Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-03
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THE HORROR OF DEBT.

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The Apostle Paul bids US "owe nc
man anything except to love one an
other" We are not to infer from this
exhortation that he would have US
quite abandon all those forms of trade
that involved the idea of mutual trust
If business is to 60 on in the world
the elements of debt and credit must
continue to be among its permanent
factors. But the apostle designs to
impress it upon US that we ought te
create no financial obligation without
at least reasonable certainty of being
able to discharge it to the satisfaction
of the creditor.
There are debts and debts. Wher
a laboring man, for example, buys 6
home on the plan of monthly install
ments, he assumes a heavier respon'
sibility than he could presently meet
yet his action may be the wisest and
best thing possible under the circum
stances. At every stage in the process
of the payment he has something te
show for his outlay. But, on the Other
hand, the spendthrlft who wastes bott
the dollar that he has and the two dol
lars that he hopes to get, and this sole.
ly for present delight and without any
appreciable material return, is guilty oi
dishonesty Of the rankest sort. TIC
pile up depts which are certain never
to be Cancelled, is a heinous offense
against the we'll being of society.
Nor is this all. To an upright man,
debt incurred through lack of wise
foresight or in any other way, is an
eating sorrow till it is fully gotten rid
of. It gives him no rest day or night
but haunts him in his dreams and dis
turbs him in his waking hours. So
much is this the case that the words
of Horace Greeley, exaggerated though
they may seem to be, are really the
sober truth. He says: Hunger, cold
rags, hard work, contempt, suspicious
unjust reproaches, are disagreeable
but debt is infinitely worse than them
all. Never run into debt. If you
have but 30 cents and can get no more
week, buy a peck of corn, parch il
and live. on it rather than owe any
man a dollar"
Getting into debt, especially with
man of hopeful temperament, is thu
easiest thing in the world. He feel'
certain that tomorrow or next year hi!
resources are somehow going to bt
larger and his wants smaller than they
now are; and 80, on the prospect, hi
increases his current expenses beyond
his current income. But when tomor
row or next year comes, the increased
revenues do not come, and neither dc
the wants contract themselves. Ir
fact, there is often discovered marked
shrinkaeg of available cash assets and
a multiplication of imperative needs
Then begins heart breaking struggle
To avoid dishonor, it becomes neces
sary to borrow, and to pay interest fire.
quently compounded. What terrible
harassments followl In the end, one
or the other of two things is likely te
happen either the poor victim, galled
and wincing in his most sensitive point
will give up and die ; or else, his mora
nature losing its fine edge, he will be-
come callous and Indifferent to the
situation, lose his self.respect, and for
felt all title to the respect of others.
Ministers, in particular, should avoid
debt as they do the contagion. Sooner
or later, it will curtail their usefulness
and rob them of their power. Self
denial may be hard and bitter, but moi
80 much 30 as the consciousness o.
having contracted liabilities without
the power to pay them off.
Christian people who find themselves
in debt, either through their own lack
of prudence or from any other source
should bend all efforts to get out
Hereto they should give themselves te
hard work, and to close economy. In
addition to this they should pray fol
Gods blessing on their efforts. Such
prayers, when honestly and earnestly
made, are sure to reach the throne
1t is fine thing to see man wao has
never been personally wasteful or ex'
travagant, but has been simply unfor'
tunate in business, still forging ahead
keeping up his spirit and his efforts
and determined, by the help of God
to die square with the world.-Nash'
Vile Advocate.