Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-06-01
SHAVING NOTES.
BY HENRY WARD BERCHER.
New York, May 4th 1871.


1 have profted many times by reading
your answers in the Ledger, to correspon-
dents, on various subjects, and venture
to ask YOU to give me, through the same
medium, your views upon subject con-
cerning which I have not been able to
reach a satisfactory conclusion. LIST. Is 1t
right to shave notes I'd. If not, why
not? 3d. Is it right to buy neighbors
farm for two thirds its real value, knowing
that he must sell for the purpose OF rais-
ing money! 4th. If SO, wherein consists
the difference between this last and shaw
ing notes? know many worthy people
who say may do the former, hut that !
NAV not do the latter. lam unable to
discover the difference. &. o. L.
l There is no more sin in buying
a note than in buying a load of
wood, heifer, or two year old
colt. When a note is made, it be-
comes an article of merchandise.
The merchantable element is that
of time ana responsibility OF the
drawer. Ifan note has four months
to run. and one sells it for less than
it's face, the difference is simply the
interest which the seller is willing to
pay for the use of the money nntll
the note is due, Negotiable notes
are subject to precisely the same
terms of bargain aAd sale that otaer
property in the market is. The
evil of shaving notes does not lie,
therefore, in any intrinsic sin in the
transaction itself, and must be look
ed for in some other direction.
2. Men that make n business OF
shaving notes are brought into cir
cumstances where, almost inevitab-
ly, they will become both very hard
hearted and very avaricious.
In general, notes that are shaved
are in the hands of needy sellers.
They submit to great loss because
their neces iy leaves them no er-
nativc, 1t is that or ruin. When
the note shaver perceives this, he Is
tempted to press his advantage
based upon his neighbor's misfor-
tune, to the eytren e;; point. His
avaricico grows. He becomes less
and less affected hy another's trout
bles, H. nourishes his own grerd
ont of the distress of II fellow man
Whatever may be said OF the right
to buy no.c in open market at l's
, cheapest gong rate, the effect upon
4 mans moral nature, Of IL continue
. business of that kind, is not doubt
ful. Itharlens the heart. Ii teach
es man to look upon another''
misfortune in worse than seliisl
, light. 1t destroys pity, whets avar
i, ice, and goes far and fast towart
makinga a note shaver cruel Shy
: lock.
No man can afford to pursue
. business that makes him merciles
and inhuman. While note shaving
may he done equitably and usefully
We the temptations which attend i
, to extort:on, to almost robbery, ar
such that few men long practice II
+ without suffering in greater or les
y decree, moral and social deteriora
, ton. They exchange their man
, hood for money. They. enlarg
1 their possessions, but shrivelled u
e their hearts.
II If any one doubts tLis, let hir
:, inouire of business men who hav
had opportunity of watching an
: studying the operation of this bus
). ness. He will be told that Will
|, there may be such thing as hon
Il orable and humane note shaving
;, there very seldom is such a thing
and that the practice very soon b'
l. gets cruelty Of the most unfeehn
kind.
It 2 As to the matter Of buying
" farm below it's market value W
d have this to say: ;.
:. l. That no man who aims to hV
IL bv a Christian standard, should a.
ID sire ire to obtain anything whatev'
n without paying for it a fair equlv'
lent of some kind.
2. If farms forced to sale undt
le their real value were as thick
ot notes in market, and men sloul
n- make a daily business OF buyln
them at discount ruinous to the sc
J, ler the evil of buying real estate
ID such principles would be great
Is that of noteshaving.
to No bargain is fair which, q
r, things considered, is not, at Il J
E. the time, honestly supposed to
e. as beneficial to one party as Il
ly other. -,
Ifit is to be said that if such
~ win, ;rlo were carried into bus
,t ness it would greatly impede u