Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-01-21
Sensible Advice. Heed it.


We commend the following, from the Bos-
ton Journal to the careful perusal of all.
We have said long age, long before the
panic commenced or was thought Of, that the
crying sin Of the people of this country, in
their domestic economy, is borrowing Of the
future, that is anticipating future earnings or
future profits; in other words, getting in
debt, and pledging future earnings for pay
ment. And now at the beginning of this
nav year we desire to present the subject to
our readers once more while the January
bills are being brought in, and too many of
US are considering where the money is COM
ing from to pay them. How many there are
to whom the early days of every new year
are days of torture, because they have in
dulged in the purchase Off great many things
which they could just as well have done with
ou7, only for the reason that they should not
have to pay till New Years"
Let any person who is suffering in this way
turn over a new leaf now and try another
method. Pay up the old bills as soon asyou
can, but don't commence any new ones. Re
solve, firmly, that unless it be for some abso-
lutte necessary of life, which must be had to
keep you from starving or freezing, that you
will buy nothing till you have the money in
your pocket to pay for it. The first advan-
tage you will derive from this course is a
very important one-you will consider wheth-
er it is absolutely necessary to buy the arti'
Gle you desire, and in one case cut of every
three your decision will be in the negative
you wall do without it wholly, or substitute
something cheaper, and thus save the whole
or a material part of the cost, BY having
credit at the shops you cannot do this; youl
own experience will tell you that without oul
proving it, The second advantage is, that
when you have decided to buy something
every shopkeeper who has the honor of YOU
acquaintance will be anxious to have you
custom, because you pay money doaen, and il
you are at all skillful in trading, you may
make saving OF FIVE or ten per cent, ia al
you misunderstanding of an item in th<
course of year you will find. A third adj
vantage is, that it will make you rich and an
dependent.
The really rick man is he oohose income i
something more than bis outgo, no matter
whether the surplus be much or little; ant
who so independent as one who owes nothing
and always has money in his pocket2 A
fourth advantage is that it brings into active
exercise, and develops beautifully, thos
grandtraits Of self-denial and prudence, will
out which human progression is slow affair
A fifth advantage is that 1t gives you thu
means to be charitable, to help those Wit
cannot hely themselves, thus developing tina
other beautiful trait, beneyolence. How Cal
a man of moderate means, whose future ear
nings, to some extent, are always mortgaged
have anything to help his poor neighbor with
If he have money in bis pocket it is not his
and what right has he to give away the pro
perty of others, however urgent the case ma,
be. But ala Independent rich man, who pay
as he goes, can say at once whether he has
dollar to spare for starving brother or sis
ter he has but to feel in his pocket, and if tn
dollar is there he may give it; he knows h
will have another tomorrow, and that no on
has claim on it: it is not pledged to tn
grocer Or tailor; perhaps he has a use for
or thinks he has; butsef-denial says no, 20
Can spare it. Beyond all these things it wi
make you a true patriot; you will be dom
all you can in your sphere to prevent OF
country from living too fast, importing MOI
than she CAR pay for, because it is very ceI
tain that if no consumer of merchandise buy
more than he can pay money for at the tin
of the purchase, the consumers will never
in debt to the merchants, nor the merchan
to the importers or producers, nor these
foreign countries, and so we shall be free
panics, crises, revulsions, and all the troubl
which grow out Of drawing on the future
supply the present.
What can one man do to bring about sue
results? Simply what one man should do
his duty. If others will not cooperate, tt
grand result will not be compasssd, but ii
one man will find himself on the first day
January, 1859, far advanced from his prese
starting point, in health, wealth and deveo
ment; he will find himself more of ma
satisfied with his years progress and dete
mined never to get out of the right road agai
He will relate his experience, and conve
others 10 his way, and who can foretell Il
ending.