Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-01-26

4 fortunate as 10 nave WITHIN Its OOrd.
4 ers no inconsiderable number Of that
dishonest, irresponsible class of hui.
man leeches' generally denominattd
dead beats. These non producers
and public spoh gers have done more
to block the wheels Of industry and
check the city's growth than all 9th
err Influences combined and until
some means are employed to check
their dishonest practices, or better
still, compel them to relieve the city
of their presence, just so long will
every department of our CONNER
cial and industrial activities to a
less or greater extent feel their be-
numbing, paralyzing influence.
We know of 10 species of legisla-
tion that would prove of greater
value to the business interest Of
Iowa, than to have law placed up
on our statute books that would
compel these public pests to turn
their attention to more honorable
and legitimate means of obtaining
a livelihood. And we cannot under
stand why some one out Of all that
brilliant galaxy Of eminent states
men who assemble at our state cap
ital to frame laws to, keep their con-
stituents out of Jail haven't recog-
nized the necessity for legislation
along this line. People freighted
with such a wealth Of intelligence,
legal knowledge, and business abil-
ity that g. few dozen of them would
sink an ocean liner, surely ought
not experience the least difficulty in
framing any kind Of law that the
necessity of the case demands.
Thousands and hundreds of thous-
ands Of dollars worth of goods are
yearly charged up to these unprin.
cipled scamps in the state Of Iowa
that will never be paid. More than
one business man here in Webster
City within the past decade has been
compelled to close his doors and dis
continue business just on their az
count. Educated in the school OF
rascality, where every principle Of
honesty and fair dealing is con-
demned, they locate in our towns
and cities only to leave them sing
ing, Jesus paid it all, every debt !
owe" as they go with a string OF
debts and broken promises behind
them of sufficient length to fairly
stagger the imagination. Who will
say that such moral degenerates are
not deserving of as good coat CT
tar and feathers as can be put on
with a scoop shovel? And the means
they employ to obtain credit, the
deception, chicanery and fraud they
practice would make the least re-
Spectacle member of tramp's con-
ventiont turn pale with envy. 10 -
While the great majority of these
undesirables live in plain, unpre-
tending manner, a few have become
such accomplished athletes in the
line of their profession that they are
able to live in style of almost roy
al magnificence.7 Their food is OF
the very best quality, mostly angel
food: their, homes are we'll supplied
with books, periodicals and papers;
their furniture is the best; their
wardrobe is the envy of their neigh
bors and they can discuss current
topics with the fuency of expression
and breadth of understanding, equal
to a Webster City high school grad
uate.
But would it be prudent to trust
them to bill of groceries or bun
die. of dry goods? Not by any
means, for the probabilities are 1t
would he a debt against them for
time and eternity.
Not only do they improve every
opportunity to get something for
nothing from those engaged in Sc
cular affairs, but under the guise Of
responsibility they promenade into
our temples Of worship and partake
of its privileges and sing it's doxol-
ogies without the least thought that
they have any responsibility in the
matter.
To see them sitting in their
comfortable pews enveloped in an
atmosphere so gratifying to the
senses and spiritually uplifting, one
would suppose they would have de-
cency enough to drop at least a
nickel into the basket once in a
while to help keep the machinery
of the church in motion, but do
they? Not much, but sit as if glued
to their seats with the sublime in
difference Of the heather god and
absolutely refuse to contribute one
penny to the support Of an agency
that was designed for no other pur-