Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-10
HumaUes AND HUMsUesERy

HUMRUGS AND HUMBUGGERY.
Verify this is an age of humbugs snG
humbuggery. AS fast as one fraud ROT
down another sprouts upon its iguoble grave
A philosopher has said shat there is as much
pleasure in being cheated as to cheat" ths
truth of which we see verified every day
When an adventurer extolls his patent soar
and makes lather, the deluded victims are
ready to catch the bubbles. The ancients
pictured the god OF riches lolling in the lap
of peace and glittering in ornaments of gold,
and to enjoy this wealth people permit hem
selves TO be deluded by the most stupendous
humbugs. Prominent among these may be
classed the matrimonial associations. Their
name is legion. There is the BLUFF City
Marriage Union" the "Bluff City Endow.
ment Association" the "Chickasaw Matri-
monial Association" the "Climax Daily
Union," the "Desoto Aid Association"
the Daily Marriage Bell Association"
the Equitable Endowment Marriage As
ISOLATION" the Imperial Daily Aid Associa-
tion," the Matrimonial Aid Association"
the Marriage Union," the memphis Mutual
Aid Association" the "Memphis Daily
Nuptial Association" the "Property-Own
ers' Mutual Benefit Association" the "Queen
Marriage Association" the "Colored Mar
ried Aid Association" the Tennessee Be-
neVolent Gift Association" the "Railroad
Marriage Union of the United States" the
"National Furniture Gift Association" the
"Daily Cash MarTIsge AssOcIaGIUu,'' the
Cooperative Endowment Association" the |
"Golden Connubial Society,"" the "Victoria |
Matrimonial Association" the Tennessee
State Aid Association" the Tennessee Daily
Endowment Association" the Matrimonial
Minute Payment Association" the south
ern Benefit Guild" the Matrimonial Gift
Association" This list would indicate
that the business is overdone, and if
il continues there will be an association in
every well-regulsted family. The public
cannot understand how everybody is to be
enriched by these associations. But the hall
lucination will soon be dispelled. Their ex-
islCnce will be as ephemeral as that of the
South sea bubble, which for brief period
but suddenly bursted and banlSrupted some of
the wealthiest people of England and IN
creased the poverty of the poor. Our best
citizens are engaged in these associations
men whose honesty Snd integrity c;Inuot be
qaestioned-but time, the great tell-tale, will
convince them that the APPEAL which they
are abusing, has been right in its predictions
and criticisms. Even the friends of these
associations admit that only the first MEM
Jers will be benefited unless there be con-
liant accession of membership. The craze
IN this subject will run its course, when these
will flicker out as rapidly as they
olszed up. This will be blessing TO the
as it will be aHother lesson
eaching the rising generation to rely on
heir own resources in entering upoi mar
led life There is no sy stem of legerd, smain
" which the impecunious young can be sud
ienly placed on horseback. Time Will re-
real that the matrimonial associz lions :
will spin themselves out of their own DO wells :
u the spider does the web with which be
alches the flies silly enough to walk into his
,arlor. These associations are on a par
With the wildcat banks that formerly existed
nder the State banking system. Men in
rant OF money incontinentily gathered them y
elves together and established a bank. They 1t
rst elected themselves directors, and after
dvertising that the capital stock of the c
the paper not yet made-was L
IL that they meant TO appropriate to the pay
nent of their debts, they fell to.work to en-
len themselves, and made as many bank notes 9
3 the president could possibly sign, pay able in
DIN at some painted post in the mountains.
With these notes they paid their debts by Il
orrowing OF the bank 10 pay the bank. b
ON, Dick and Harry, the rag-tag and boz Ii
Ill, got up banks in the same way, until at III
Isl money became plenty that it was a tn
rug upon the market. The banks like the &c
MATRIMONIAL associations, were to enrich pr
consequently everybody run in M
sbt and nobody would work, because they ne
,uld live without degrading themselves. Ike
be whole community became independent, by
rcept that everybody was dependent on
inks. People talk of the golden age, but it ma
as nothing to the age Of shinplasters and US
INK promises to pay. Houses grew up like pc
ushrooms and tumbled down as coon as I'M
operiy attained to such a high price that thu
body could afford to buy except those en- Br
Iged in wildcat banking. Every man dis res
lined the pursuit of regular labor and be- bic
me daHhing speeulator. There was II,
Dated prosperity which deceived the I'M wol
airy and even the oankefs themselves. But pow
,e crash came and bankruptcy, ruin, pen abl