The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-30
Spirit of the Press.
HOW TO GET RICH QUICK CONCERN

HOW TO GET RICH QUICK CONCERN.
New York Financier.
From the day of John Law, counting
time in the modern sense, the world has
been the willing dupe of the individual
who dangled before its credulous nose
warranted recipes for quick transition
from poverty to affiuence. To the self
deceived Scotchman who turned France
upside down, or inside out, rather, with
his Mississippi bubbles, is given the doubt
full compliment of the first get-rich-quick
honors, but he was by no means first, nor
was he the greatest, in the history of
the world. From the days of antiquity to
! the present the get-rich-quick boomer
| has flourished. In ancient times his
methods were more direct and partook
of military aspect, but the inspiring
motive was the same. The King went to
war because he wanted more territory,
more subjects, more power, and incl
dentally, more money. His mobiles assisted
him. taking their chances for what crumbs
the King might leave for their con-
sumption, and this assistance came in
the end from the miserable peasant work
ing in the fields. The noble took the peas
ants produce and then he took the
peasant. The latter had no chance, no
hope of gain. not even the excitement
of gambling, if we except the great odds
he assumed of losing his life. AT the con-
clusion of hostilities he returned home
to ms poverty stricken family, better off,
perhaps to the extent that he had been
able to steal a few things from beings
equally miserable with himself But time
changed. 1t became no longer fashionable,
or to speak plainly, profitable or safe to
seize your neighbours goods by force. In
the evolution of the race. the predatory
baron became the bandit-the potentate
OF the sea. the pirate. Now even the
bandit and the pirate, as we once knew
them. are extinct. But the spirit. or
streak of human nature. which led men
to scheme for riches without effort to,
pass away Hence the get-rich-quick con
Germ. When the leveling process of time
swept away kingly prerogatiye. and
brought the proving baron to the gal
lows-tree. wealth became diffused. The
common citizen had more and more of it,
but there were about the same number
OF other people who wanted it just as
much as the old day. And the common
citizen. be it observed. when the first
great shock of being able to hold any
money wore off. developed the traits OF
his superior. From each horizon he
viewed a higher mountain OF affluence.
He also caught the contagion of wealth.
The man above him could not. as before,
put him on the rack and wiring gold out
of him. but he could dazzle him by
pictures of imaginary riches, and he has
been doing it ever since. Perhaps it is
a gain to the world that the physical
anguish of the loser has given way to
mental regret perhaps it signifies ad
vance that the common citizen has money
to lose, but it does not augur well for
his development that he is still SO willing
to lose tin other words that he has
learned so little. In time ne may be
come cautious, but human nature is
human nature. and is rather hard to
change His only protection now is that
laws will be passed restraining the get
rich-quck element to the narrowest
limits That is the quicker way. Elk
perience is too slow a teacher even
though experience is supposed to be potent
enough to make the fool wise.