Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-07-20
TUESDAY, j Ill Y go, 1897,
GET OUT oF:.DEBT:

While the PROSPECT fol: the effective
political reform it not very encourag-
ing, radical. economic change in
business is going on in this section
of the country that in the course of a
few years will lead to marked change
for the better in our national condi-
:tion. What we refer to is the spirit of
conservatism and economy evidenced
in all branches of business.
:: Our farmers are not buying on cre-
dit as they used to do 6 or 8 years
ago. And while paying cash they are
demanding, and can demand goods at
reasonable. prices. They are not any
more going in debt for what they can
get along without. They are figuring
in their business, be it whatever branch
of farming it may, as never before;
and we all know that it is good bust
ness methods and not simply physical
labor no matter how exhausting and
energetic, that count in getting along.
They have found out by sour expert
ence of late years that taxes and in
terest will soon eat up unproductive
property, and they are now making
all of the holdings productive or get
ting rid of it.
The fact is that until the panic times
of this decade the American people
had been having a sort of holiday
grand parade. But it is. all over now
never to return again. We are now
entering on the fiercest business CON-
petition ever seen in the worlds his
tory. 1t is not agriculture alone that
is in this conflict, but it is every bust
ness avocation and profession. Every
profession and avocation is over-sup-
piled with men that are trying to make
a living at it. And hence we see them
applying to the legislature to estab-
ish examining boards to restrict the
addition to their ranks. And it is now
even seriously proposed by a promi-
nent Minnesota farmer that farmers
ought also to have an examining
board so as to elevate the profession
of farming and in a manner control
the number engaged therein to secure
better prices for agricultural pro-
ducts.
Every intelligent person knows that
this effort to restrain competition is
simply like it would to dam up the
Mississippi. It may stop the torrent
for a while at certain point but the
volume of water above will come down
some way, if not in the regular chan
mel.
AS we cannot get the governmental
policies SO that all who will work can
prosper, business competition is now
assuming a phase that means every
man for himself and no matter what
becomes of the rest of humanity. It
is struggle that is fearful to contem-
plate, this unrestricted competition
for gold, but we are entering on it,
and must accept. the inevitable and
shape our business accordingly.
1t is alright for man to go in debt
for home, that is, for something he
must have and can get the full benefit
of. And it is also alright for a farm
er to go in debt for piece of land on
which he can put his own and his chill
dren's work to advantage. And it is
alright for. business man to hire
capital when he is sure of making
more out of it than the interest he has
to pay for it.
But for every other purpose every
man who wants to have home ten
years from now should take a solemn
oath never to borrow q dollar, Ror=
rowing money for unnecessaries, or
buying goods on credit that could
have been gotten along without, have
made more homeless people than
strong drink. +*
Going in debt for unnecessaries is
the vice of the age. It is the burden
of interest that is crushing the life out
OF us as people. But for the enor-
nous debt public, corporate and pri-
vate the gold standard would never
have been forced upon us. It would
be no object to make money dearer if
there was no money obligations to call
in in the future. n %. !. 81: .-..
i The watchword now is to get out Of