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Lasseter did not even ask for any explanation
as to the provisions of the law under which he was
to be dealt with, nor for Mr. Simpson's authority to
make such demands on him. but simply turned to his
check book and wrote a draft for the money and pre
sented to Simpson, who required that it be certified
before accepting it. This done. Mr. Simpson was
soon out on the streets and on the way to the McLane
home, feeling happier than little Margie did when he
put the check in her hands and told her that her
home was saved ami that her little brown cow and
calf would not be taken away from her; that that
check wouhl pay up all that was owing and leave
them a good sum to start life over again.
‘“Will there be enough." she asked, “to buy a
tomb for brother's grave .’"
‘“Yes. dear.’’ he said, “and more besides,” and
promising to return in a few hours, walked back to
liis office to consult with his partner as to the meth
ods to be further pursued in breaking up and de
stroying a system of graft that had been the means
of ruining manv humble homes.
Note.—This is the first of two articles dealing
with Peculiar Forms of Graft which will appear in
The Reason.)
• The Loan Shark.
Something must or should be done in the way of
legislation to protect tin* ignorant black and white
from the oppression of the “money lender."
A bill by Mr. Adams, of Savannah, having for its
object this accomplishment was passed in the Geor
gia House of Representatives more than a week ago
by a majority of 129 votes. It remains to be seen
just what will become of it in tin* Senate when it
reaches that body for final action. For thirty years
a similar bill has been before the General Assembly,
but has never become law. There are very good
reasons for believing that it is more favorably re
garded by the present legislature than any previous
session.
lion. Seaborn Wright, of Floyd county, is one
of the ablest champions of the measure. In an ad
dress he is quoted as follows on the evils of the
money lending business:
“This business has grown." declared Mr. Wright,
“until these money-sharks have the ignorant poor
at their mercy. In my city there are ten or fifteen
able-bodied men who are not only growing prosper
ous but wealthy by means of this nefarious business.
You Know that 1 hate the liquor traffic with all my
soul, but if 1 had to choose between donning a white
apron and serving drinks over the bar to engaging in
this business. 1 would go to the saloon tomorrow. In
many cases these sharks charge from 1.000 to 5.000
per cent interest. If they dealt with men, like you
or myself, who know what interest means, 1 would
oppose the bill; but they prey upon classes who have
no conception of such matters. 1 know a widow,
whose husband was a brave Confederate soldier, who
fell into their hands. She borrowed $37, paid them
back over SIOO and still owed them SOO when she
came to me for help. 1 have differed with my young
fr en 1 from Chatham, but 1 want to say that it takes
a man without fear and with a heart to do the right
to come here from a large city, as he does, and
advocate such a measure.'
THE REASON
The prosperity of this country rests on the shoul
ders of the men who resort to the “shark in a
tight place, and they must be protected. These men
of all men must have enough to wear, enough to
eat and something for the ordinary misfortunes of
life. Their wives must be well dressed. their children
should have toys and candies and they’should still
have a little to lay aside for the “rainy day. Even
then there will come times when it is absolutely
essential that they should borrow money. The
“shark" is about the only person to whom they can
go. and his charges vary from $2 to $5 a month on
a loan of $lO. The writer had a case to come under
his observation where a railroad brakeman on a
loan of $25 had paid back sllO and still owed the
original debt. At the same time he was seeking
another loan on the same terms.
Theories are born of want; the fertile brain of
trouble has evolved thousands. What we want now,
however, is not theory but some remedy—a remedy
that will solve the problem. The poor must have
a money market such as they may resort to and
obtain credit on about the same basis that they buy
groceries and clothes. A dollar s worth ol potatoes
is just as valuable as a dollar's worth of silver, as
a dollar’s worth of Hour or cloth. If the grocer,
who makes about twenty per cent out of the pota
toes. is satisfied with such a profit and can make a
living at it. can not the man with a little money to
loan also make a living and become independent at
no greater profit on his money.'
If the loan man loses his dollar, is he out any
more money than the man who loses his potatoes.’
Is not the loss of a dollar’s worth of groceries just
as hard to stand as the loss of a dollar in money?
Why will not loss from bad accounts produce com
mercial ruin in the dry goods business as certainly
as in the loan business? Nearly all business houses
do more or less credit, and that, too, with people
without financial standing or backing; yet precious
few go to the wall from poor collections. It is un
thinkable that the money lender should.
'flic grocer has larger rents to pay. more clerks
to keep and a delivery system to maintain. The
monev lender has little or none of these expenses,
his heaviest expense being the license which he pays.
This ought to be reduced and good men encouraged
to engage in the business, under such restrictions
as would not permit the collection of excessive rates
of interest. This may not be the solution of the
problem, but it is a step towards it and in the right
direction.
Make it a crime, punishable by fine and impris
onment. for any man to collect usurous rates. Men
without honesty or principle will demand these.
Drive them out of the business and the scrupulous
and virtuous will rush in to take their places.
There can be no reforming of the system, no
improvement of it. by denouncing and degrading it.
it must be bettered by making it respectable. There
was tme when merchandizing was not a fit voca
tion for gentlemen, but that was before the business
had bemi purged and the best men gotten in it.
Half the evi’s of the liquor traffic might be remedied
if tile tendency was to elevate and lift it up rather
than degrade and torture the men engaged in it.
Many men have started lending money on a cap
ital of SIOO and made a fortune in less than ten
rears. You mav meet them on the streets of almost
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