Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1852-05-01

En Erpediem 10 Abolish all Lar for tn
collection Of Debts 1.-The Delta thinks not; yet
we know very plain and common-sense mer
whom we have heard argue upon the subject
and who disagree with the opinions of that pa
per. Their sentiments accord with the follow
ing reasons why laws for the collection OF
debts should be abolished, given by a writer in
the New York Evening Post:
First. He says, if there were no laws for
collecting debts, credit would be more gener.
ally founded upon character, and debtors would,
when unable to pay, lose cast, unless the most
satisfactory reasons could be given in excuse
for default. Gamblers have no laws, and debts
are more sacred among them than any debts
where the creditor can avail oflaw.
Second. The experience of our Oldest mer-
chants will prove that more money, including
the value OF time spent in law suits, has been
expended during the past thirty years than has
been recovered by the aid of collecting laws.
Policy on the part Of the debtor, and the force
of public opinion, influence debtors more than
law. The honest nan needs not law to CO.
cree him, and the rogue will eyade law when
policy dictates him to do so.
1HTu. III Alool lulIouS competition In j
village in the reckless trader, who relies upon
the facility of compromising his Indebtedness
for success, more than upon his industry and
economy. Mere there no collecting laws, he
could not get credit the second and third time,
unless the most extraordinary circumstances
should excuse him.; and unless his integrity was
placed beyond question, he would, after one or
two failures, be unable to obtain more credit.
En,,rfb AS No man ctortl H. oll:-.lx Ill
his property without cash or such security as
he may be willing to receive in exchange, he
ought not to be allowed to take up the time of
t." elve OF his nelghbors for jurymen and 9TH
ers for witnesses, merely because he chose to
credit his property, when by selling at a small
reduction, he could have sold for cash. In other
neigbors for days and weeks to attend court
to enable him to obtain $40 more on a
bill of goods, than they would have sold for
c~asfl--custom and long habit alone, makes this
endurable.
Fifth. The same reasons will probably be
urged against abolishing laws for collecting
rs were advanced twenty years ago |
against abolishing laws for imprisonment for |
debt. Every State in the Union is now salts
fed of the inexpediency of all laws for i'm
men for debt; all reasons in favor of
t, have been by experience proved to be un-
soud.
| have been of the opinion for more than
wenty years that every law on the statute book
be abolished for collecting debts. Let
every man who chooses to place his property in
hands of another, do so-but let the respon-
ibility rest on himself alone. If the debtor
lon't choose to pay, let the matter be confined
between the debtor and creditor, who both
Volunteered to place themselves within their
'wn contract-but pray excuse their neighbors
rom being dragged into the controversy, at an
Expense Of time and the arrangement of their
'wn business, in aggregate, perhaps of ten
ines the value of the amount in contention.
Every year has more and more confirmed my
Jews upon this subject. During that period
have credited several millions Of dolIars-but
ave made it a rule to credit no man any more
l amount, than would have been done had there
cen no law. have, in common with other
lerchants, had my share of bad debts-but
ave invariably compromised without a law suit.
ly aim has been to deal with men who valued ,
l~aracter more than money.