The Red Cloud chief., 1877-10-25
Hold the Homestead.

and flown to their original home at the
first opportunity they had of escaping.
Hold the Homestead.
In the midst of these gloomy days and
falling fortunes, when men Of wealth
are becoming bankrupt and families are
reduced from sfiuence to poverty, there
is one lesson that should be thoroughly
learned. Every man, in the period of
his prosperity. should settle a home
upon his wife. In order that she and
their children may be placed beyond
the casualties Of his business losses.
Not only Il it honorable to do this, but
it u dishonorable not to do it. We
know the heightened philosophy and
the argument that bears itself upon the
toploftiest and moral stills used by the
grssping creditor. and the skin. Tinted
usurer. when he urges the broken bust
ness nlan and his frightened wife to
yield their last dollar to his exactions.
Again and again have we heard the
maxims of q false code laid down by
the bl0ocless and exactipg creditor, who
demanded, in the name of commercial
honor, that the last dollar shO I'D be
given up rather than an honest debt
should remain unpaid. This is false as
it is cruel; as mean as it is unjust. I'm
less a business man owes a higher duty
to his creditors than to his wife and
children; unless it is a hOlier obligation
to pay debts than it is to provide home
and bread to his helpless and dependent
family; unless his standard of personal
pride is 80 selfish and false that his com.
mercial credit is dearer to him than
wife and children; then by yielding his
last dollar, and depriving them of com
forts and himself of . chance to redeem
his fortunes he is doing q mean aud
cruel and wicked and cowardly act.
We lay it down as a first and perma.
nent duty for every honest man who
respects himself. and honors his wife,
and loves his children, as soon as he is
able. to place a roof over his family that
shall not be subjected to the vicissi-
tudes of his business fortunes. 1t is
then the duty of the wife, as she loves
her husband, and feels the responsible
ty to her children, to resist the entreaty
of creditors, and the command, of her
husband, and keep the home forever in
violate from incumbrance. The man
VINO asks his wife to mortgage her
to pay his debts or to get him
out of a tight place, is guilty of a moral
He has less right to do it than
he has to 60 to any business man and
ask him to mortgage his property to do
him a favor for which he does not in
tend to compensate him. 1t is better
for creditors that the debtor should have
his home left. 1t nerves him to renew
ed efforts, and encourages him to exer.
which, if he were homeless, he
would never have the resolution to
make. A thousand times We have seen
men under the depressing influence OF
failure so stunned as to lose their bust
ness sense. Then the creditor comes in
upon the respondent, dOwnhearted, SEN
sitive and honorable man. and from him
and his frightened and shocked wife
gets a deed of the house. 1t IS felony,
grasping avarice and heartlessness, that
Commits burglary by breaking into the
afflicted Westinghouse. and 1t ought
Oy statute to be declared an offence
punishable by imprisonment at hard
|abOr, with shaven head and striped
We have sympathy for the
wife, pity tor the husband, and con-
emp: for the creditor, when we see the
conveyance of a homestead to secure
he husbands dehts.-Er:hnnge.