The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-08-17
Citix en- Takes a Shot at Hart and Par
ish and the Chattel Mortgage.


Citizen Takes a Shot at Hart and Par.
ish and the Chsttel Mortgage.
Montgomery, La, Aug. IL. 1912.
Editor Colfd1 Chronicle:
In answer to Mr.. T. o. Hart and Mr..
r. l.. Parish, as to why i did not sign
nv name to my first article in the Col
fax Chronicle, in which attacked the
chattel mortgage, have this to say:
have no desire to gain any notoriety
or publicity. Whether / live in Colfax
or Montgomery, or any other part of
the parish, is immaterial, and is only an
attempt on their part to divert the pub
lie frnm the real issue.
The fact rem aims that ! am
citizen of Grant parish, and have right
to critcise public official in gentle
manly way, and to express my views
on public questions. 1t is not perso-
nal question with me, but a public ques-
ton, that involves the right of every
citizen of this parish. The charge that
/ live in Colfax, and that l am public
official and feed at the public crib, is
the same old political gag used in every
campaign for the purpose, as We all
know, to create prejudice in their favor.
Whether this Is true or untrue, it has
nothing to do with the merits or demer
its of the chattel mortgage, and is simp-
ly an attempt on their part to dodge
the issue.
Yes, Mr.. Hart, did picture a very
bad condition of affairs in the near fu-
ture under your chattel mortgage, and
that picture remains vividly before your
vision Who ever heard OF poor man
mortgaging his horse to make an in
,estment, as suggested by you? Your
offer to bet nine coon hides with rings
around their tails that ! am q public
official is fair example of your argu-
ment in favor of the chattel mortgage.
You intimate that you doubt my SINGER
ity in looking after the interest of the
poor people, and in attacking the evil
of your vicious law. / will say in re-
ply that do not care anything about
your opinion, as that, too, has nothing
10 do with the merits or dement's of the
law. am not guilty of blowing my
own horn, but feel conscious of being
on the right side of this question.
You state, Mr.. Hart, that people
give bills of sale of their movable prop
erty, and often pay twenty-five and
fifly per cent for the money borrowed.
If bill of sale is good in law, what is
the use of your chattel mortgage? Why
cannot man give Is or 80 per cent in
terest on money borrowed under the
chattel mortgage? The fact is, Mr..
Hart, you know that q bill of sale in
our law is not worth the paper it would
be written on, and absolutely could not
be used to borrow money. A man can
sell horse, or anything else. A sale
is sale, but the idea of a man giving
bill of sale and borrowing money and
paying 70 to 30 per cent is a joke. If |
you know of any such case, it is your
duty to inform the party that paid this |
usurious rate of interest that he can re-
cover under the law.
The commercial interests of this State |
have for years and years gone before |
the legislature ind attempted to have |
this chattel mortgage passed, but have |
sIways failed, until this General Assem- |
bly, passed the chattel mortgage law. |
IL is well known fact that Gov. Hall |
came very near vetoing this bill, and |
powerful influence was brought to bear
upon him from the commercial world |
before he would agree to sign it. This |
was is very radical change, and Mr.. |
Hart should have taken the people into
his confidence, and promised it to them |
in his platform, which he failed to do.
! will ADMIT that practically all the
other States in the Union have the
chattel mortgage, and the same CONNER
cial interests that have caused this law
to be written on the statute books of |
other States have finally become power
full enough to cause it to be adopted in
Louisiana.
Mr. Hart says it gives a man a right
to mortgage his property to raise money,
which is correct, but it also gives the
creditor right, and that is to demand
an unjust security that he could not de-
mand before the passage of this act,
The doctor and the merchant, instead
Of taking a buiness risk with the farmer
Or laborlng man upon his crop or labor,
Will demand of him q chattel mortgage
on his stock, and this will give them
double security, for the law already gives
them lien upon the crop for supplies
furnished, etc. Yes, Mr.. Hart. the
poor man has right to give this mort
gage, and the merchant and the doctor
and others are going to demand it.
The chattel mortgage gives the bust
ness professional and all the depart
nents of the commercial world, a right
70 demand security from whom? The
farmer and the laborer, because the
balance OF the world live off the laborer
and the farmer. He carries the load.
The balance are parasites, including
Mr.. Hart
In my first letter gave dozen rea-
IONS why the chattel mortgage should .
De abolished. and the disastrous effect :
II this law upon the farmer and work !
ng man cannot be escaped. Time will i
prove that am right.
You state in the conclusion of your !
etter that the recall might reach MS |
10Th. Never fear, / hold no Office from
which can be recalled.
In answer to Mr.. r. L. Parish. II
AVE this to say: That this law win !