The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-02-16

IN DEnr IN DANeER.


nj shsne 4 pnhccominx 10 reuaind the Romans.
=, h;s RD,sile that they should "reader 10 oil
,ipcs." and shoatd "owe no man anything
There is indeed something contrary 10 The
everlasting principles Of equity in withhold
ING payment where psyuaeeg csn be made IL
Is not doing TO others as We would be done by
and thet7lore he who is in debt Is IN danger
Of violating the moral law. Debt mahip'es
debts, for Il the creditor be not paid himself
he cannot pay his creditors, aud thus the sys-
san, az debt i pcrpetUated. II those, Tor
examnle. who furnish thsir houses 10 not pay
for the rOods on delivery OF very shortly
afterwards, the cahinee-maker, carpet manu-
faciarcr, pianoforse-maker, the plciure-dealeT,
ana the bookseller who 6lled the library
shelves, the iroumopgcr who supplied The
stoves. bath, and ircn-woFk, must inevitably
10 hinaeresi in their business unable to make
prompt pavmcnts, doomed to bear the annoy
ance Of being dunaed, or the disadvantage Of
having the price Of wholesale goods raised
and tempted Il not driven. to withhold or
diminish their laborers' wages. Hessce arise
loud complaints and sour faces in the work
sbon. relaxed energy and sometimes disturb
aness and strikes. Who arc the chief enlpri,s
in such casoss CERTAINLY those who, having
r,mpe,encies or wealth, Cor their own selfish
Indulgence keep the money that is due for
their furniture still in the bank, OF invested
ard Welding interest; or, what is worse, real
IL have not the money at all, but expect It, at
least hope for il, perhaps sQuander II IN neet-
less display, immolerste bauqueting gaming
tables, or the turf. Under either ct these
circumstances the voluntary debtor is IN
dsnrer-in danger, Tor the bank may fail, the
Investments prove worthless: the income mat
Is yet future may never be realized, however
certain it may seem; and extravagant indai-
gelce, at the expense OF others convenience
and on the footing Of chronic debt, Will assHr-
edly bring its own Nemesis sooner or 'a'er'
PERHAPS some one will reioia that commerce
cannot be carried on, nor the relations OF
social life be preserved, without credit, ana
that many tradeSmen prefer sending ia their
hills aud not being paid cash. There IS OF
course some truth in the FIRST part OF this
reioinder: and indeed the larger commercial
transactions may be, the more inevitably do
they entail the necessity Of credit, more eSpe-
cially when they assume an International
character But 1t is not to the higher range
Of commerce that the remarks here made are
intended principally to apply. IheY refer IN
the main to ordinary social life, to house
holders Of moderate degree IN the crowded
titv the country town. the village, aud the
h,rlet For these in particular, and for all
others. even the highest and richest, debt
should be eschewed as much rs possible,
REGARDED as an awkward and disagreeshe
uecessitv. limited 10 the utmost in It's dura-
tion. ard made, il il can be made SO, the ex-
ception 10 a rule. The objection that ssme
trsdeSmen prefer giving credit Is scarcely
worth answering. Wherever they do 50 pre-
fer Il. depend upon it they are the gamers,
ami the debtor is tbs loser. lie loses the DIS
count he would get for ready money and Is
charged high peEeentage as interest OF Tie
payment which he withbulds or delays
1t is impossible 10 be Too PLAIN spoken IN
such a matter as this, and therefore If take
the text, I" In debt, in danger, ara bound to
saw specifically in TiG danger. and not TO lose
myself in Censralities. l have spoken OF moral
d1p-ers: There are those also Of bankruptcy,
rain, penury. Debt is the precursor q an
overlrsvn balance AZ the bankers, an income
exceesiei, increasing complications, habits Of
debt acquired By wife and child, sous at cot
lere or in the army contracting heavy bills,
peace OF mind disturbed, equivOcation, ialSe-
hood. and want Of straightforward dealing,
the prospects Of heirs and survivors over
cIouded, sleepiess nights, overweight nerves,
digestion impesied, seeds Of disease sown,
temptation 10 speculate, holding shares, de-
beniures, aud scrip that have lost all value IN
the money market, carriage put down, horses
sold. servants DISMISSED, friends lost, Nea-
deserved TeprOaches 10 be borne, and DOT
unfrsluently the bottls s0sghr as relief from
tarturins thought, and SsiTiEEa trefasns reach
ed rs the ilismal and bitter end. These are
some 81 debts dangeEs, but they are not all,
nor are they exaggerated They may rot
often all alight on the same head, but those
who persist in = syst,m Ct needless and easily
avuiiabls debt will handy escape sumo 1i
them.
Reverse the picture. 4 man who avoids
deb, avoids uunsbeslsss dangers All the
nefcisbors speak we'll Of him He Is favor
lite with tie shopksePers- The workmen
declare he is god master. He knows Inc
state Of his own mij1sy matters. be : honor
able and jast in all hls dealings. You can
degend on his VOID; for virtues like certain
birds, 90 in folks aud never move alone ii
misfortune overtakes him he breaks the edge
+, ofit hv uuf being in debt At all events,
be savs, - have no bills to pay. lie Is not
afraid Of every ring al tie bell, nor OF the fiss
rssn be meefs being creditor whom lie IS
uniting 81. If 4 windfall arrives he can enjoy
IL II IS not all besPoken long before aud
Swallowed 10 by the hungry mouths OF i'm
I,,rt1azle debts. He can always make 10th
ends meet, and often lay 5y something at The
end Of tse year He can help poor relation
or 1iys a needy friend helping hand de
squares his accounts every month, perhaps
sTe-v week, and always has money IN hanu-
II lie wanted credit no one could get II more
eas;IT. because il is we'll known that debt
forms no part Of his system. He pTaetises
sslf-restr.int, and improves his moral char
acter by adheTing to rule 50 simple, and 50
mucl, for his ozn comfort and advantage, that
he IS as.naished any Of his neighbors should
e. mon aEositer tack AID make shO- al the
exrease Of their creditors Whatever be has,
ezis. drinks, wears, drives, rides, uses, : paid
for Ifit we're not lie would hardly thiak u
his. or tsssS BE has any right 10 H. Several
r,srso-.s rhora lie kn0Es -re II his eyes
;bjerss and beggzrs, though they cur cor-
si5sr.ble dash They are thieves because
thev order shat they can never ply io7, and
brg-zrs because they are 50 insoiTent while
tbeT SEEN 70 be ricli- The Pcrsnti Who 'ri9
pos get N DEBT iloHgh scme friends laugh AZ
him IN Il. and tell HIM he Is onlE hall man,
tI,lf :. everybody gDes II debt, and that i y
bi~bIr fashionable. thai his scrEples are old
f.shio.,ed and his ideas peeulisr-this person,
Issr. vino has the courage 70 Be Singular
sod he seass 10 be firm, viii Be faT les IN
d.nzer than others Of being eHtrsppsd iuto
ruIsu5sed Iistslily esEspzniss, Ehich l1ay u
- ----,a-,s c.tIs an their Shareholders 10 lsY