Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-05-08


tunate attributed to every cause but the
right one. We all prove ourselves the
sons aud daughters Of Adam and Eve by
endeavoring to attribute as the cause Of
our misfortunes some indiscretion Of
some incautious friend or willy enemy.
Exceeding goodness of heart and anx.
iety to please others are often the cause
of embarrassment in trade, and the final
unfortunate cause of the winding up Of
career auspicious at its opening.
But extravaganza in dress and equip
age, and keeping up princely establish.
ments, is the cause of majority OF
American failures Americans are sci.
dom miserly. Nearly all of that class
among us have been importations. The
ancient Astors and Girards were not ma
tives of the United States. Americans
love money as well as the natives Of
other countries, and their efforts to ac-
cumulate wealth are as great; but their
anxiety to enjoy it, and to make as large
display as possible, forbid that they
should ever become misers. They wor-
ship wealth not for its intrinsic value,
but because it furnishes all the requisite
materials to crafty " the lusts of the
flesh, the lusts Of the eye, and the pride
of life.p And when thus self is to be
gratified, the devotee has launched upon
a stormy ocean. .tra.
But young and inexperienced mer-
chants are not willing to admit that
their style of living, dress and equipage
is extravagant. They argue that their
position, the nature of their business
and surrounding demand that they
should keep up the appearance of wealth,
and the display of pecuniary independ-
ence. They say,we are compelledto min
gle with merchants engaged in the same
line of business with ourselves. We
meet with them not only on Change,
but in the social, literary and business
circles; and our families are on terms of
intimacy, and it is absolutely necessary
for us to live in as good a house, and to
keep up as fine an establishment, as
those with whom we associate. We
would be ostracised and lose cast
in the community, were we to fall
below their standard of mercantile
gentility, dress and equipage. Our
establishment and style of living must
be characteristic of our circle. The
youthful trader has but vague idea Of
the selfdenial practiced for many years
by his senior. The wife and daughters
Of his prosperous neighbor, over the
way, once dressed in cheap calico and
did their own housework. The young
mar has but remote conception of the
care. 4 watching and laborious toiling
by which his seniors ascended the ladder
Of wealth and affluence.
In word, to descend to plain matters
of fact, young and ambitious men enter
a mercantile career with all the extrava-
gance of long established house, in the
vain hope that by show and display they
shall command business that not one
in a thousand ever realized but by sleep
less vigilance, untiring industry, great
energy, strict economy and good cap
ital.
Every young man entering the great
commercial circle on his own account
should have before him, in letters of
light, the fact that in our great Eastern
cities more than ninety per cent Of all
who engage in trade fail. Some learn
wisdom by what they suffer and lose, and
try, try again, and finally succeed. The
fact that so few succeed should be les
son to the most sanguine to move eau
tiously. 1t should influence them not
only to be industrious, but to start with
the determination to spend nothing un-
necessarily.
Business always before pleasure should
be their motto.
We would urge all to recognize the
claims of the poor, the needy, and the
distressed; but while doing so, always to
bear in mind that men should not act
always from mere impulse even in
striving to be good BE just before
you are generous. Deny self, that you
may have to give to the widow and the
orphan. Be humble that you may be
exalted; and reflect how much pleas
anter it is to be always ascending the
ladder of wealth and prosperity, than to
be placed on the highest round and then
to be compelled to come down step by
step painfully, or to be hurled from the
top without a word of warning.