Milford chronicle., 1883-11-23
DRAWBACKS TO TIE PROSPERITY OF DEL
AWARE, NO. 6.
SHYLOCKISNI.

EVERY man for himself and the
Devil for all" Cduedt emptOr-let the
buyer beware, or more freely trans
lated, Let the buyer take care of him
self" and, "There is no friendship in
business - are three axioms fully be-
lieved in by a certain, but far too
numerous class of people, who never
allowed their religiOn-if any they
have-to interfere with their business
In the remarks we are about to make
on this subject we are not to be under
stood as thinking or saying, that all
Delawareans are of this class. Never
theless there is a sufficiently large col
Ony of them in the State. and the adj
jacent parts Of Maryland, to have giY-
en- the inhapitants of the gnOdly Ches-
apeake Peninsula a reputation for
keen, sharp dealing that is by no
means savOry.
Probably the illiberal modes of deal
ing which are characteristic of the
class of people to which we refer
are due to the long existing pow
erty of the masses Of the people; pow
erty which has so extingushed the
manhood of many ofthem, that Amer
ican born citizens though they be, yet
they will sell their vOtes-their birth
Tight-tO the highest bidder for money.
1t goes to prove that you cannot
make an emty sack stand up straight"
The reader may ask, "What is Shy
lockism ," 1t is generally held to be,
the taking of usuriOus interest for
money loaned. But it has no such
narrow Specification. 1t is calling for
the pound of flesh in the bond: and /
trying to get the life's blood also, no
matter what becomes of the bondsman |
br the debtor 1t looks upon money
os the sum of all existence; the ulti- .
mate end of all law. 1t will not pun
ish jailor for allowing 4 murderer to /
escape, even if it be by his own willful .
carelessness, or even secret cOnnivance. (
But it will make him pay the indebt- /
edness of an attached debtor, and more .
besides, if he allows him to escape; for .
il holds that the security of the money
of the creditor is of vastly more inn
apOrtance than the security of life. II
will punish the chicken thief with
Whipping-pOst and Jail, who at night .
stole a chicken from the rOOst of "a man
who the day before sold an immigrant
100 acres of land when in reality there
were only 80 acres. II the vendor of
the land is tulled up for swindling,
his lawyer pleads cdUedt empt0r, the
Judge prOnCSsaces it sound legal doc
trine He walks out of court to the
nearest bar, treats all hands, is couI-
plimented for his shrewdness; whilst
the buyer is settling the matterOf costs,
with the sheriff; he said costs amount
ing to more thar the value of the 20
acres. e
The State prac.r3es shylOckism, and
inculcates its piftciples among the
1t allows no man to vote who
has not paid his taxes, though it be
but dollar. 80 that an upright, hon.
est, but poverty-stridken Delawarean I
loses his inalie1abld right; whilst a !
rascal who has sold lbs vote FOR ten or '
fifteen dollars walks up TO the polls
md deposits his. The State demands
Is dollar, and not getting it, takes t,
rom its own native born citizen as a
punishment for his cOerced default +
lis very political life blood. Is not
his shylockism 1t by law, incident u
lily perhaps, but nevertheless in fact, a.
ixes the value of the greatest political to
light which man can have. at Que fr
ollar; holds the right as security, for A.
citing 1t if the money is not paid. Is D.
any wonder that those who see a great c.
ight thus valued, themselves place so ~ ~
tile value on it as to sell it to any one h
no will Jay more for it? Is it matter Rs
wOpderment, when he is thus taught !