The Labor enquirer., 1884-12-20
A Circular Letter Issued by
the Socialists Of San
Francisco.
An Appeal to the Reason Of Bush
ness People that Will Apply
to Denver.
Why Failures are On the Increase
and the Only Scientific and In
iallible Remedy.
To Business Men who Have Failed:


To Business Men Who Have Failed:
A grave commercial crisis.is again up
on us, a crisis IN which few millionaire
houses will, by purchasing at normal
prices everything that has future value,
enormously increase their wealth, but
in which. smaller houses will be driven
to the wall by the thousands. It is GER
tain that the immediate future is ex-
tremely threatening, and on the pru-
dence or obstinacy of your conduct as a
class depends in very great measure
the possibility of peaceful solution -of
the difficulty. We therefore purpose TO
put before you plainly and courageously
our views on the position.
A few days ago you failed, and the
savings of life of industry have gone
from you forever. Your prospects of
another start in life cannot be considered
over brilliant, because with every year
it requires more and more capital to
start in business. You failed and you
have now to seek employment, and en-
ployment is becoming yearly more diff
cult to get. The workingman's children
as they become educated show strong
inclination for less laborious life than
their fathers led, and are deluging the
more genteel channels of occupation. At
the same time, as an obseryant man you
have doubtless noticed that the tendency
nova days is constantly toward the sup
preston of midd le-men, toward the con-
centrahon of buiness In a few large
houses, who get through maximum of
work with minimum of labor. Surely
you cannot doubt the truth of thisl
Look at any of the worlds large cities
In London such an establishment as Mr..
Whiteley's; in Paris such place as the
Magazin du Louvre; in New York such
store as A. 7. Stewards, each with a
mere handful of clerks transact daily as
large trade as all the retail dry goods
houses in this city put together. In q
very short time similar house will rise
in San Francisco and crush everyone of
its competitors ruthlessly to the wall.
Yes, should you be SO unfortunate as
to be obliged to seek it, you will find it
very difficult toget employment. Doyou
bsleve there was ever time when it
was so difficult for man once down to
rise again2 Wedou't. The day of small
beginnings is dead and gone forever.
Will you seek place as clerk or city
salesman? We, who keep careful track
of everything connected with this sub
ject,. can tell you of scores of instances
where an advertisement of $50 per
month has drawn applicants by the hun
,dreds. VIII you, having saved from the
wreck of your fortunes $500 or $1,000,
try another venture !; if so, what shall it
be? There is grocery or saloon on
every corner, and three-fourths of them
wear the collar of their wholesale mas
ters. 1t is decidedly very difficult for
your wisest friends to advise you in this
matter.
We, send you this because you have
failed, or have shown to the careful
watch we keep evidence of prospective
failure. This doubtless seems to you a
brutal act of ours, wanton blow struck
at fallen man. Yet we wish to do you
greatest service which man can render
to his brother. We wish to make you
THINK. You have probably for years
given the most earnest and patient
thought to the details of your own es-
pecial trade or business; you must now
bestow similar attention upon the al
fairs o. that humanity of which you are
but an insign icant fraction. The first
has ended in disappointment and defeat /;
you have toied and racked your brain
for years to end in failure, Trust us,
when we say that the second will show
you plain and simple road of extrica-
all your difficulties. Take
this sympathetic thought, in
ials you do not stand alone,
many million. There are
o-lay dependent upon circum-
Ter which they; have not the
-ol. for every meal they take,
er know when famine NAV
the face. -
verse seemed to you up
A0' e A>Qvertook you, yet your
'1ict injury upon you
-, the men in your en-
>0o, are thrown waits and
Pc world, and upon an aver
{yed are to, the EMPLOYERS
ID are to one. If you are
-6ontent, so also are they,
umbers give them strength.
numerous the failures among
RS, the greater the number of
thrown upon the street. 1t is
't commercial depression, such
rough which we are now pass
mas sent your house to the wall;
reproduction as the ridicu-
phrase of the day has it, that
you to ruin, and you know that
lsrfhant and manufacturer is
.al,, g.