St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1915-06-26
COMMUNICATION

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Opelousas, La, June 22nd, 1915.
Editor st. landry Clarion,
Opelousas, La.
Dear Sir:
| find in your last paper a clear
and well reasoned article, written
by Dudley L. Guilbeau, Esq, and on
a subject of vital interest to the
laboring class of our people. Inter-
est on money is now, and has been
for centuries, the curse of the hui
man race, a burden borne almost
exclusively by the man who lives
by the sweat of his brow. It is a
creation of man and exists only by
man made law. Money does not
grow of itself and produce inter-
est. 1t has no inherent germinat-
ing properties like a grain of corn
or wheat. God Almighty has filled
the Earth with growing things to
feed and sustain his creatures, and
not a part, but the whole human
race; He did not create money. but
man did and makes it grow and re-
produce itself indefinitely. What
God makes grow dies, but Interest
never dies, and the money leader
alone is its beneficiary. He alone
makes it grow and exclusively for
himself.
AS it is only man that makes
money and makes it grow in inter-
est, man has the right to say wheth-
er it shall grow at all, and to what
extent. The power to create in
the power to destroy, and /
assume no one will deny the right
Of the coming Constitutional Con-
vention to regulate and fix the rate
Of interest on money. That is
what Mr.. Guilbeau proposes in the
to which reference is made
earnestly urge everyone to read
md think about it for it is a timely !;
contribution upon a subject Of great !,
moment to the body Of the people, :
ind especially to that class, which :
s made to suffer from the extor-
ion OF money lenders.
His proposition is, that the fol-
owing provision shall be inserted
$ an article Of the new Constftu- :
ion, to be adopted, to-wit: !
THE conventional rate Of inter- !
st is hereby limited to five per :
entum per annum. Any violation
this PROVISION directly or indi-
ectly, shall work a forfeiture Of
le principal obligation, either as
defense to a suit thereon, or at
suit of the borrower, or any u
her person having knowledge of
lie violation" |,
| do not hesitate to say, that d !.
'ovision Of this kind, embodied in Il
10 Constitution, would be of more "a
sting benefit, to the people at ct
rye and particularly to the poor 81
rmer whose necessities compel =
m to borrow money, than almost aa
else the Convention may 4.
J. til
An INSCRIPTIONS money lender We
IL exact all he can from any poor Us
low who wants to borrow. His m
.cessities may be such as to drive
m to accept any terms, and there 4
no law to check any demand the III
lder may make. This provision a,
'uld put an end to cases of any gi'
Oh extortion. The law should ed
p in to protect the helpless. The 81
of mans inhumanity to
N is no barrier to human greed. ]
t goes without saying, that the int
MED class who live and flourish, on
,hout labor, On excessive rates rul
interest, will rise in arms against "a
7 provision of this kind, and re-
t to every means under its -
Itrol to defeat it. And the money
der will succeed in defeating it To
he bulk of the voters sit silent
do not make their wishes ra,
They will be the chief nh,
e~ficiaries of such a provision pril
have it in their power to COM Qni
the insertion of such a pro- rs
on in the Constitution if they,
act, and act at once. Candi- -
IS for the position of delegate to-
Constitutional Convention are LO:
nging up all over the State and ~,
people do not know what these n