Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-02-04
fFrom NE Bellfeontsin Rrsuiser.l
a A MuCh Needed Law.

I v
The time has come, in fact 4 has been herr
for quite while, when the robbery of homes
men by yiItne of the innocent purchaser
gag, should be brought to an end. No maj
has Alright TO be an innocent purchaser. ex
cept at his own risk, because there is no goot
reason why he shouldbe So. Isn't it bettel
that every man should be required to take hii
own risks with regard TO his purchases, which
are voluntary, than that he should be en-
couraged in the Innocence OF assisting with
closed eyes) a professional scoundrel to rot
honest men? Il looks that way to the Erdm'
iner. Besides, though it is not essential tc
the argument, the alleged innocent party
need not be so in fsct, and often, no doubt, il
not. The role of innocent purchaser" is sc
inviting, and so easily played with impunity
that it would be strange indeed il il should
60 unutilized.
The innocent purchaser of stolen property
of whatever value or desert ption, must sur.
render it to the rightful owner upon proof
and this Notwithstanding the fact that it il
more difficult, as q rule, to ascertain whether
horse, for instance, that is offered for sale,
has, or has not been stolen, than it is 10 as
certain whether promissory note that is Of
fered for discount, has, or has not, been OBJ
tanned by fraud. But the man whose sigma
ture has been obtained by fraud to an obliga.
tion that may beggar him, has no defense
against the innocent purchaser" of the OBJ.
legation who clears and pockets 25 per cent
of the robbery The law, in short, protects
the citizen in his right to the property that
has been stolen from him, at the expense Of
the innocent purchaser, while it protects an in
nocent purchaser in the consummation of a
robbery by fraud more criminal then theft
This is as absurdly inconsistents as it is utter
unjust.
| The man who buys horse, must do so al
his own risk. He may buy one that has beer
stolen, and this he may do either from the
thief himself or from the last of dozen OF
innocent purchasers. He has no means of as
certaining whether the animal has been sto-
len or not; but no matter as to that; when
the rightful owner turns up and demands his
property it must be surrended to him. That
is the law, and the innocent purchasers (if
there be more than one of these) must settle
the incidental loss among themselves.
Not so with the innocent, or the alleged in
nocent, purchaser of fraudulent paper. The
farmer, who is known to be "perfectly good"
is persuaded by an oily-tongued expert in
villainy, (who may have passed the night un-
der his roof, and prayed 80 fervently on re-
firing as to excite the admiration of the fami-
ly, to signhis name to receipt for the dollar
the villain has paid him for the accommoda-
tion he has received. 1t is, in fact, note
that he has signed, usually Gin this kind of
swindle) for $50 or 800. There is large
variety of these swindling games--some of
them involving far larger losses to their vic
Tins than that contemplated in this illustra-
ton. The result is the same with all. This
note is offered within short time to the in
nocent banker or innocent curb-stone sharp
er, one or the other of whom after ascer
tanning that the lands of the farmer whose
signature is attached to it are unincumbered
by mortgage or otherwise, becomes the Gin
nocent purchaser" of the same, according to
law, and party to the outrage. The farmer
generally pays lawyer SIS to $40 to inform
him that the banker or sharper, as the case
may be, is an innocent purchaser" and that
his best plan is to pay the note without ad-
ding the cost of litigation.
The law gives man his own property
wherever he finds it: the claim of the
innocent purchaser of the same goes for
nothing whatever. 1t gives back to a man
the property that thief has stolen from him,
against all claims whatsoever. On the other
hand, it provides innocent purchasers of OBJ
legations to pay money, obtained by fraud,
and discounted by them from the hands OF
scoundrels worse than thieves. Thus does the
law conspire to rob men of their property
against all proofs of fraud and injusticel Is
this right? Ought such a state of things be
continued ? The purchaser of a stolen horse,
who has no clue whereby to ascertain that
fact, must yet surrender him to the owner
and lose what he paid for him, while the pur-
chaser of note obtained by process of fraud
more criminal than theft, and who might have
possessed himself of that knowledge before
the purchase, is backed by the law in the
fagrant wrong of robbing a citizen of his
money without compensation This, on the
part of the law, is at once to encourage fraud
and give it valuation.
The Eraminer objects. It desires to see
this partnership between the professional
swindler, the 1--WE were going to say profess
sionaD innocent purchaser" and the law,
broken up. 1t suggests the enactment Of q
law providing that the "innocent purchaser
plea shall not prevail against the proofs OF
scoundrelism and fraud; that the men who
discount paper shall do so subject to these
proofs. and at their own risk: and finall. thai
frauu shall invalide all transactions where il
is proven to exist.
Those who believe that nature will
work off a cough or cold should under.
stand that this is done at the expense
of the constitution. Each time thl'
weakens the system, and we all know
that the termination of this dangerous
practice is a consumptive's grave
Don't take the chances. when fift.
cent bottle of DIR. Bigelow's PosiIiv,
Cure will safely and promptly cure an.
recent cough, cold or throat or lunl
} trouble. Buy the dollar bottle of j. c
Saur, for chronic cases or family use.
Judge Seney, is interested in a bill t.
y