Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-07-08

llock the household cohfortshe II gsthcred
around him to the amount II 499 dollars and
lnigety~aine cents ~aaA~ tslliaer hia nith -
smile Of triumph that he shall touch neither
| these nor his~ persor~ We assume readily
that the debtor il poor. honest. bard work
| ing man. the creditor, q hardened usurer -
Such cases exist sometimes truly, tut every
man Of one and twenty years experience In
this world Of trouble knows that they are as
rare as others n another description are com
mon. How often is the poor man the credi.
tor? Suppose A, an extrayagant and waste
full man. whose income is suficient to support
bis family, ard would allow him with econo-
my to iay by dollar day. gets into debt
$40 90 OF S40.0o to B. a poor hard working
man who barely supports bis family by the
copious sweat Of his brow aud who finds him
self better off at the end Of the year only by
one additional baby more than at the begin
ming, how is B to get bis money! As furni-
ture perhaps cost upwards Of 5000, but be
may say truly it is not worth &500--now he
does not say be wont pay. but he always
makes it inconyenicut where is BIS redress?
there is none, absolutely none The poor
man is more naturally creditor in small sums
than the rich-thc rich man gives credit
where he pleases and refuses where he pleascs
the poor man is not SO privileged. The
burden as time win show. viii fall most heav-
ily on honest industry--thc thriitless and
worthless even on good incomes become ire
spopsible--the poor man who BY many years
Of diligence and economy has bought and
furnished house showing visible property
Of $1,000 is responsible to them. but they are
not to him nor 70 society.
We are tole that in other States constitu-
tional provisions similar to those cited here,
have been tried and found to work well. bat
is this true? Ianswer No. An intelligent
citizen Of Pennsylvania told Inc but few days
ago he had seen credit refused to poor men
for necessary articles where few years ago
the merchants would have supplied them
gladly. But now they simply say @Mr. -
you cannot take this article without the mon
ey down. have no way Of making you pay
for it hereafter" This is done on principle
the merchant cannot draw The lines be-
tween who would pay, aud who would not
be is not te6ecting on the individual, but act
ing in self defence. The same gentleman
told me that laboring men had called on him
for barrel Of -four or piece Of bacon why
dent you buy from the dealers he asks,
..beeausel have no money on hand aud can
not get it without is thereby. The mill
tia tax N Pennsylvania Is, believe, so cents
year. Many men with full pockets pay
the collector by giving him an order. on the
prince Of the fallen aneals---that is. they tell
him bluntly to 90 tosthe Dcvils issg s.
"Basc is the slave who pays" says Jonas
Trunks, but his was held as a wild agrarian
theory---now that the. world is. becoming so.
enlightened onr legislators endorse his senti-
ment. It IS base remnant of the dark ages
to make a man pay bis debts-unwcrthy of
this age Every body knows, it IS to be pre-
sumcd, what imprisonment for debt is in
Maryland under existing laws before the
Constitution goes Into effect--a debtor has
to make oath that he has given up all Of his
property for the benefit of his creditors, when
he goes scot-free forever. Virtually there
is no imprisonment for debt with citizen of
the State (and strangers ought to be on the
same footing but when a man Is tricky ard
fraudulent though not absolutely bankrupt,
there is something to hang over him aud
many man will pay an honest debt rather
than Suear out, who would not be ashamed
to lie to sneak, or to dodge out, when the
law is powerlcss in regard to him.
The troubles between poor tenants and
landlords; and among small dealers of all
kinds who are gcnerallc poor whether debtors
or creditors. 10 man can forsee-God forbid
that Virginia should follow the lights Lgnis
fatuss) Of her moro enlightened and progses
siye sisters.