National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-07-09
Getting in Debt.

Is IL ever auV1SdUle f0r man to
get in debt Most certainly, for it
is by 80 doing that at least ninety
out of every hundred of our success,
full merchants and farmers have
reached the positions in which they
now stand. We know that such
advice is not generally considered
orthodox among our political econo.
mists, but we also know that our
forests and praries would in great
measure have remained in their
primitive wildness it the men who
now people them had kept out of
debt.
Shall young min get in debt
for a farm, or would iJ be better to
work for somebody else until he is
able to pay forit with his own mon
ey? We say buy the farm and pay
for it when you can. This is the
system which has been in vogue ev-
er since the settlement of America,
and we know of no country that has
made more rapid progress, nor one
in which the farmers are more indc-
pendent. Suppose a man has lit
tie capital say three thousand dol
lars, and he wishes to purchase a
farm for that now, it becomes a
question of policy whether he shall
pay all the purchase money or only
a portion oft, reserving the balance
as working capital. We believe
that the latter would be the best
plan, for what can man do with
land if he has neither team nor tools
to cultivate his crops! This being
in debt is not always very agreea-
bic position, but it has been the
means of making more fortunes than
all other causes put together. Debt
is often the poor mans capital, and
the young man who can establish a
good credit is on the high road to
success, and if he does not reach the
goal it is because he is too much of
all imbebile to take advantage OF
his circumstances.
The great secret of getting into
debt Is III never purchasing anything
that is not worth as much or a little
more than you pay for it, or to put
it in better light, buy that which
is sure to rise annually in value
more than the interest on the sum
paid.
Fine clothes, fast horses, jewelry,
and the wines that you and your
friends have consumed during the
past year are not usually in this
class of property, but good farm
well titled, good stock well cared
for, are pretty sure to pay there
tore, we say again, young men who
mean to work need not be afraid to
get into debt. To- money which
you mean to pay is one ofthe great
est preventives against slOth, with
which we are aquainted, and it has
been the saving of many a naturally
indolent man.
There are plenty of men who have
more capital than they can use tc
advantage, and there are others who
have energy tact, and good tinancia
abilities but no money. 1t must bt
apparent that each can be of assist
ance to the other, but one of them
must get into debt.
The man of means is usually salts
fed with seven per cent. per anumn
and the man without it can, If ht
has the ability, afford to pay this
sum, for it becomes the implement
with which to carve ont competen
cy, if not a fortune.
MOI man can cut cOrdwOod with two
axes ut a time and work to advan
tage, consequently, he had better
lend one to his neighbor who has
none, than to keep both himself
and, further, cannot the neighbol
better afford to pay small sum fol
the use of the axe f! We think so.
This is just the position III whlcl
we often find two men-one has
farm on credit or money to lend
while another has neither.
There are thousands of farmer
who have more land than they cal
cultivate proiitably, therefore, i
would be to their advantage to sci
portion on credit to those whit
could.