Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-15
LookINe AT TAE DgslT sIDE.
How Different States Of the Union
Protect the Debtor.

A century ago a person might spend
the best years Of his life in the
debtors prison for lack Of a little
ready cash. Today the debtor is
given a chance 10 pull himself out of
the financial mire
There is no uniform law which
provides for his protection. as each
state differs in this respect, and the
farther west he goes the more chance
the debtor has OF rcgaining his busi-
ness credit. There are few people
nowadays who believe that It is a
debtors duty TO cripple himself for
ever by giving up his last cent to his
creditors.
Alaska, although not generally
noted for its piety, exempts a seat or
pew in church from seizure, perhaps
because of their scarcity in the terri
tory In that territory, also. your
creditors must leave you either a yoke
Of oxen, span of horses, two rein
deer, or six dogs. If you are a farmer
In Alaska. your homestead, 70 the
extent of sixty acres, valued at not
more than $500. IS exempt. Nothing
Is said about the farm products OF
Alaska.
Arizona Is more careful Of the safe
ty of her sitizens, and among the first
Of the articles exempt from seizure
are shotgun and a rife. A man
without his shooting irons" in Ari-
iona is poor indeed. Even the law
recognizes them as among the bare
necessaries of life. But Arizona is
not only solicitous Of the safety Of
her citizens, but also looks out for
their interests in the finer things OF
life The sheriff cannot take your
piano in Arizona II is exempt from
execution.
Iowa allows even a larger arma-
ment than Arizona. There the insol-
vent debtor is allowed to keep a mus
ket, a rife, and a shotgun, while his
spiritual welfare is also protected by
the exemption of his church pew.
Montana laconically exempts one
gun, and allows the debtor TO select
his favorite weapon, while in Oregon
he can have zone revolving pistol,
also a rifle, and a shotgun" provided
he is a male citizen over sixteen
years of age. The law apparently
recognizes that a man is of age in
Oregon as soon as he can shoot.
Tennessee allows one gun TO every
male citizen over eighteen years OF
age, and every female Of whatever
age who is the head of a family.
Texas allows "one gun" irrespective
of age or sex of the wearer or the
kind of weapon. The law recognizes
THAI a gun of some kind is a neces-
sary article of wearing apparel FOR
everybody in Texas.
Eastern culture is exemplified in
the Connecticut law, which exempts a
library to the value of $500. The
Connecticut law contains long list
Of exemptions, and is q reflection OF
conditions in Colonial times. There
the sheriff must leave the debtor two
swine and two hundred pounds OF
pork. one cow and ten sheep, twenty
five bushels Of charcoal, two tons or
coal, two hundred pounds of wheat
flour, two tons Of hay, two cords of
wood. and two hundred pounds OF
fish Some Of the other states also
make similar exemptions.
The character of the state is usU.
ally indicated by the nature OF the
articles exempted. Thus in the sea
board states a fsherman's boats and
nets are usually free from execution.
while in the mining states the sheriff
cannot touch a miners tools or his
cabin, and in the purely agricultural
states the list Of exemptions in
cludes a certain quantity of land and
all the implements and stock neces-
sary TO work it to the best advantage.
In most of the Southern and West
ern states, where, as a rule, the
debtor class is in control of the law
making machinery, the exemption is
comparatively high. while in the East
ern states, where the moneylencers
control more or less the lawmalxing,
the exemption is much lower.