The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-07
THE "PAy AS YOU COZ THEORY.

Inn RAY AS lQU GU thbOh1s
: There seems o be such disposition on
the part Of both government and individuals
in these latter dsysto stretch credit and pile up
iniebIedness. that many good and pracsicsl-
ly turned men are beginning to urge as 3 feat
ure in all political movements, a policy of
"Psy AS You Co." 1t il insisted, not with
out show of reason and many excellent illus
trstions, that the adj ption, in the future, OF
such policy is an absolute necessity for the
formation Of correct business habits and the
we'll beingo society, and particularly strong
ia the argument or consideration regarded in
which it is urged that we OF the present, in
the very nature of things have no right to
tax those of the future with burdens in
WHOSE imposition they have had no voice.
The freedom from obligation or responsi>
bility in man or society and the poetic
justice to posterity are attractive in theory,
IL cannot be denied, and in proportion 10
their attrsctiveness will be the readiness of
reception by the unthinking, and the sim
cerity of their advocacy. 1t has often oc-
Cured to us that if humanity were
freed from the calling slavery which dsbt
entails and the consequent unchsritsble and
inhuman expressions of the poor removed,
human society would soon reach its per-
lection OF development. But as
often have VIC felt the imprscticabiliuy
of the desired reformation. There
is "a remarkable tendency in the polit-
icsl thought of the day towards abstract spec
ulation and il is fault of revolutionists 10
go TOO far while on the other hand conservSs
tism ia apt to become retrogressive. To-day
while the "Psy AS You Gro" class are urging
the abolition of the credit system, many
there are in Europe and America who re-
gard large bonded indebtedness, where Mt
tons are the debtors, as a"nstonal blessing
The fact is both extremes are wrong, the one
from impracticsbility the other in fact. Too
many thinkers seem to forget that govern
ments are to be regarded and treated in theory
and in contact as individuals. Tsey are SO
placed in the civil and international law and
they must be 50 considered il
political speculation or false and impractical.
BILE conclusions will invariably be
reached. Now ia it possible for the individ-
ual to live without mourning financial obi
cations on the one hand, or are those obli-
cations, after they have become fixed, to him
= blessing? We answer unhesitatiDgly No |
to both propositions. Take the case Ct
lsboriag man who has been regularly paid
his wages and has as regularly discharged
his own liabilities and without owing al
man has kept comfort within his home.
What will such an one do when the "rainy
day" comes upon him, whether it. be sick
ness or loss of work. The scanty wages and
che growing family have prevented the lay
ing away of means to meet such an emer-
gency and he is at the mercy Of cold,
pay as-you.go world. But bread must be
had, medicine and medical attention must be |
obtained, clothing and other necessaries of
life procured. One Of two courses must in
such case be adopted, either the honor of the
applicant must be taken for the necessities
or the community must furnish them. But
II the community at large supply this
mans wants, every other needy citizen can
make the demand, and you thus turn
nnxy NJ int An
ton, compel the few thrifty to care for the
millions of INDECENT and worthless, and so
thwart at the Threshold the very ends of
government which are the dignity and indie.
penderce of the citizen. In such case is |
no. debt, a credit system,
God-send TO the sufferer, for
upon it alone must depend his
life and the support of his family. But
this is only one from many cases where
theory fails and necessity knows no Law.
But let us rise from the individual to the coll
lectivo, from the citizen to the community.
1t has an organic ID beng, artificial it is true,
but nevertheless organized, and with wants
and capacities. Now, suppose some catss.
trophe prostrates its energies and dries up
for the time being the fountains from whence
1t draws It's lifes What ,henS Bread, water,
clothing air, light, the same essentials rs in
The case of man, must be forthcoming, and
imme iiately too, but the means are not at
hand with which to procure them. The in-
legrity of the community is unquestoned,
their ture ability to pay no
ono DOUBTS, for their resources
when permitted to work them are unsur.
passed. Yet "Psy A, You GO" 10 the motto,
and the people perish. If not tho state must
,gain step in and dispense charity. Now
AXE 1t for granted that it is right for the
TO relieve the wants Of its thous
.nds of communities, where pestlence or
irou,h or poor soil or storm, or of ii, mill
ons Of poor subjects, where the iron heel
If oppression, of circumstance, of fate, has
ground them down, is it at all practicable!
In nearly every civilized nation taxes with
which governments meet calls, are as high ss
IAN DO borne, and yet, in every such state
here is annually deficit. Then If you
hrow this vast army Of mendican,s upon
hem whence will come the means
Under such circumstance, ruin would