The herald., 1894-02-11
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.

IL mas generally been regarded In
America as relic of English tyranny
that a man should be imprisoned for his
inability TO pay what he owes. But
that is relating chiefly TO debts owing
from one citizen of the commonwealth
to another, and not to what the sfore-
said citizen may owe to the common
wealth itself. To place man in Jail for
no better reason than he is delinquent
in his taxes or cannot pay costs of court
in some suit wherein judgment has been
rendered against him, seems like re.
vival of ancient abuses.
New Jersey and Virginia are today the
least American of all the American
states. Let lawyer who has been ad.
mitted to the California bar and prac-
ticed here ten years, go on to New Jersey
or Virginia and attend two terms of
court, and he will begin to imagine HIM
self somewhere else than in the United
States. Everything in Virginia leans
towards the English customs that pre-
vsiled in the days of Washington, Ran
dolph and Jefferson; and that is why
the English globe-trotter feels so much
more at home there than in any other
part of this continent.
But it 10 of matters legal rather than
social that we are about to speak. The
Natu law SEros..s.-ss= .-s~~----
procedure that California courts do not
countenance. On the I'd day of this
month, in the city of Newark, man
named Lewis Vanderstreet, a leather
worker, who had been out of employ
ment upwards of two months, was ar
rested and thrown into Jail for failing to
pay $50 of back taxes. He was 81 years
Of age and had been in poor health for
some time past. His widow now claims
his death to have been precipitated by
his arrest. The Daily Advertiser of the
Sd thus tells the painful story:
He was at dinner when the tax col
lector with a constable arrived at Van
derstreet's home. They did not allow
him to finish his dinner, but ragged
him from the table and compelled him
to put on his coat on the way to the sta
ton. Mrs. Vanderstreet succeeded in
raising the 1856 and cent word yesterday
to her husband to tell him OF her sue.
cess. The Jail warden sent word to hei
that her husband was sick. The fact
was that he was dead. When Mrs
Vanderstreet learned the truth she wat
overcome with grief. She has threat
ened to bring suit against the city
Vanderstreet WAS not in good health
and it is said that the shock of his ar
rest fastened bis death.
In this state the unfortunate man.
property would have been advertised
for sale and sold. II he had no property
he could have owed no taxes. II thu
property were sold he would have had
certain period in which to redeem it
and if ne failed to do so, the purchase
would have received deed thereto. Blu
a criminal procedure for the collection
of taxes is something on par with tn
Irish evictions and wholly, incompatible
with republican form Of government
We hope Mrs. Vanderstreet will sue tn
city and recover at least $4,000 dam
ages. A city that will enforce such pro
cedure or even render any such result
possible, ia a very good place to NOV
away from. A perusal OF this case di;
arms all inquiry OF the reason why Jer
seymen are occasionally alluded to q
foreigners. It seems almost incredbl
that such things should occur in civil
lied America.