Education increases our wants and demands; increase in demand brings increase in supply; and this of necessity increases the demand for labor. Economy on the part of the nation as well as the individual is a correct principle, and holds good in all states and conditions of life, but we must not forget that it is a relative term. For the individual who can neither read nor write to expend money for books and writing materials is a useless expenditure; but would you count that an extravagance on the part of him who can do both, so long as he keeps within his wants and means? What constitutes the difference in the application of the principle to the two cases? _Education._ The pioneer farmer may have spent a life of patient toil on his farm, satisfied to live in his log cabin, with possibly a single room, a puncheon floor, and a clapboard door, unable to read or write—an upright, honest man, and probably as nearly contented as it falls to the lot of mortals to be. But mark the change! His sons and daughters are growing up toward manhood and womanhood; the free school has invaded his neighborhood; and they attend it. How soon it affects the household arrangements, manners, dress, and everything about the family! What has wrought the change? Education. Their wants, and what are now their necessities, are greatly increased. What follows? The desire to meet and supply these wants brings increased effort and industry for the purpose. And every family thus advanced in its views of what is necessary to comfort and happiness increases to the same extent the demand upon the producer and manufacturer, and thus widens the field of labor. Hence the solution of this great and knotty problem is to be reached chiefly by the education of the masses—by raising them toward educational equality with the wealthy. There are many who delight in picturing the days of primitive simplicity, when wants were few and easily supplied; but is there one of these moralizers who would willingly go back to them? “Strict economy as gauged by our means” is a correct maxim everywhere and at all times. But civilization and enlightenment are progressive, and no laws save such as would trample under foot the inalienable rights of the people to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” can check that progress. We must therefore either foster the comparatively few more fortunate and energetic of our people, or we must endeavor by appropriate and legitimate and adequate legislation to link together and advance the entire mass. The noblest work of man is the elevation of his fellowman, and the grandest work in which a government can engage is the enlightenment of its people. But these can alone be accomplished by the aid of the great lever: Education. FOOTNOTES [J] And that bill was introduced by myself. [K] S. 398, 1st Session XLVIIIth Congress. A TRIP TO THE LAND OF DREAMS. BY ROBERT R. DOHERTY.