The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1885-04-18
CITY VS.. COUNTRY HONESTY.

That usually well-informed and
level headed journal the City Nem'
in an elaborate editorial-"Ihe
Banks ana The Planters"-while at
tempting to explain why the planter
must pay the commission merchant a
bonus of ten per cent. for furnishing
him money which the banks loen
him on the planters paper for SIX Or
eight per cent, does such gross IN
Justice, offers SO base an insult, to
the country people as a class that we
must not suffer it to pass by IN
challenged.
The Item gives as a reason for
this decidedly jug handled condition
of affairs, "tliat it is not the habit in
the country to live up to the stern
and inhexiblc rules CT commercial
honor which prevail in the city.
Here it is considered that a protest
is as ~disgraceful as an indictment
for larceny, while in the country
they are as Indifferent to it as a
Washington politician is to a Louis
lana affidavit of election frauds
It strikes US that there is far more
sarcasm than sense in this statement.
No n will deny that the planters
paper goes to protest, as for example
when the immaculate commission
merchant fails with the entire pro,
ceeds Of the crop in his hands. How
often, too, is the draft Of the planter
on the commission merchant allowed
to 60 to protest by the latter after
solemly agreeing to furnish him with
funds and taking a mortgage on his
plantation as security? How about
this 'indexible honor" in cases, fire.
quently occurring, where the mer
chant after securing the mortgage
notes of the planter, and converting
them into cash-busts. with slim as
sets, and leaves the planter to pay
the notes for which he has received
no relative consideration Are W
not under the circumstances tempted
to compare the striking resemblance
to a less favored class Of individual
whose %"inhexible honor" has Ion.
since passed into a proverb?
We are told that the country pee
!, pie shave so p%ersistently contende'
for the reputation Of solemn publ
obligations as to raise a REASONABLE
presumption that they have bu
loose ideas of personal integrity.
What p%harisaical cant By "solem
+ public obligations" we suppose ar
meant that vast number of fraud'
%lently obtained bonds which the RAJ
cally legislatures Of this State issue
>fI to scoundrels and swindlers withou
o even the pretext of benefit or justice
people Of New Orleans are t.
day grooming beneath the burde
of heavy taxation required to pa
+ these selfsame Solemn obligations
THE personal integrity" Of the cou
. tryman can never be called in que
e tion by his pretentious city cousi
IS while the present slip shod CONNIE
cial customs prevail.
The information that "the collie
s.tion Of a debt in the parishes by
ee gal process is attended with so maj
at difficulties that a resort to this rem
ia dy is equivalent to an abandonme
of the claim" is so utterly at va
ance with the truth as to becor
ludicrous. Why it should be I
10 cessary for "the city creditor
Sc employ a city lawyer to sue for h
ain a country court" we are uni
structed, but presume it is-followi1
~ out the plan Of argument adopt
~ -because Of his vast SUPERIOR,
as implied il this more than mi
insinuation of the country attorne,
inferiority and insignifcance.
. the "local lawyers are sure to trul
up some excuse for %postponemen
- why not let the city creditor empl
one Of these detested "1Ocal" affair