The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-03-14
MINOR CAPITALISTS.

| One of our most genial and agreea-
bic authors in the walks of light liter
ature-Nathaniel Hawthorne, now
deceased-has somewhere given us an
amusing sketch, intended to satiriZe
the disposition of our fraii race, to
repine, each and every one, and his
own peculiar lot. The upshot of the
matter turns out to be that after try
ing on the cares, troubles, and dis
tresses of other people, there is not
grumbler in the crowd whose highest
aim, at the end of the performance,
goes farther than Immediate and I'M
conditional restoration to his former
place. The blind man having regain
ed his sight, and the cripple who has
become blind by the interchange of
their in6rmities, find the ills they
far more endurable than those they
take upon them, and beg to go back
where they were. The poor man is
suddenly made rich at the expense of
his millionaire neighbOr. but receives
with his gold and lumbagoes, gouts,
and megrims, while the nabOb has in
return the poor DEVILS health and gay
ETY., yet is totally unable to dispense
with the accustomed luxury and
pomp; both find themselves misplaced
and are frantic to return to their pre-
vious conditions.
Such would probably be the inevita-
BILE result after any fair and thorough
test; but in the meanwhile the old re-
pining forms the rule. This is partic-
ularly noticeable in business, and
among the class of men designated in
the title Of this article--we mean the
minor capitalists, the men of compar-
atively small means, to whom the
acme of all earthly bliss is to range
among the great ones in the market
and on change. Their situation, it
must be confessed, is quite peculiar.
Although placed beyond the strain of
immediate necessity, they cannot
spread their wings to the full sun
shine of prosperity. ''Little boats
must keep near Shore" and it is very
calling sometimes. to be captain of
your small schooner, however taut or
trim, safe and sound; she may be
pushed aside at the risk of being
quite run down by your huge insolent
three-decker.
In the attempt to rise to hastily
from this inferior position, the small
capitalist ''cracks on SAIL" and is
tempted into all sorts of rash ventures
and heavy speculations. But his bal
last and tonnage are too light for the
storm. He may escape, but all the
chances are against him. Once down,
all is over. Some men in this categO-
ry, very clever, shrewd, and energetic
parties. too, manage to keep the real
state of their affairs concealed for a
time, but some rude shOck-as i'll the
case of so many of late-will almost
certainly, sooner or later, reveal the
hollowness of the shell. Feathers
may be blown against the balloon that
sails SO pleasantly and majestically
through the summer air. and do no
harm. But let the gale rise, and the
giddy aeronaut endeavor to descend,
and the first contact with the solid
earth brings collapse and ruin to his
fragile structure. Always, where
substantial strength does not exist the
adventurous experimehter. however
skillful. is at the mercy of the unfore.
seen. To keep within ones exact
means and do without credit. is to the
small capitalist in our day. and accord
| ing to the ideas that prevail in toe
many American business circles, well
. nigh impossible. There have beer
. but few men among us in our fast
, age, who have had the moral courage
to resist temptations or display ant
notoriety that surrounded them
Hence a great portion of our failure.
and defalcations; and hence many o
| the panics that ensue when the mem
. Der Of individual cases is so great q.
to make the distrust general.
Is there no way Of remedying thi.
} ievil! Is not the present the RICH
, time to return TO the wiser precept