Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-06-28
THE POOng DEBTOR.
BY 7. S. ARTHUR.

BY T. S. ARTHUR.
There is one honest man in the world, am
happy to say, remarked rich merchant named
Perton, to friend who happened to call in upon
him.
" Is there, indeed | am glad you have made
adiscovery of the fact. Who is the individual
entitled to the honorable distinction %
g You know Moale, the tailor %
8" Yes. Poor fellow he's been under the
weather for a long time"
81 know he has. But he's an honest man.
for all that"
"Inever doubted his being as honest man
ever breathed, Mr. Perton''
{" | have reason to think that he is But once
had my doubts. When he was broken up in
business, some years ago, he owed me a little
bill, which | tried to get out of him as hard as
any one ever did for his own. But | dunned
him until got weary, and so gave him up as a
hard case--passed the trifle that he owed me to
the account of profit and loss. He has crossed
my path since; but as didn't feel towards him
as could wish to feel towards all men, treated
HIM with great GOODNESS. am sorry for having
done SO, for it DOW appears that judged him
too severely This morning he called in, of his
own free will, and paid me the old account. FIe
didn't say any thing about interest nor did 7.
though am entitled to, and ought to have re-
ceived it. But as long as he came forward of
his own accord and settled his bill, after had
given up all hope of ever receiving it, thought
l might afford to be little generous, and not
say any thing about the interest, and gave him
receipt in full. Didn't do right?''
In what respect ?" asked the friend
In forgiving him the interest, which I might
have claimed as well as not, and which he would
no doubt, have paid me down, or brought me
some future time"
Oh, yes, you were right to forgive the in
terest,' returned the friend, but with tone that
struck the merchant as rather singular. ''No
man should ever take interest from al unfortu-
nate debtor"
/" Indeed! why not7 Mr. Perton looked sur
prlsed. " is not money worth its INTEREST,""
So it is said. But the poor debtor has no
money upon which TO make an interest. He
begins the world again with but his ability to
work. and if saddled with old debt, principal
and interest, his case is hopeless. Suppose he
o,vos ton thousand dollars, and after struggling
hard for three or four years, gets into position
that will cradle him to pay off IL thousand dollars
year There is some chance for him to get
out of debt in ten years. But suppose interest
has bee accumulating at the rate of some five
hundred dollars year; his debt instead of being
ten thousand, will be increased to twelve thou
any thing and then, instead of being able to re-
duce the amount thousand dollars year, he
will have to let five hundred 90 for the annual
interest on the original debt
-Four years more would have to elapse before,
under this system, he would get his debt down
to where it was when he was broken up in BUSH
ness Thus, at the end of eight years hard
struggling he would not really have advanced
one step out of his difficulties. A debt of ten
thousand dollars would be still hanging over
him. And if, persevering to the end, he should
go on paying the interest regularly and reducing
the principal, some twenty five years Of his life
would be spent in getting free from debt. when
little over half that time would have been re-
quired, if his creditors had acting from the COM
monest dictates of humanity, voluntarily released
the interest"
ssThat is new view of the case, must con-
fess at least to me- said Mr. Perton.
''lt is the humane view of the case. But
look to interest alone it is the best view for ev-
cry creditor to take. Many a man who, with a
little effort, might have cancelled, in time, the
principal OF debt unfortunately standing against
him, becomes disheartened at seeing it daily
growing larger, through the accumulation of in
terest, and gives up i'll despair The desire to
be tree from debt, spurs many man into effort.
to appear insurmountabe, and he will hold his
hands in helpless inactivity. Thousands of dol
lars are lost every year in consequence of credit
ors grasping after too mnch, and breaking down
! the hope and energy of the debtor"
Perhaps you are right" said Mr. Perton
y that view OF the case never presented itself to
| my mind. L didn't suppose, however, that the
interest of fifty dollars would have broken down
Moae."
"There is no telling. 1t is the last pound, you
know, that breaks down the cancels back Five
! years rave passed since this day of misfortune.
Fifteen dollars interest is therefore due. Indeed
| am sure he could not. And the thought OF
that, as a new debt, for which he had received
no benefit whatever, would, it is more than prob
able, have produced more than discouraged
state of mind, and made him resolved not to pay
you any thing at ALL
:sBut that wouldn't have been honest,'' said
| the merchant
Perhaps not, strictly speaking To be dis
honest is from set purpose to defraud-to take
from another what belongs to him; or to with
hold from another when ability exists to pay what
is Justly his due. You would hardly have
| placed Moale in either of these positions, if
| from the pressure of circumstances surrounding
him as poor man in debt, he had failed to be ac-
tive, industrious and prudent, as he would other
wise have been. We are all apt to require too
much of the poor debtor, and to have too little
sympathy with him. Let the hope of improving
your own condition is the handspring
of all your business operations-be taken away,
andinstead, let there be only the desire to pay of
old debts through great self denial, that must
continue years, and imagine how differently you
would think and feel to what you do now. Nay,
more; let the debt be owed to those who are
worth their thousands and tens of thousands,
and who are in the enjoyment of every luxury
they could desire, while you 60 on paying them
what you owe, by over exertion and the denial of
yourself and family of all those little Injuries
and recreations which both SO much need, and
then say how deeply dyed would be that dshon-
esty which would cause You, in moment of
darker and deeper encouragement than usual,
to throw the crushing weight from your shout
ders, and resolve to bear it no longer? You
must leave man some hope in life, if you would
keep him active and industrious in his own
sphere