Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-05-23
nns1NEss moRA1s.

"Honor to whom honor Is due, says
a correspondent of the Pittsfeld Mas
sachusetts) Sun. And to 'sdo honor
to whom it is due the Sun states the
following facts: Eighteen years ago
= minister in Berkshire County, now
eighty-two years Of age, endorsed, with
others, q note in behalf of a mercantile
firm to the amount Of $4,000. Disaster
came upon the firm ; and the first n
dorser being the clergyman, the obliga-
ton to pay rested upon him. He said,
'Give me time, and l will do it, And
two weeks ago this venerable man
made his last payment and cancelled
the obligation, the principal and in
terest amounting to something over
$4,000" Now, whatever honor may
be due to the venerable clergyman
and we will not deny that he deserves
a golden statue or a retiring pension,
at least-let us ask what is due to the
parties who have received usurious in
terest OH their claim, at the rate Of at
least one and a half per cent. a month?
1t would take another Shakespeare to
do them justice. And where are the
other parties to the Endorsement, they
who suffered an old man to toll OH for
eighteen years, till he was past four
score, to pay 5000 for their common
liability to meet $1,000? If there are
many more such honorable" men in
that region as the defaulting debtors
and memorable creditors who left such
burthen on the shoulders of q simple
hearted old man, we trust the Bay
State will keep them ut home. They
should not let them loose on society,
for with such legally correct and
strictly honorable men as figure In the
aged clergyman's case, common people
would be at a great disadvantage.
None less sharp than the New Eng
landers could manage gentlemen Of a
"business talent" so acute. But there
are other considerations which invite
attention in a case like this. No man
out of business or in, cleric or lay, has
any right to sign an obligation under
which he may become liable for all
that he an save in twenty years. He
pledges what he does not own, and
may never live to make good. The
old clergyman's conscience told him
his fault, and ~"grievouGly hath he
answered it." No man out of
business should endorse at all, ex-
cept within the amount that he can
afford to lose. Men in business have
their eyes open,' and establish compsn-
sations, by which their interests are
protected. Yet, after all, there is no
maxim better than that Of the wise
king Solomon: "He that hateth sure
tyship is sure" "Too good" q money
lender once replied to an applicant,
"your paper is too good" And the
shrewd lender refused to negotiate it.
He saw that there was n parade of
names entirely unnecessary, if the
drawer had any pretence to credit or
solvency. "You are welcome to my
name" says M of the characters in
the comedy of "London Assurance"
Its of no possible use to me-" Prob
ably the clergyman "to whom honor
is due" was supported by n train of
just such inconseQuents, and because
they could not, or would not pay, he
felt himself obliged to do so, having
that troublesome inmate, from which
they were free, called conscience.
Mercantile life, which supplies many
Of the noblest examples of high
minded, generous and honorable deal
ing. exhibits also poor human nature
in some of its meanest phases. There
is probably no reader Of the News who
has not, among his acquaintance, some
father, beggared by his son, or some
retired business man reduced to pow
erty by his younger friend. Plausible
representations induce those who are
no longer in trade on their own account
to lend their names or their credit.
The consequence is often the loss Of
the hard earnings Of 4 lifetime. 1t
ought to be taken rs primo fdcie evil
dence of insolvency when such a favor
rs IN Endorsement is asked by a young
man in business, Of an old man who
has retired. OF course there are excep-
cases but, under all and any
circumstances the retired man should
be careful, and ask no more for friend
ship or for affection than he can afford
to lose, or is willing to lose, whether
he can afford 1t or not. "Drowning
men clutch at straws," but we never
heard of n case in which the straws
saved them. The mercantile adven-
turer who is conscious that he is losing
command Of his affairs, had better
meet the first loss herolcally than pull
his friends under with him. Better
confess bankruptcy at once, than either
ruin your friends or so implicate them
in your disaster that you cannot save
them harmless without odium.
DUBIOUS PRospEcrs.-We paid a fly
ing visit to Gilroy on last Saturday,