The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-01-10
A PLEA FOE QUE COUNTRY.


o great deal of personal suffering, such
such as war, famine, psstiience. Do no:
be too hssty, kind reader. Thank God
none Of these terrible scourges affiict any
portion of cur common country and the
little Palmetto State 10 peculiarly favored
in all these respects. And yet the head.
ing of this article is peculiarly appropri-
ate in the present financial condition OF
Our State. Debt, like dark and lower
ing cloud, hangs over our people, ready
to burst at any moment in all its fearful
consequences of bankruptcy and ruin.
That homestead and bankrupt laws may
in thousand cases como in to the relief
of the debtor class doesn't really mitigate
the fearful train OF moral consequences
invariably resulting from resort to these
doubtful expedients. Under the old re-.
gime it was the proud boast Of our little
State, and Of our people as community,
that we promptly paid our financial OBJ
Aigations to the last farthing. And we
were always able to do this because it
was cardinal principle neverto contract
a debt without 9 reasonable prospect of
prompt payment. Our rates of interest
were uniformally low, and our taxes
light. Our government and laws were
wholesome and invigoreting to the entire
body polite. Our labor was the most
stable and reliable the world ever saw.
AS consequence of the war all these
necessary ingredients for prosperous
State were completely overturned, and
Ctr people left to the mercies of the pitt
less storm, without rudder or compass to
guide them. With q bad government,
high taxes, high rates of interest and
totally demoralized labor, no wonder that
to-day the farmers, thousands of them,
laborers and employees, find themselves
engulfed in the maelstrom of debt, una-
BILE TO meet their obligations. These, in
Eheir train, have involved hundreds of
our most liberal and patriotic merchants
lin the same unfortunate predicament
with themselves, and unless we are wise
betimes utter financial ruin must over
wheln us as people,
We wish calmly to discuss the debt
question, without turning aside for a
moment to indulge in elimination or re-
elimination. Indeed, we have no censure
for any class of our people in this unfor-
tunate condition of affairs. None what
ever. While there may be an isolated
few in every community who care for
nobody but themselves, and care not who
sink so they swim, yet the great body of
our people, and especially all the leading
business classes sincerely desire the entire
prosperity Of our State, and are willing
TO make great sacrifices to attain this
end. Creditor and debtor alike will
striye thereto. glae Legislature has
done all hat it can do, by giving us
gholeses4.a psnry lay, sueh an one aa
stood on our statute books during all the
years of our former prosperity. Our
representatives have shown, also, q de-
termination to cut down expenses to the
lowest possible minimum in amount, so
as to tighten the burden of taxation as
much as possible. By carrying out this
programme even to the verge of stingi-
ness is what they ought to do, and is
what the people expect them to do. But
still there is field of operations, the
most important of all, which tHe legisla-
TOR dare not enter, sacred only to the
cultivation of creditor and debtor. IF
there ever was time when compromise.
and forbearance between these parties
was necessary to enable our State safely
topass the breakers ahead, that time is
the present. With the enlivening pros
psct of good government, with our
lcfor system gradually becoming more
and more systematized and productive,
it does seem that we have arrived at an
era in our financial history when it
would be1well to take soundings aud as
certain onr exact condition financially.
In other words, let past indebtedness be
go adjusted between creditor and debtor
that each may take courage, reasonably,
assured on the one hand that past in
debtedness will be gradually but certain
ly liquidated, and on the other that tho
debtor will not be driven to the wall in
this his hour OF extremity. Such q
course generally adopted, will ensure the
old ship of State a. safe passage through
the perils of the storm. This done, and
very few years will tell the old, old
Bible. truth, that the road to prosperity,
for States as we'll as individuals, lies
through much tribulation. AS an illus
tration of the practical meaning of this
article permit ;sSs;s =SS:. .eS:.s .. .; ::.::: 6!
settlement agreed upon ct Anderson
recently in case Of debt involving
thousands of dollnrs--probably hum
dred thousand ON the creditor side, and
but two solvent debtors on the other.
These ::. ::i. :.:c:;s! .As:.
attorney to pay twenty -fivs centa on the
dollar, of past indebtedness,5 51nd with o
representation OF s3S, 900 on she creditor
side, al present proIptly decided tc
accept the ofEer1 One of these creditor
gentlemen, a farmer, told me thatwheI.
the proposition was made he reasoned
thus With himself: Give these debtors .
living chance; bear se one ahotiieE'a
hnrthans, ard ard 81 l s..lsl M .l.e lsss ef ohsie4 @