The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-28
The Advantages of Cash Over Credit.

"Pay as you Co." is an old saw, but
wise one. 1t is the cheapest way and
the safest. To run in debt is an Ameri-
can habit, and there is no other nation in
the world where credits are so popular
as with US. We borrow with the great
est facility. The thought of payday
rarely troubles the intending borrower;
and the borrower and debtor through
purchase stated precisely in the same
position; they are both borrowers in
facts. It is only rarely that we come
across man who has the reputation Of
being 'solid" man, without any bub-
bles of credit in his business, and buy
ing only for cash. The practice is so
general that business is built up on that
basis; scales are made in anticipation Of
a years credit or more, and public scales
are never, or hardly ever, announced un-
less with the heading 'credit sale" pre-
ceding them. At q cash sale one gives
theactual value ofwhat he buys, and many
who are tempted to buy at credit sales
will avoid cash sale from habit if not
from necessity. The difference in the
cost price of articles so purchased is an
enormous tax on industry, self.imposed,
it is true, but none the less onerous for
that. This is poor management. The
destruction of the poor is their poverty"
If we consider this ancient, but true
proverb, in its narrowcst sense, we shall
miss its most valuable lesson. There are
poor men financially considered; but for
one of these who become so by unavoid.
able necessity, there are hundred
who make themselves poor. There are
poor managers of their affaits; poor bus
iness men; poor readers; poor thinkers,
and those with poor memories upon
which the results of mistakes sit but
lightly or rest not at all and these are
each and all worse off than the man who
is poor as regards money alone. A man
with brains and capacity to use them,
who can foresee chances Of profit, and
who can seize them as they come; who
is shrewd, prompt in action and enter
prising, is rich man as compared with
one who possesses none of these advan-
tages, but who has only money at COM
mand. There are rich poor men and
poor rich men, and these soon change
places. "I have entered into partner
ship" said one; "9y partner finds the
money and find heexperience." After a
time this one said, ~ have dissolved part
nership; have now the money and my
partner has the experience" 1t will al
ways be thus; the poverty ofthe man whois
poor in business ways destroys him. There
are some maxims in business which a
man, and especially farmer, should
write on the first page of his memoran-
dunn book or diary, and read over every
day. Some of these are: "Owe no small
debts" "It is better to borrow money
on note, or a mortgage, and pay num-
Der of small debts out" "Buy for cash."
"Sell for cash." "Do not buy thing
you do not want" "Do not want q
thing becuse it is cheap" "Avoid auc-
tion sales" "Never endorse note"
eff you wish to oblige friend, and have
the money, loan it to him; but put your
name on no mans paper" "An endors-
ed note comes due always at an inconven-
lent time" "Neyer count your money
until it is in your pocket" Many 9TH
ers might be added, but here are enough.
If you want good authority for these We
may refer you to Solomon first, in whose
ancient writings all these, and many
more of similar import may be found.
Since mis- day these maxims have been
iterated and reiterated until they are
trite enough, but YET the great majority
of men ignore them. A man becomes
prosperous by attention to small details.
"Small leaks sink ship" A habit Of
looking after small matters causes man
TO carefully regard larger affairs. while
on the contrary, looseness in the former
respect produces carelessness in regard
to the latter. A business man who re-
CARDS economy and safety, will never fail
or become embarrassed, and there is
nothing else in the way of business that
is so economical or safe as dealing for
cash. There may be men who consider
that debt; is debt that there are no
degrees or differences in this respect.
But there are debts, and some are exces-
sively more costly and burdensome than
others.-Rural NeD YorEer.