The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-10-03
ANOTHER SUGGESTION.
How Planters and Merchants May lie
Given n Chance TO Recoup.

UiNeh ~ finance 10 hecoup.
To the Editor sf The Post.
Richmond. Texas, October beginning
and carrying out classification of hurri-
cane sufferers according to the grade OF
intensity of suffering now present among
the survivors of the recent hurricane, one
needs must head the list w]th the be-
reaved whose loved ones were torn from
them in a twinkling and their sacred dead
swallowed up in the awfulness OF the deep
or in the ravages OF flame We bow our
heads in sacred hush and only think and
feel throbs of profoundest sympathy.
Words would be dissertation; only balm
of Gilead can be applied.
SecSnd in degree comes the hungering.
For these bounteous provisions Is made
and we eXc!aim God bless the go5d PEG
pie and the good government
Next, perhaps. might be named th5se
whose personal effects and means OF sus-
tenance have been swept away. Lavish
hands are admins terng to these needs
and again we commend the source of sup
ply to the Giver Of all good
Another class: Those of humble cir
cumstances who had homes and comfort
able shelter. Tho merclless blast soon
tore these to atoms, turning inmates out
which to rebuild this class should receive
the many hundreds of dollars now being
donated by the generous public with lib
crafty never before approached If not
helped from this source perhaps the sug-
gestion from the thinker in Quebec (see
p st of the 2Sth ultimo) may mater.aize.
But there is sill another class. per-
haps the unknown class. or at least the
class not much thought about by the pub
lie and not at all spoken of. That class
| is individualzed by the owner CT lands,
perhaps broad and valuable lands; the
/ broken down country merchant may rank
/ in this class too. These have been severe
! ly harmed by previous disasters, unfavor-
| able seasons, army worms, boil weevll
and then. what they regarded as the eli
max of evils the food. In the absence
of all revenue their only resource lay III
mortgage. Under the driving hand of
this most dreaded of all task masters, and
in the face OF stupendous discouragements,
these sterling constituents of the COM
mcnwealth were this year striving for
relief. On the morning of September
the startling realization came to them
that devastation vide and complete cou-
fIonted them Three weeks have elapsed
and what recourse has this class? This
is their experience: The kind city mer-
chants and money lenders OF one year ago
! are daily urging remittances now past
due; the universal sweep of ruin necessl-
tates this push. The planter but looks
out upon trultleEs fields, houseless lands,
lopen accounts on which hope of per cent
collection would be extravagant and he
Wen nigh writhes In dire "Reminiscences
One might suggest that they become benz
Ihoiaries OF the kind National government,
| as intimated by the writer from Canada,
but the class collectively responds: mo,
no; never that way" They do ma want
the aid OF charity. They do want aud
need time and leniency.
Another may ask: Where are the loan
companies? What OF extensions? In time
OF general prosperity loan companies are
hne institutions not to be disparaged, but
Nnder the present paucity of veal their
rate and red tape would sap the life of the
most Industrious and energetic efforts
| have been thinking Unfortunately !
am not much OF a business thinker, and
what suggest may not be feasible But
IL Is this: After all the subjects of char
lty nave been well looked after, OF the
thousands donated by a generous world
may there not be a surplus left II so,
could 1t not be so placed as to hold the
same relation as the capital of a loan
company and let TO these sufferers at a
IoW rate. say government rate of Interest,
secured by mortgage or deed of trust? In
! .eresls aecruing to be expended for cur
.eht charitable purposes II need be, and
prlno'pai to become a nucleus for meet
ing Crisis. Failing in this surplus. could
, uo' TINS class as Its own representative