Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1909 — An Exaggerated Idea of " American Luxury Exists In Europe. [ARTICLE]

An Exaggerated Idea of American Luxury Exists In Europe.

Excavations made in the ruins of Babylon have brought forth evidence showing that the ancient Babylonians had ordinances regulating the sale of wines and other strong drink. As that was several thousands of years ago it looks as If the prohibition party would not be deprived of the principal plank In its platform, at least during the lifetime of any of its present leaders. It now appears that Francis J. Heney, one of Mr. Roosevelt’s pet rewas paid $23,000 last year out of the United States treasury, though he did no work during that year or for two years previously, for the United States. Mr. Heney, all told, was paid $69,000 for three years of alleged service as a special government prosecutor. That is pretty good pay, even for a reformer who renders actual service. But $23,000 for no service at all is not only “going some,” but seems to be going the limit. The school book trust knows that the present governor of Indiana cannot be fooled even .a part of the time. When this concern sent its agent into the state to change the books now In use and substitute its own publications, it felt practically certain of ■success. But it had not taken Governor Marshall into consideration. The governor was there for the people from the first to the last, and the book trust suffered a complete rout. By his good work, in Which he was aided by State Superintendent Aley, several hundred thousand dollars have been saved to the school parents of the state. Speaker Cannon, high priest of the Ancient Order of Tariff Grabbers has used the power of his office to make the new tariff law even worse than the shameless Dingley law under which the country suffered the recent (and still existing) panic. But Cannon knows his business—his private business. He has been in congress more than 30 years. Until two years ago his salary was $5,000 per year. All told lie has drawn less than $200,000. He is now said to be worth $2,000,000. If he had started to draw a salary of $5,000 a year at the time Columbus discovered America and had saved it all it would not total what Mr. Cannon is said to be worth. He, of course, does not see the necessity for any change. With a big majority in both branches of congress, the republicans have made a tariff law that is a disgrace to the country and an injury to at least 90 per cent of the people. The result is that many clear-headed men see that there is going to be a popular revolt which will manifest itself in republican defeat at the next election. In this emergency they are raising up the cry that “the tariff must be taken out of politics.” But It will not be taken out of politics so long as all of the people are heavily taxed for the benefit of a few who don’t need the money except to maintain expensive establishments abroad and more than royal palaces at home. A tariff for public revenue and not a tariff for private graft must be put in operation before the question can be taken out of politics.

By GUGLIELMO FERRERO.

Italian Historian.

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 BELIEVE THAT IN AMERICA, WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY COLOSSAL FORTUNES/ GREATER THAN THE GREATEST FORTUNES ONI THE OLD CONTINENT, THERE MUST BE FABULOUS, UNHEARD OF, UNIQUE LUXURY. The rich Americana who travel in Europe had seemed to confirm this supposition. People did not think that an American, when he finds himself in the midst of a society where the traditions of centu-' ries encourage luxury, where luxury costs much less than in his own home, would act differently from when in his own country, Where he is influenced by so many puritanical and religious traditions. But if one has no right to speak of American luxury when one compares the wealthy classes of the two continents one may speak of it when one compares the life of the MIDDLE CLASSES, at least* of those that reside in the cities. The middle classes in America EXPEND MUCH MORE MONEY than those in Europe, both be-, cause they must pay higher prices for many articles and because they consume a larger quantity of such articles. The enormous commerce of North America is not supported by, the very rich families, which, as everywhere else, are quite unimportant numerically, but by the middle classes, who represent millions of families. Education, books, newspapers, sports, traveling, the extremely complicated obligations of social life—clubs, politics, religion, benevolence—the minute prescriptions of tyrannic and costly hygiene, the general tendency to multiply necessities and to complicate the means of satisfying them by ingenious inventions, the MANIA FOR RAPIDITY, 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 CONSEQUENTLY 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 EXISTS. Several persons assured me that it is beginning to appear. I hope that is the case, as it would be an excellent thing for America. But up to the present the almost general tendency has been to EXPEND EVERYTHING; hence arises partially the “STRENUOUS LIFE” of the middle classes in America. This febrile existence, directed toward QUICK RICHES AND EXPENDITURE, occupied by incessant activity and by continued changes, is BEGINNING TO WEIGH LIKE AN OVERHEAVY BURDEN ON MANY AMERICANS.