Show The Abuse of the Credit System To the abuse of the credit system which is directly traceable to the merchant from lack of firrfiiss and fear of loss of trade is due an imiueuse amount of misery aud crime says un exchange For many who receive credit under these circumstances gradually become lax in their payments or I otherwise only pay a small amount on account ac-count and keep on buying thus enabling them to keep the account running iudefi nately and in ever increasing amount being able thereby to indulge in luxuries which they would havo been unable to obtain ob-tain if they had been compelled to buy only for cash Finally the merchant requests full payment and tho parties being unable to pay tho merchant promptly stops tho rodir thinking to compel them into either pWyiiig tho bill or paying cash for what they get afterward The customer however how-ever takes his trade to another merchant on whom he soon imposes in similar manner man-ner which would perhaps never have occurred if the merchant to whom application applica-tion was made in the first instance had had the courage to meet it with a prompt refusal re-fusal This would havo perhaps discouraged discour-aged the buyer in the attempt to seek credit elsewhere but would in most instances in-stances have also enabled the dealer to retain them as cash customers thus compelling com-pelling them to resort to snch economy as would have enabled them to live within their income and perhaps save a portion for future need There are many who after they have once discovered and enjoyed this laxityof the credit system will eventually resort to it os a means of obtaining what they require re-quire without payment that they may live without the need of performing any labor becoming so inured to it that when all such resources fall the desire for honorable employment having died a natural death 7v they seek to obtain their livelihood by other more questionable means and in the end either become candidates for the penitentiary peni-tentiary or the almshouse |