Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-03-26
CASH OR CREDIT /!

Many of the most sagacious business
men in all parts of the country are be-
coming convinced that the only safe and
intelligent way of doing business is on
the cash system, and they are adopting
it.
This system has so many advantages |
in It's Tavor, that arguments calculated
to convince men that credit is the bane
Of the country would seem to be unnec-
essary, were it not for the fact that a
large part of the business done in this
section is done on credit. We believe it
will pay our readers to discuss the ques-
ton, and determine whether the credit
system is better for them than the cash
system.
Honest men. whether rich or poor,
generally pay their debts; in doing so
they help to support large class of
shiftless. dishonest and unfortunate per-
sons who live and die on credit.
Those merchants. and others, who are
almost compelled by the customs of the
country to give credit, are wise enough
to see that in setting prices to their
goods, they must add a certain larger
per cent. as a sale price, to cover their
losses from poor debts, and loss of inter-
est in waiting for their slow paying GUS
toners to pay their bills. Hence cash
customers, (for merchants cannot grade
prices according to the various financial
standing of their custOmers), pay higher
for their goods than they ought. They
are helping feed the families Of men who
are wasting time in laziness, or means
in bad habits, because the credit system
prevails.
AS rule, the party giving credit suf-
fers from that cause. His means how
great soever they may be are soon scat
tered to the four winds, and lie finds
himself embarrassed for the want of
money to meet his own bills. His bad
debts are moro than he anticipated, and
the customers who patronized him so
generously at first, are surprised, and
generally offended, when they see how
large bill they have run.
Parties doing large business ought
to give their whole time to it, instead Of
being obliged to devote large share Of
their time to looking after delinquent
debtors. A large share of the failures in
business result from giving credit, and
as in other instances, honest, debt
paying men suffer the losses resulting
from the disasters, while the poor, and
the dishonest profit by them.
Every honest poor man supports his
family easier, and takes more comfort
when he makes his small business cash
business. The moment he allows his
name to be written in other mems books
he launches out into ''sea of trouble.
His account grows larger than he antici
pates, he pays high for the articles
that he buys, and buys what his neces
sites do not require. When he finall,
undertakes to pay his bill it is so larg
that be cannot pay it, and he is forced
! to extreme economy or Reputation.
/ the poor man finds it difficult to earl
D wages sufficient for the needs of hi
Q family, he cannot afford to do a credi
2 business. He should demand cash an,
' pay cash in SO doing he will curtai
S his wants, buy at low figures, and knov
e every day just how he stands with tn
!, world.
) But We do net wish to continue thi
: subject to an unreasonable length.
S the day -laborers, farmers, mechanics
It merchants and other dealers. will tax
d time to discuss the subject fully in the
e own minds. they cannot fail to discove
s that every honest, industrious man i
e the country would be better off if Ii
! pay down" system was UNIVERSAL
1t adopted.