Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-11-22
A Farmers View Of Our Troubles.
Editors Vsndicotor:

afmofS view OF Uur 1TOuDleS'
Editors Vindicator:
I, as one of the readers Of your journal,
approaching the ability with which you
have inculcated sound political opinion
and correct moral tone, propose to co n
tribute my mite in encouraging all good
citizens to stand firm for the true and the
right; and by patient endurance of una
voidable trials and the vigorous use of
means at hand, work out their private for
tunes and thus secure the public welfare.
1 have long felt that our people have
been taught to rely too much on govern
ment to do what each individual ought to
do for himself, and what he must do if it
is ever done at all. True, every citizen is
bound by the highest consideration to
take real, unaffected interest in the gov
eminent of his country, so as. to the ex-
tent OF his influence to secure to every
human creature, life, liberty and property.
The command ''look We out able nell
men Of truth, hating covetousness, and set
them over the people, comes to us this
day with as much force as it did to the
oppressed travel worn Jew three thousand
years ago.
But I will in this call attention to what
may be done to retar the stringency OF
the times by every citizen who earns or
spends, or loans or borrOws. believe that
times have improved some in the last year
by the better system of economy which
the change in the times has forced upon
many, and thus this class find themselves
getting along better. even if they are
making No more; they have learned to live
within their means and find life more en-
joyable than when spending more in vain
display. Let no one suppose that econo-
my means stingin or selishness- that
and forced to starve or steal, when the
employer is able by a judicious use Of the
property and means in his hands to retain
him at moderately fair wages, or that the
man OF wealth should stop the necessary
improvement of his estate or even to adorn
or beautify lit is the wise use Of means,
conducting business and living within the
means.
Another way by which the stringency
complained of may be relaxed, is, let every
one make some sacrifice in order to pay
promptly what he owes; if A pays B, B is
then able to pay C-this is especially nee
essary with those who conduct business in
part on borrowed capital. If they do not
pay the interest promptly they cannot ex-
pect to be long entrusted with the prin CT
pal. 1 have known men to suffer great
loss, and some to be entirely broken up
all traceable to their disregard Of obliga-
cation to pay interest regularly to indul-
gent creditors, som etimes failing through
extravaganza OF carelessness, even to pay
interest to guardians on trust funds, which
interest was the only support OF minors
such conduct as this destroys confidence
with regular, legal money lenders; and
this class of borrowers soon go into the
hands of sharks if they get money at all.
Again, those whose business it is to
loan money, will find it not only to their
interest in the long run to loan at legal
rates, but also to leave the money in the
same hands as long as the interest is
promptly paid and the principal is safe, if
necessity does not require the collection.
This course encourages Industrious, honest
debtors, not only to pay their debts and
save their property from sacriti. e, but
keeps up the productive business of the
community saves commotion and unrest
in society, and in this way benefits tn.
whole. The State is but the aggregation
Of all the private citizens and the prosper
| ity and wealth of the State is made up OF
the prosperity and virtue of the people.
1t would not be right. however, to EN-
courage those debtors who are hopelessly
| involved, to hold on to the property which
they have not paid for, and which, in all
human probability they never can pay for.
There are many cases in this Common
| wealth where real estate has been sold,
the purchaser by paying less than half the
purchase price, got the land into possess
sion, paid nothing more-every year work
ing the land lower in degree of productive
ucSo, dllu you WHICH, tuC Cl6ulUt'I. WUIii Oltb
by years of delay andaccumulating unpaid
interest, sues out a decree of sale, he is
not only met by denunciations for being a
Shylock, but by all sorts Of legal tricks to
enable his unjust debtor to keep possession
of property in defiance of the rights of the
true owner.
The great troubles IN business and the
stringency in confidence might be very
| much mitigated by this class of debtors
giving up fairly, yielding HONESTLY to the
inevitable consequences of their own COLI
tracts, and let the property 60 to sale IT,
stead of heaping up costs to keep creditors
out of their long deferred rights. Finally
know of no remedy for the ills above
described other than that given by the
Great Lawgivef-speak the truth, do JUS
tice, be merciful. Let him that is in
debt be truthful-let him pay his debts Or
give up fairly, and not hide his effects, and
let the creditor be indulgent to the work
ing, honest debt paying debtor.
W.T.R.
Letter from Mt. Sidney.