Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-19
Pay as You Go.

/ which neeu reformation, which would
result in more positive benefit to the
human family than strict adj
herence to the injunction at the head
of this paragraph. The inconven-
fence, 70 say nothing of the hard
ships oftentimes imposed, by neglect
of prompt payment of debts, it Is
safe to affirm, causes more t'Ouble
and heart-aches, than all other ills
to which mortal flesh is heir. The
Inconvenience incident to neglect or
unavoidable failure to pay debt
when due, seldom discommodes the
creditor alone. If he is unable to
meet his obligations when they fall
due, his creditors may be unable to
pay others who have trusted them,
and so it goes, down to the poorer
classes, who probable need every
dollar earned to meet the daily cost
for the bare necessities of life. A
neglect to pay small debt when
contracted, or at least when the
creditor expects to receive his pay,
may discommode score of people,
all of whom confidently hoped to re-
ceive that precise money to square ac-
counts with others whom they owed.
The aggregate amount OF worry
is thus greatly disproportioned to
the magnitude of the sum of money
involved. Many people satisfy con-
science with the assumption that a
creditor being apparently prosper
Gus, he does not need the small
amount owed him, but in this view
of the case, sight is lost of the fact
that human nature is the same every
where, and there may be many others
neglectful from precisely the same
cause. Business men, with appar-
emily unlimited capital, are frequent
ly embarrassed by this loose view of
pecuniary obligation, nor will the
peculiar sensitiveness of financial
standing which constitutes the basis
of trade, admit of their making
known, the stress which the need Of
comparatively small amount, may
occasion. Personal pride likewise
restraints such an avowal. A man
may be at his wits ends, to devise
means for meeting some pending
obligation, and when psrchance aid
OPPORTUNITY comes, he will receive
it in q masked indifference calcu-
lated to impress the beholder with
the idea that it was the turtle st
thing from his thoughts. Poor ha-
manly! How empty and delusive
are thy shams! How little do we
know of the worry and torment of
our fellows, flom this intuitive dis
position to shield flom Sight the
petty annoyances of life!
There seems to be no means of
removing these cob webs from the
pathway, except by IN universal
effort to place all business transact
tons on n cash basis. 1t is a radi-
cal reform, we admit; but therefore
the more important. No pretext
other than actual misfortune should
induce anybody to contract obliga-
tions which there is not q fair pros
pect of his being able to meet at the
exact time when the creditor counts
upon receiving his money, nCr with
out stating the necessity which may
make prompt payment uncertain a
false pride should not subvert this
plain duty. 1t is far better to state
the precise facts, and in time build up
character for honesty and fair deal
| ing, than to deceive the creditor and
by finally disappointing him sacrifice
reputation altogether.
Had we the power to bestow a
magi's gift upon humanity, it would
be to wipe the credit system from
existence. Commodities would then
be cheaper, just to that extent which
profits are enhanced to meet losses
from bad debts and interest on de-
ferred payments. None would then
be tempted to indulge in luxuries
they could not afford, and many II
poor victim would he saved from the
effects of mistravagance and folly.
Pay as you co." is but the reflex
of the Golden Rule applied to bust
ness life, and will accomplish for it