The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-05-11
THE DEMON DEBT
Tho Safe Isule for beginners In ltte.

ITO sS~to hsut0 hor HbSSlnu6t8 IN AlI0s
From the Philadelphia Record.
One OF the most serious and insid.
ious obstacles in the way of thrift, OF
ease OF mind and OF true household
comfort, is the drumming account"
Doubtless the credit system original.
cd in IL benevolent intention to do
good. and, in its wider application, it
is necessary to carry on the great COM
mercial, social and financial undertake
ings of the world, but it is great enc
my to home economy. 1t is the ioun-
dation for debt and all the distressing
formula OF Indebtedness, duns, notes
OF hand, liens, mortgages and thou
sand-and-one OF the miseries md in.
cumbrances known to legal phraseol.
ogy and practices which are the bane
OF life.
jack Faista!l, who got all the good
out OF the credit system there was in
. it, declared "li had thousand
sons the first human principle Iwoull
teach them should bcto forSwcarth heir
potations and addict themselves to
sack. But Jack was the prince OF
srapegrires and only remembered one
hlli of he meum q, tuum division of
property. His debts never bot hcrtd
him except hr had difficulty in making
them. Ii The writer had thousand
/ sons and daughters the first human
principle she would teach them would
be never to establish ~ running ac.
count. No one can live within his or
her income who spends money in
advance OF earning it. Persons who
live in this way. in fact, never have
any income; they have an outgo that
eats up income before it gets inside
the door.
The running account" however. is
more dangerous for the housewife, be-
cause she is not usually either the
wagc-earner or the pay-maSicr in the
household. She gets what she wants
on credit, because there is no part leu
lar trouble in gettin. it and without
the appreciation OF thetrouble of pay
ing for it. which grows out OF the
necessity OF scrapin. the dollars to-
gether i'll whatever way the husband
comes by his money. whctl her i, he in
swinging, Il hlacksmi,h's hammer, III
throwing n weavcr'S shuttle. in meas.
urng tape and molaSscS or in guiiin,
the handles OF his plow. She does he
mhltiiarious and never ending work oi
her household, keeps the table we'll
/! spread, the house tidy. the beds aired,
and the bread well-baked an nutri.
tious, and it is not at all to be won
, derel ut hat shet links this iscnough.
The mistake is in the beginnin. in
having things that are not paid for.
| The houSckceprr who spends only
/ -l,n$ 4
only relieved oil the worry oftlcbt
what worries the husband will worry
the good wiic-but she is made Il con.
srious power in thepay and provenlrr
department OF hcrrStabliShment. In.
| stead OF Icing a dra. upon her bus
bands energies she is made to UNDER
stand for herself the limitations OF 'hr
fund which she draws upon an, how
much may he paid and how much laid
up for emergencies.
iolngcouplcs who start out 10y run
ming in debt should remember that
| they cannot. in he long run, get an
inch the start OF the world in that
way. They can only live up to their
earning alter all iSsaid ana done. Bv
running an account with the butcher.
F.! the baker and camlle>,ickmaker they
! give these several dealers an oppor-
tunitr to char." Them high prices for
their purchases. The Storckerprr
who sells his wares on credit is al
ways Obliged to make good the nc-
counts OF his bad customers by taking
larger profits from those who get
credit and pay. Besides. i, is a rule,
which acute business men thoroughly
understand, that money is worth and
will usually fetch some rate of interest
or an equivalent sum by bcin. fire.
quently turned over. 1t is not fair TO
suppose that the shorkeeper looks TO
his credit customer to make good the
deficit in his bank account brought
about by the system OF running &C
COUNTS" On the contrary, the buyer
who buys for cash can choose where
she will buy, which is II great alvan-
tase, and she can buy for lowcrprices.
The cash price is always the lowest,
and the cash customer is always The
preferred customer.
1t too often happens that no check
is kept upon the running account.
Settling-day is always day of sur.
prise for the debtor, AMI big st ore bills
are a perpetual source OF family broils
and discomfort. People WHO pay
"some other day nine times out OF
ten carry the improvidence OF their
getting into an improvidcnrc OF Use.
Those who areaccuStomed to get with
out care Use without stint.
There is no rule in he world iorlar.c
affairs or small ones like the rule OF
pay as you 60" 1t is theio,lndation
not only OF good finance but of good
temper and good fortune as we'll. And
especially the housewife who is wise
enough to give the matter little ser-
Gus thought and determination enough
to stand by her convic,ions will need
no monitor to warn her OF the folly
and danger OF running accounts"