Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1932-07-14


debit 1t is vice when someone
has to be the loser by your IMPROVE
dent way. Benjamin Franklin
said, "When you run in debt you
give to another power over your
liberty" There you are cramped,
hobbled, enslaved. We were at a
place once where children and
chickens from near by home were
running all over the premises, MAX
ing it very annoying for the folks.
We asked, "Why do you put up with
such conditions?' They replied
1--WE owe them and just don't like
to say anything" Franklin was
says "Debt is wretched thing. 1t
never keeps it's proportions. Some
mornings when you wake up, it
seems to hang over you as big as
the gray canopy of the heavens;
while at other times it seems small
enough to be stuffed in ones pants
pocket. Anyway, a toy balloon is
safer thing to play with How
did SO many of us get ''balled up"
and in debt, as we find today?
Some say it was the automobile, and
pronounce it curse We do not
think SO. On the contrary we think
it blessing to mankind, but
shamefully abused. The automobile
afforded us an opportunity to en-
large the circle in which we had
formerly moved, but too many lost
all restraint. When we blowed our
and invited our distant friends and
relatives to know it, and away we
went. 1t was a new freedom Bet
ter cars were in demand must
have them, and then we began over
stepping. Fine autos, every Sunday
trip, or joy ride. eve want gaso-
line,' burning. it up, maybe buying
''boot-leg" at a fabulous price, to
go with it, living from one to five
years ahead of our income, got q
lot of folks where they are today
1t seems that following the World
war, up to the crash of the stock
market, when the wheels of in
dustry were humming, we started
on an orgy of high living-every-
thing seemed to be on the upward
trend; that each succeeding year
would bring greater prosperity.
Cats were going to grow into cows
Every dollar borrowed to get a bet
ter car, or have better time, it
was epected that the next year they
would have two dollars with which
to pay it back. 1t was "eat, drink
and be merry" today, and tomor-
row. it will be still better. ION
with the dance, let joy be unconfn-
ed" People became intoxicated oni
the glorious prospect that appeared |
ahead of them, and some even mort |
gagged their homes to have a good
time. And, as an individual, where |
were we in this heyday of blooming |
expectations, when "everything was |
lovely and the goose hanging bigh?"
Where, did you say? Well sir, it I
found us right in the whirling mael- |
strom of the spendthrifts. While |
iHCy Wclc yciliHS, COuc III, the
waters fine we waded right in the
swim and bought Ford roadster,
when perhaps, we ought to have
continued riding bicycle. (How-
ever We didn't go in debt for it). |
But there were others buying
Cadillacs, when Fords or Chevy's
would have been more in keeping
with their circumstances. Anyway
it was to get out on the road with
better than the other fell
low. Yes, even renter could be
seen with rich mans car. Then
happened; the bubble
burst; there was noise over on
Wall street. 1t sounded an awful
sight like crash. This was follow
ed by the worst drought we ever
and the country sud-
denly became paralyZed. Today We
stand dazed, puzzled. We have food
(wheat) to burn, cotton to throw
away, machinery to make every
hing we need, and money,-well
we've been handing that over TO
our European neighbors to fight
with, and il doesn't look as though
We are going to get it back soon, so
we're standing with our mouths
open, wondering, holding the sack,
Wishing for someone to tell us how
% solve some complicated problems
we now have on our hands. Yes,
we've had the dance,-but, paying
he fiddler, there's the rub. If, ~pay
ne that thou oWest,' could be {