The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-01-25
BILL ARP ON DEBT.
THESE TIMES DEMAND STRICT
ECONOMY.
We must Put the Brakes on Ex-
travagance, Says the Georgia
Philosopher---A Timely and
Characteristic Talk---Sympa-
thy for the Family Physician
and the Poorly Paid Preacher.

fQ1lOSOpQor---A timely and
Characteristic Talk---Sympa-
thy for the Family Physician
and the Poorly Paid Preacher.
There is some good in every mis-
fortune, and l know that the panic
has had some good results. 1t has put
the brakes on the train of extravaganza.
The way to get out of debt is to buy
nothing that you are not obliged to
have, and we are doing it at my house
not willingly at all, but when the
merchants sell for cash only and we
haven't got the cash that stops the train
even rich folks have had to slow up
for town lots and bonds and stocks
are not cash. Merchants are not sell
ing as many luxuries as they did a
year ago. A jeweler told me he was
not selling one-third as much. 1t is
curious how a man will unconsciously
graduate his debts. If he can't pay
all and has little money and
wants to do right, he will pay
his grocery merchant in preference
to the dry goods merchant. Food
is more important than clothing.
You can patchu last years garments,
but victuals must come fresh every day.
Food and fire come first and have the
first lien on slim purse. And the
gas bill and water bill has to be paid
by town folks or these comforts will
be cut off. They belong to corpora
tions and corporations have no souls.
Servants hire ranks pretty high,
especially the cook and wash woman.
They are always paid. A man is
ashamed for his cook to think he has
no money. Her respect for him is
based upon the idea that he is gen.
tleman and doesn't belong to the
poor white trash,' as the negroes
calf them. But after these come the
dry goods men and they get slice
now and then and take note for the
balance. Lately they have got to
drawing on you and they write you
love letter asking you to protect the
draft. Or they send you statement
about twice month and say "Please
remit That is all right and it is
business, but if man hasn't got the
money he can't protect the draft, nor
remit either. The draft wasn't in any
particular danger nohow, and as the
protection was for revenue only goes
back dishonored. paid a little bill
the other day to an old friend and
when l remembered that l hoped we
would now have more limited CORES
pondence, be said he didn't know any
thing about it, that he supposed his
book-keeper was the guilty party. So
hereafter l shall pay less attention to
these billydues from book-keepers.
But last of all comes the preacher
and the doctor. l am sorry for them.
The lawyer can take care of himself,
but the doctor seems like one of the
family and he will wait and wait
before he sends in his bill and then
wait and wait again before any serious
attention is paid to it. The family
thinks too much of him to treat him
like he was creditor and he thinks
too much of them to importune. 1t is
such an affectionate, confidential
relation that it must not be disturbed
by little matter of money, and so in
the meantime the poor family doctor
is in danger Of perishing to death. |
paid one the other day little bill of
S1I that was two years old and his
surprise and gratitude were distressing.
| But the preacher is the most helpless
Of all creditors He can't make out
any bills or send any duns. He has
to deal too with corporation, and
church corporations are pretty much
| like all others. No one individual
acknowledges the debt. If he &C
knowledges his part he is doing pretty
we'll. The officers meet once year
and fix the salary and another set Of
officers call around once a month and
ask for the money, but they do not
get more than half of it. The good
humble preacher goes to the treasurer
occasionally and tnen asks if there is
any money on hand for him. He
gets about half his dues and thanks the
Lord in his heart and invokes a
blessing upon his people. l wonder if
there is town church in all the land
that keeps right square up with the
| preacher One time | was present
with the officers when the preacher
ventured to tell them that he was very
much embarrassed, that he owed
money and couldn't pay it. The
church had promised him $500, and
was behind s2oo, and the year only
half gone. One of the officers sug-
gested that he call the attention of the
congregation to it next Sunday. No,
he said, he hated to do that for the
truth was SI6o of the 5000 was due by
the officers then present. Well, that
was socdolager. Next year it was
proposed to raise his salary to 81, 1000,
but, he objected, saying that he
couldn't afford to lose any more than
he was losing.
But | forgot to mention taxes
taxes that are as inexorable and un-
feeling as death. Nothing is certain
in this world but death and taxes. l
remember when the rate of taxation
OH land was only 10 cents on a
hundred dollars, but now it is 100
cents. They seem to get higher as
the years roll on. l don't know
where the blame is. Maybe it can't
be helped for there is the lunatic
asylum that costs near 100000 year
and there are other charities and ex-
penses we did not have in the days of
90 Auld Lang Syne." Then there are