The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-01-08
Pay the Small Accounts.

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Certain seasons Of the year are markeI
in the calendar as ''busy.g Among thes
are New Years, July, and, to less degree
the intermediate quarters. The particula
"business" Of those dates is the settlemen
Of accounts. In proportion as the thre'
lesser Of the four occasions are neglected
the heavier is the weight Of the other, and
principal. As relief TO the work oI
January, and as facilitating and making
pleasant what is then to be done, good
housekeepers--and good housekeepers are
usually good pay"-anticipate New Year,
BY paying all accounts which can be as
certained before the close Of December.
1t is not of large business transactions
that the purpose of this article is to speak.
1t is Of housekeeping accounts aud perso.
nal expenses; the 'items" Of the tradesman,
baker, milkman, tailor, grocer, halter, shoe
maker, Shop-keepers and retail dealers
generally. Convenience causes small ae-
counts with retailers to be kept--though
it would be more 'convenient'' to paw
monthly or weekly; and more sensible still
to make all retail purchases with cash
yet, taking things as we find thcm, and
knowing that there are millions Of dollars
in "book" just now, the motive Of this
article is to put those millions into circu-
lation. If one is not ready to pay all he
owes until his January income, salary or
wages comes to hand, let him pay as far
as he can.
In the economy Of trade the small ac-
counts are really the most important, as
the Mississippi itself would be no river but
for the thousands Of little springs which
are its feeders. The small payments are
the sources of the circulation" Of money,
and if, as the Ledger has often urged, all
small transactions were cash" the alter
nate elations and deprcssions of the bust
ness world would be much less than at
present. The current Of business would
have an even flow.
But newspaper article cannot change
fixed customs, or prevail on communities
at once to change modes and fashions.
People will and sometimes must ask credit.
Dealers will give it, too, And they will
not only give it when asked, but unasked.
And not only so, but they tempt purchasers
with the tender of credit There seems
to be fascination among all civilized COM
munitiss in the facilities for commanding
supplies with the air of prince, and in
the practice of granting them with the
readiness of holder Of the purse Of For
tunatus, Pay day comes as the grand
disenchanter; and, most serious of. all pay
days are the days Of January.
If whole communities cannot be per
suaded individuals can be counselled The
Ledger, therefore, suggests to whoever
reads this article that he or she pay some
body before night that "little bill"--an
isolated account perhaps which might
have been paid weeks or months ago
and that he or she keep on "paring down"
the unsettled demands till by these sue
cessive instalments the January bills are
reduced to a minimum. Money thus
parted with may, in many cases, come
back to the original disburser himself be-
fore the new year comes in A dollar paid
in the morning may aid in paying dozen
debts before night, and usually does And
dollar is, after all that moralists may
say, great comfort. 1t is the represen-
tative Of religion as well as of mammon,
for cardinal precept is, "0we no man
anything" Sydney Smith, the clerical wit,
protested that he was made happier by
every guinea which he received, and SO,
We suspect, are most men. And those
who have consciences enjoy money the
more because it enables them to acquit
those cousciences either Of the obligation
q
of debt, or of charity, or of both. Pay
your bills then, everybody who can, il you
would perform that best "relief," the pre-
peation of want and suffering. -Pailadel-
phia Ledger.