El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-09
lie BORROWING Of Money
Those Who Do 1t For Pleasure or
For Speculation Are Not
safe TO Loan to.
nv Elm Wheeler WflcOT-
IT IS interesting to me to find how

TT IS interesting to me to find how
much more logical and discrimtn-
- ating men are than women, and il
is always gratifying to me to be set
Alright by a man when make an error
Of judgment or an untrue statement
On several occasions have expressed
my Unborn and cultivated horror of
debt: 1 have said it was kin TO dis
grace, and urged mothers 10 impress
their children with this Idea
Now comes the good, clear headed
critic. in the form Of a business man.
who writes me as follows
Debt for purposes OF comfort, ease
or pleasure. is TO be condemned, but
debt in a legitimate transaction, not
for speculative purposes, but Tor real
business, shows that man has conu-
dence in himself, respect for his own
ability and determination to succeed
1 realize the truth of his words and
see the distinction that should be
drawn between different kinds Of debt
But the trouble with most young peo-
pie, unless they nave been careIul1y
educated to regard debt with aversion
is in the ease with which they can ar
que that q speculation or a desired
pleasure or comfort IS legitimate
business
When We Earn Money We Realize
Value.
Unless the moral nature is well de-
veloped and the ideals high, and self
respect and a fine sense of honor are
the accOmDanimentS of ambition, II is
a dangerous thing for a young man 70
find himself able to start on the road
to business or education on money he
has borrowed.
ONLY when we have earned money
or are accustomed to the thought that
il belonged TO US by inheritance, do we
realize its worth or understand its
importance.
know a dozen young women and
men who have gone IN debt Tor seem
ingly worthy purposes and have lost
all sense of responsibility, even self
HIur OF
unearned dollars So the whole cues
ton seems to rest upon the moral
character Of the borrowers.
A man with quarter of million
may borrow two million with far more
impunity than one with So week may
We are am more or less influenced
by our personal experiences, and II
has been my misfortune in past times
to lend money to those who seemed
deserving Of such assistance, and to see
with the exception OF three peoplel
all become "leaners' without any real
sense of the responsibility they had
incurred or obliEatiOn which rested
upon them to HQuidate the debt
7 have seen one whom L believed In
the direst straits, and whose needs II
had seemed privilege 10 supply use
the loan in extravaganza ways, which
would never have occurred TO me-in
carriages, where walking would nave
sufficed. in kilograms and long distance
telephone messages, where letters and
postals would have answered, and in
hotel bills, where dairy restaurants
would have sufficed.
The Lending of Money Injuries
Not once only mas sucn an expert
ence been mine. but at least a score Of
times, and I have grown TO regard the
lending OF money as an injury to 19
people out of 20.
have grown to think that debt is
like drug. and that he who lends to
his friends is like one who applies the
hypOdermic needle
Personally. I would rather endure
any amount Of hardship than purchase
comfort at the price of debt.
Yet, as my critic says. there are dis
tinctions 10 be made in the ways and
wherefOres Of debt, and 1 give his def
milton that those who are contemplate
ing any venture upon borrowed money
may analyze their purposes and decide
whether or not they are wise TO go on.