Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-06-09
CLEARFIELp. PA
On Going Surety.
by HENRY WARD BEEcuER.

another? Why notY 1t is mos
friendly act. If prudently done, il
may be of tho most eminent benefit
to a neighbor 1t gives him the bene
fit of your good reputation when he i.
not known. 1t lends him your credit
where his own is not sufficient. II
puts him in funds which otherwise he
could not command. Such service to
a friend is generous, and sometimes
even noble. No better use can be
made OF ones money than to help a
true friend. We are commanded To
remember those in bonds as bound
with them" To be sure, this was
originally applied to bonds of differ.
ent kind, but with not whit more
proprety than to pecuniary bonds.
A man who, by few thousand dol
lars, can save his friend, and perhaps
his tamily, from bankruptcy and want,
could hardly spend his money in a
manner which, all his life long. he
would remember with more satisfac-
ton.
But, there are certain moral and
prudential Considerations which should
always be borne in mind in going
surety for friend. You should make
up your mind how much property YOU
have, and how much you are willing
to give away, absolutely, for that
friend whom yoa indorse. For no
blunder can be worse than TO indorse
on the supposition that you will not
have to pay. Never indorse without
saying to yourself, "This may come
around upon mo / may have to pay
II; aud, if IL comes to that, | am able
and willing" Nine out of ten Of the
fatal mistakes made by bondsmen arise
from taking the opposite course to this.
They consider the act of indorsing a
friends paper as mere commercial
form. "There is no risk. shall not
have it TO pay. He is abundantly able
TO take care Of his paper. shall help
him without harming myself, and he
ls stingy man who will not do that"
This is the calculation on which n
man binds himself to pay friends
debts in case the friend cannot nav
them himself But how do these
things turn outy One need not 10
far 70 ascertain Every village has
an illustration. The borrower was
more involved than you supposed, or, |
perhaps, than he himself knew, and |
his creditors closed o5rTs aud wound |
him up, and were overioYed to find
such a good name as yours on his
paper. Or, the sanguine scheme on |
which he bad ventured, which seemed
sure OF success, almost without posi-.
bility ofiailure, suddenly, like a loaded
wagon, slipped off wheel and upset
into the dirt.
Or, just as every thing was at the
point Of success, our friend sickened
and could not look after his affairs.
some critical matter was neglected, or
some dishonest person stepped in and
crooked matters; your friend died, the
estate went into executors hands for
settlement, was badly managed, warp
Cd aud crooked, aud finally turned out
And what became of you? Why,
you were surety for the full amount
)f Whist you are worth In an hour
you hnd yourself confronted with
iebt that sweeps away your house,
sour farm. your little sum in bank.
md leaves you just where you began
years ago, With the differ.
'noe, that then You had only yourself
o provide for, and now you have a
wife aud eight children. Then YOU
we're twenty-five years old and life
vas all before you, and now you are
ifty years old, and life pretty much
III behind you! You have given away
-our children's bread You have not
aved your friend, but have ruined
'oursclf! Perhaps your friend had
ettlcd on his wife q small property
20 much the better for her, il he had.
)f course she will divide with vou.
ince it was to save her husband that
ou were ruinod But, If she will not.
andhuman nature Is made up ofshaky
tud) and her children 90 to school
While yours stay at home; and II they
i've in comfortable house, pleasantly J
while you are hiring few
ooms in the cheapest quarter of the
own, then ] suspect that you will
hew the end of great many bitter
elections. l
When il is too late, you will be very
'ise. ION will say TO yourself, il may
e, "a man is fool who signs for any
irger sum than he can conveniently
ay." Amen, say |
"Beiore a man puts his name down
n another mans paper, be should ask :
imself, am willing TO give this per :
Dn as much money as / sign for 2"
men, say / J
"To sign bond on the supposition
nat it is mere form, and that you
III have nothing to pay, is to put
nes head into a foOlsnoose." Amen.
gain, say y
There is no harm in signing for a ?
you have got the property; I
you are able TO pay the amount '
ithout harming your own household y
nd il you love the man for whom you !
gn enough TO be willing to give him 0
ltright the sum covered by your in =,
Drscment Otherwise, TO go surety y
# neighbor is folly, sin and a "
lame.
In Hartford recently, stranger
ent TO hotel for n bath, and rs he y
IA NOT apnar,ro from he ,ot;ro,oor. N