Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1914-09-09
Salisbury, N. c., Sept. 2, IA
A RASCALLY LAW.

permits 8 man 60 carry las pFop'
erty in his wife's name and the
statute of limitations, all of
which are nothing more nor less
than shields that scoundrels use
to hide behind in order to beat
out of honest debts, ought to be
repealed. And a law should be
enacted to compel a r,gue to en-
gage himself on some public work
and replace money or property
stolen. Then the families Of
criminals should be supported
from the labor of said criminals.
The fellow who has nerve enough
to offer himself for a member of
q lawmaking body on this plat
form, other qualifications being
equal, will receive the support of
the thinking people of the county.
The MsrshvIlle Home.
The pendulum swings back and
forth. What enc generation con-
ceives to bejust and proper the next
generation, looking at only one
eide of the SUBJECT, considers unfair
aud dlsoriminative. Before these
statutes were made into law every
Jail had it's debtors cell and the
poor were kept poor like a half
starved COW in a grassless pasture.
and, as a result, the owner of the
COW gained nothing, for of course
she was un%productive and unproit.
able. Such is narrowness gone
to seed. Can We afford to return
to such conditions? TIE WATCH.
MAN, though in sympathy with
those who lose BY the rasoality of
othsrs. sees no remedy In the
repeal of these laws. Their re-
peal will merely mean a lower or
poorer type of laborers with abb
solutely no gain to the creditor.
The creditor loans, as the mer-
chant sells goods, with his eyes
open, knows or could ascertain
the rating of his customer, knows
of the homestead exemption and
takes his risk voluntarily, and
they would CONTINUE to take such
risks should there be no such
provisions. This swing of the
pendulum, however, as history
teaches, will not stop by taking
the poor man and his family's
homo for the creditor, the Shy
lock, will then call for his pound
of flesh. Yes. it means to 60 back
one hundred years or more. it
means to re.establish the debtors
cell and, not only pauperize but
stigmstize thousands of people
merely because they have been IN.
f rtunate. Every man who fails
to pay is not dishonest and it will
be a pretty spectacle for North
Carolina should she put stripes
on and penslize her poor and
force them to work in prisons to
support their families instead of
the present prosperous conditions
that prevail. Nine times out of
tell the men who get in debt or
encouraged to do so by the fellow
who is anxious to make a sale,
and, it seems to us, if there is
guilt the seducer is generally as
bad or worse than the seduced.
No one 10 compelled to furnish
money or goods to another and
should it be done without value
received the responsibility is with
the creditor.
Another point that should be
cosidered is: When the home-
stead was enacted fifteen hundred
dollars meant q great deal more
than it does today. 1t often
meant more than one hundred
acres of land and, comparatively,
a comfortable home, while today
a fifteen hundred dollar home-
stead il a very humble affair. So,
if there ia any better provision
for the wives and children, even
of criminals, than the present rep.
utsble state of affairs, we are not
aware of it.
The merchant fails because his
debtors do not pay, so with the
jobber, the importer and the
manufacturer, but after the home
stead has been taken these con.
ditions will remain without re.
dfess. This paper has no time
for socialism, 50 it is understood,
but believes every man should
have q home and 1t is not an i'm
proper function of the Stats to
pia him in getting and keeping