Usury : $b a scriptural, ethical and economic viewElliott, Calvin
Religion
Usury : $b a scriptural, ethical and economic view
Elliott, Calvin
Usury
He that has no property is dependent upon others for employment and in
his wages must give a part of his product as tribute to the capital he
uses. This, in the case of the average wage earner in this country, is
not less than one-third, that is, he who earns one dollar and a half
will receive as wages one dollar, the other half dollar is retained by
the employer as due for the capital invested. Then having no home he
must pay tribute to property in shelter for himself and family. The
rent will be higher in proportion to the poverty of the apartments.
The poorest tenement returns the highest rate of interest to the
landlord.
His decreased wages do not make the necessities of life
proportionately cheap to him. He pays usury in the price of the fuel
which he burns, of the oil, gas or electric light in his home. In the
price of vegetables, bread and clothes and shoes. There is an
increased outgo at every turn which he cannot avoid. He is helpless to
resist.
He can but struggle staggering along while work is given and his
health and strength remain. When these fail he falls and must become
entangled in debt, from which there is no hope of being able to
extricate himself.
The state recognizes the hopelessness of the poor man who is in debt
and has provided a relief by bankruptcy, by which he may again arise
and struggle on. This discharge in bankruptcy is an act of mercy but
the relief from the oppressions of usury would be an act of justice.
Grinding the helpless poor between low wages and high prices and then
relieving them by the act of bankruptcy is only pulling them out of
the mill to throw them into the hopper again, for the wage earner who
has no protection from any property is between these upper and nether
mill stones.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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