Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-03-26


Michigan, in SAID Territory: referred to the
Committee on Commerce.
The editor of the Racine Advocate at
tempts to be very witty in his commentary
on the subject matter of an address before
the Mechanics Institute, noticed in our pa
per of few weeks since. Some people
have peculiar method of avoiding direct
issues, by disappearing or classifying the
premises of those with whom they are dis
posed to differ; this of course serves the
trouble of argument when there is neither
the inclination or the ability to meet sub
Jcct fairly. The Advocate charges in effect,
that the object sought to be obtained, is an
exemption of every man from the payment
OF his honest debts, and full dissolution
from I'll future liabilities. "The great evil.
(says the Advocatc,) is, that people are com
PEELED to pay their debts: the bare expense
OF collection might be borne; but to pay the
debts themselves--ay, there is the rub.n
None but ''stupid or evil disposed person.
would draw such conclusions from any thing
that we have said, or any thing that we have
endorsed in others, or that has been advoc2-
ted among us. All this cant of the Ady0-
cate, ascribing improper motives in others,
as to "shuffling off" debts, comes with an
i'll grace from the editor of the Advocate,
for II is matter pretty generally known that
the worthy editor has given a practical Illus
tration of "shufii;ng off, some few thous-
ands, and leaving his creditors to enjoy the
glorious consolatioas which the law affords
in the premises.
1t is not however because men avail them
selves of their legali2ed privileges, as
means of escaping from their creditors that
we at present complain, but it is that ar
rangemcnt of things that leads TO such re-
suits, which VIC deprecate, and which we
believe is capable of being remedied We
charge that the millions on millions of dol
lars, which debtors under the bankruDt law
have been discharged from in the United
States, is one of the many evidences of the
rulnous tendency of credits Thousands arc
now suffering in perjury and distress, for the
want of what is Justly due them from legal
lied bankupts, which bankrupts themselves
IN numberless instances are now rolling in
aflluence and luxury. The Advocate at
tempts to draw sorrowful picture of the
condition of poor carpenter,
poor day laborer, poor boy, &c, in state
of society, where the legal;zed rcla tons be-
tween debtor and creditor have been chang
ed. Now what is the use of describing ideal
wrongs? Wonder if the editor of the Ad-
vocate never heard of carpenter and Joiner
a day laborer or poor boy, who has been
and che ated out of his Just earn
ings? Why, Mr.. Advocate, there is scarcc-
ly town or village throughout the whole
that does not now afford multitude
of examples of mechanics, laborers, and al
most every description Of persons who have
delrauded, cheated, or wronged out Of their
wages or their property. Some have been
wronged by bankrupts, some have lost by the
absconding debtor, some by out right kna-
very, some by the bubbles of the law, and
some doubtless have been enabled to ''shuf-
fic off" their debts by legal evasion, through
the assistance of that ''profcsSion'' of men,
to which the editor of the Advocate belongs.
We charge that the millions on millions
of dollars which have been fiIched from the
pockets Of the people by bank failures and
privileged corporations, is another evidence
of the mschcvous effects of this system of
things. Although sanctioned and protected
by legislation, they have proved TO be only
so many privileged frauds; and it is chiefly
upon the industrious, hard-workirg men of
the country, that the burden of these i'm
mense losses has fallen. 1t is from these
and numberless other evils, the same in
character, but of lesser name, that we wish
our country freed; and the Democracy is
every where beginning to bear testimony
against these abuses. But not SO the Racine
Advocate, the editor of which appears to be
extreme ncttled at any attempt TO disturb
this beautiful order of things. Mark how
he chimes in with an old fashioned bank
federalist in the following paragraph: "Web-
ster in commenting upon the evils of an ex-
elusive metallic currency, gives rather lu-
dicrous account of the ''jing!ing' that would
ensue all over the land. if all debts were 10
be paid, exchanges effected, and business
done with god and silver money alone,--
once LET our glorious plan be adopted. and