Of it. But if it is made vehicle for stimulating
greed and selfshness, idleness and ignorance
extravaganza and waste. destructive alike to
body and soul, it defeats itself and vanishes
until through adversely, we can learn to make
a better use of prosperity.
The development of the real character of men
and women can go on in bad times as well as IN
good times After all, that is the important thing.
Neither the world at large nor our own most
favored nation is going to discover some miracu-
Ous formula which, all at once, will remove the
possibility of hardship, want and deprivation
from the human race. With all the power of
mass production, VIC a long way from uni
versal luxury. But in the United States we
have approached the line of universal convent
ence Our system has produced distribution
of wealth so that those having incomes of five
thousand dollars or less according to the latest
available records, are said to receive 81 per
cent of the total national income. If they were
given, in addition the entire income of all those
who receive more, the increase would be only
about seven hundred dollars. Great as our re-
sources are they have a distinct limitation.
There is not wealth enough in our country to
take care of our people without the ablest pos
sble management and the hardest kind OF work
on the part of all of us.
| There is no government in the world that can
remove this burden from its inhabitants.
-O-
| Under the pressure of events there are some
who have become sullen and resentful. They
| are inclined to refuse to make an effort to pay
their taxes and their interest. II they earn
anything, they propose to spend it, They have
lost faith in the standards by which they have
| lived
Such people have made great mistake. They
| have been born into the wrong universe for
them They belong in some place where there
| are no risks to be faced, where a backbone
would be considered excess baggage, where
| courage and perseverance, effort and self-denial
| industry and thrift are not virtues in them
selves to be cultivated for their own sakes
The absurdity of this position is revealed by
considering what would result if everybody else
| adopted the same attitude
There is no power than can guarantee us eco
nomic security. We think we want relief from
toll and worry, forgetful that all our real salts
factions are in our achievements.
| If we will but make the effort to develop
them, if we will apply ourselves faithfully tC
| our tasks, we shall all find we have powers We
did not know we possessed
We shall come nearest to achieving owr
economic security by the practice Of the old
fashioned homely virtues Of industry and thrift
Of buying a few things we can pay for, rather
than many which leave loaded with danger
Gus debts can never pay; of small savings
securely invested AZ moderate returns, rathe
than spectacular financial performances.
The best recipe for financial security is to Ivl
within our means. This is ancient faith. w
have found nothing better.
If we should undertake to put into operation
any scheme based on the assumption that th
world owes all of US a living we would sOOl
find the world was bankrupt If we try to adop
some plan that will eliminate the changes an
risks of life we are likely to find that reverse
will come just the same. We shall be better of
if we work on the Old standard that we
duty to the world TO earn our own living, ant
! instead of supposirg abolish reverses, pre-
pairing to meet them. Under this hOmey, safe
: and seasoned system we shall probably find W
/ have the best chance of taking care Of ourselve
and securing the greatest distribution of wealth
CNorld Copyright, 1882, by Calvin Coolidge,
All Rights Reserved)