American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-05-05
Relief for the Debtor Glass,

the great majority of the people il
this State are in favor of the adop
ton of some measures, by the proper
authority, for the relief of the debtor
class, which constitutes by far the
larger portion of society. The PEG
pie see and feel the necessity of re
lief, and demand that it shall be af
torded. The only way in which this
can be done is by legislative enact
ment, and the Governor of the State
is importuned every day through the
press-the great indicator Of public
sentiment-to convene the Legisla-
ture for that purpose. 1t is to be
hoped he will not much longer resist
these Overtures. Perhaps few more
rousing and respectable meetings
like that held in Carrollton a few
weeks ago, would have the effect to
bring about the desired end.
In our last We published a short
article from the Lexington Adver-
tiser, in reference to the meeting of
the Circuit Court of Holmes county,
in which it is stated that "there are
sir huRayed cases on the issue docket,
and four hundred suits brought on
the appearance docket this term, and
they still come IN rapidly" We were
told Just before the last meeting of
our Circuit Court, by an officer of
the same, that there would not be
less than tire hmdred suits brought
at the then ensuing term, by parties
in Madison county alone, besides
those brought by foreign creditors
And we presume such is the deplora-
Bile state of things all over the State.
This" to use the language of the
Lexington Advertiser, sis the best
argument in support of the assem-
bling of the Legislature, to devise
measures Of relief to the people in
volved in debt, and who are striving
70 discharge their just dues
The press of the State-with the
disintcrestednesS that has ever char
acterizcd the Fourth estate has
been almost unanimous in favor of
measures ofrelief for the debtor class.
The most persistent and the ablcst-
and, as far as our memory now serves
MS, the only-opponent Of this policy
was Harper, of the Kinds County
Gazette. He proceeded upon the
hypothesis that the people could
take care of themselves, without the
intervention of the legislature-that
honest debtors would be able TO
make satisfactory arrangements with
their creditors, and thus avoid being
sued" The editor of the Gazette,
however, has begun to discover his
mistake, and year or 50 from now,
being the publisher of a flourish
ing paper atsRaymond, the official
organ of Kinds county,'-he will
begin to realise it, in the shape of
good fat ads.'-Sheriff's sales.
But the Gazette is coming round
handsomely to the side of the hon
est debtor as will be seen by the
following article which we copy from
its last issue; ...r. ..r.
!g Facts which have come to our
knowledge within the past week or
two, says the Gazette of the 9th
ult., have considerably shaken our
views, hitherto expressed, with ref
erence to the policy of devising some
means to stay, for a limited period,
the collection OF debts through the
Courts. We had no idea that credit
ors contemplated such Wholesale
coercion in the collection of debts as
is now apparent in this good county
of Kinds. We thought in view of
the common ruin and disasters Of
the past, that great indulgence would
be shown by creditors to all honest
debtors. 1t appears, however, from
what has been going on about here
for the past week or two, that cred
itors are becoming very blOOd-thirSty. |
Suits to an astonishing number are |
being brought to the May term of |
the Kinds Circuit Court. Men have |
been sued without being asked for |
payment-Others have been sued |
who have had the money on hand
for months TO pay their notes, but
could not learn into whose hands
they had fallen-others have been
sued ON debts contracted during the
war, when our currency stood as ten
10 one with gold-while others again
have been sued, and their property
attached, who are temporarily absent
from the State. Many creditors are
certainly Overlapping themselves ;;
and if many of those who nave
brought suits should find themselves
foiled in the end. while those who
have not brought suits realize their
clsaas, they viii have themselves
only to blame.
The relaxation in our views which
has taken place On this subject, must
not be imputed to personal cOnsidera-
tons Never having sued man in
our life. and aerer kariHg BEEN sized.