, 1875-11-20
The Good Old Times

y New 1OTK letter says The old
fashioned merchants of this city, up to forty
years ago, were wont to live over their stores.
paying, in most instances, not over $500 for
the whole building. Many Wall street cash
iers also lived over the banks. In those
days clerks boarded with their EMPLOYERS.
merchants lived plainly, THAR wives and
daughters lived in an economical manner.
and n fifty-dollar shawl was a matter of sur
prise 1t Is quite probable that merchants.
bankers and business men will have 10 return
10 something like the old simplicity OF style
before there will be what is called good times.
Business is now taxed to death It Is the
personal expenses of the merchants that ca;:se
a majority of the failures. In nine eases out
ot ten no sooner does a man find himself max
ing money then he begins to live extrava-
gantiy. lie imagiaes, perhaps, that this Is an
advertisement, that his income is measured
by the yalue of his wife's diamonds. He
sets up his carriage, his hvericd servants,
rents the best pew in the most fashionable
church, and while, perhaps, closely attending
to buslnesS himself, launches his family upon
the world OF fashion at the rate of $4,000 q
year. Any ordinary business cannot stand
this drain. In flush times the business man
perhaps makes his ends meet; but when
trade becomes slack, personal expenses more
than exhaust his profits.
The letter from which we quoted above
saws that an ordinary merchant, if disposed
70 be economical, may live in New York for
store rent, AT present prices. With these no
tions in regard TO style, it Is not strange times
should be hard. Everything in this world Is
relative. The merchant who makes $1,000
q year and spends $1,000 thinks times are
hard. Trade is dull and profits small when
business does not support the style in which
the business man has become accustomed TO
live. If he had kept his expenses twoor three
a thousand year below his average income,
year or two Of dull times would not seriously
have embarrassed him
But II Is not TO be expected, nor, perhaps,
desirable, that We return TO the primitive
customs of half century ago. The nation
has become rich, and the modern facilities of
travel place Us almost side by side with
European society. Fifty years ago We were
in one respect our own model. If one lived
simply so did another, and one was fortified
bv the example Of the other. But now we
are a part Of the great world, and must 20 in
a measure as corresponding classes DO IN
other lands This competition, however,
does not involve extravagance. The Ameri-
can makes more money than his equal in bus
iness anywhere else in the world The pro-
fits of trade and the wages Of labor are larger
here than elsewhere. What we have TO
avoid Is UstentatiOn. II Is our national sin.
Americans live too much for show. They
suhmit themselves to be estimated BY the
amount OF their possessions. There is no dis
grace short Of a crime which touches Us as
the disgrace Of being poor. What miserable
subterfuges We invent to conceal our real cir
cunstances. How We fash out into q show
of extravagance the moment fortune unbeuds
trids the severity Of her power. At pres
ent the middle classes are living beyond their
means. The general scale OF expenditure is
too high. The tax laid upon business TO sup
rort this extravagancs Is too great. We
mpst come down TO level which the ordi-
nary profits Of trade will afford. The man
ubo makes 5000 a year and spends 5000 Is
alUsvs embarrassed. He complains continu-
.TI,, NJ hard times. Business Is dali because
II does not MAKE lOA hAnI lit StOOo ne mas
baan accustomed TO spend. But if be should
rsince his personal expenses TO $1,000 he
would get along nicely. And it is ques-
,;or If any real happiness is gained by the
eInenditure of this difference between 5000
q year snd s'uu-
The former provides an average family
9TH All it really needs, and the additional
,bopssn6s are only superhuities which may
rTove a source of enjoyment or otheEEise, as
aairc,,ostances may determine.