The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-06-15

not only their opponent, but the
public, and by the free use of personalities
they attempted in the outset to break
down the discussion which they themselves
had commenced, They cannotbe coaxed,
driven, or shamed into fair discussion Of
their own questions. They evidently pres
fer to talk about my "coat," my name,
"gold medals, ''new hats" "whips and
spurs," dying" "their thousands to let,"
''unsophisticated widows" ''tin HORNS"
Sc, than the subject. l am not surprised
at this. L. is the natural result of their
attempt to defend bad cause. But it i,
a matter of profound astoni shment, that
they even should have thrust such princi-
pies before an enlightened public, and
thereby provoke discussion, if they intend
to practice them. But they have seen fit
to do so, and now let them retract, or face
the music
After stating that we have practically
no usury law in this state, they 60 on to
talk of the evil effects resulting from the
law, and the happy consequences which
would occur from its repeal. And at last,
progress has discovered that there is
no law, either human or divine, which
directly, or indirectly, can possibly reach
the case of him who has appropriated his
neighbours money to his own use, if he has
only done it under the disguise of interest.
The facts are, that he who takes more
than just interest for the use Of money,
takes that which is not his own. "Prog-
ress" fixes no limits, and he would have
US believe that both the laws Of God and
man, justify such transactionsl This at
tempt to appropriate everything in the
universe worth citing in this discussion, to
themselves, and forcing them into their
service, though very characteristic of the
defenders of that side Of the question, is
not only very presumptlous, but unfair.
They do not propose to give me the ghost
Of a chance for success in this discus
sion, any more than they do those who
employ their capital.
But let us examine the facts in the case,
and sec who and what are on their side,
and if in the light Of truth the statements
of 'Progress" shall appear deformed ant
unsightly, he need not throw his tin horn
at the light, he cannot put it out, and hi
had better not blow them to attract at
tention to the discrepancy between thos'
statements and the truth. The following
is the usury law Of this state.
Sect. 3. No person shall take, directly
or indirectly, more than the value o
six dollars for the forbearance of ont
hundred dollars for eyear, and at thu
for a longer or shorter time.
Sect. 4. Whenever n greater rate o
interest than is allowed by law shall
have been paid, the person paying tn
same may recover back the amount s.
paid above the legal interest, with in
terest thereon from the time of payment
in an action of assumpsit, declaring fo
money had and received or goods sole
and delivered, as the case may be,
Now | hold, Mr.. Editor, that such
tremendous mental development as is her
displayed by "Progress, is really dar
ferrous to lis possessor When the dedut
tions of the intellect become so clear an
forcible as to entirely supersede the ev
dence of the senses, its possessor is in
dangerous situation, as was the student
logic, who, when on "spree," lost b
points of compass, and unexpectedly can
, to river. His eyer told him there WI
> river, his logic told him there could m
possibly be one in that direction, and
S his devotion to logic he says "what is Il
!, evidence OF the eyes when compared wi
that of logic r" | 90 in for logic and
,s went into the river. Now let me say
e 'Progress,' that one good eye, is of mo
e value IN setting the fact of the existen,
of material things around you, than &
). the logic of the schools. The existent
It Of usury law in this state is fact, al
when YOU see It upon our statute boz
u believe your eyes, else some day, ifyt
}, you put your principles in practice, if
h does not hurl "thunderbolts" at you,
may wrts The aggrieved persons ha
but TO invoke its aid, and prove the ia
n that you have done SO, either directly
W indirectly, to make it tell you in tones
l. authority, to disgorge your illgoiten gair
= Presume not too much upon the fact tn
,e it has already not done so. When prof
of were high, business men could stand
lie fleeing which would now ruin them, al
49, remember, il is but human nature to U
TO weapons upon an assailant when badly i
re juredby him, which we would otherwi