medical and other care; all risks of harvest
from drouth or flood must be incurred by the owner, and the slave's
term of service was limited by his death, when his purchase cost was
lost, and there must be an outlay by a new purchase. One chattel slave
could not bring his master such enormous returns.

Not only does financial slavery exact more labor for the amount
invested, but it is more heartless than chattel bondage. The master
had a personal interest in the slave he bought. His health and
strength was an object of his care and his death a great loss. There
was also often a mutual affection developed, as is sometimes found
between a man and his horse or affectionate dog. There was sometimes
real unfeigned mutual love. The master had a tender care over his
slaves in their sicknesses and in their decrepit age, and sorrowed at
their graves. The slaves were inconsolable in their grief at the death
of their master.

The usurer has no personal interest in his slave. He has no care for
his health or his life; they are of no interest to him. He may live in
a distant state and has no anxiety about those who serve him. Their
personal ills give him no concern. When they die, there is no loss nor
any additional outlay required; the bonds are simply transferred to
others, and the service is not interrupted.

Many faithful, industrial and honest borrowers are unable to return
the loan. It is as difficult to retain property as it is to earn it.
New inventions, new processes, new methods, new legislation and the
changing fashions and customs, often sweep property from the shrewd
and careful. "Riches make themselves wings; they fly away." If for any
cause the borrower fails there is scant sympathy from the usurer. He
charges him with being deficient in business management and
thriftless. If the yoke of bondage galls and becomes so painful that
in his distress the debtor turns from the struggle in one direction to
struggle in another in hope of relief, he calls him fickle; and if at
last, after a long and hard service, he is unable to return the loan
in full, he calls him dishonest. His ear is deaf to the voice, "Is not
this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to
undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free."

There are those in debt yet struggling against hope to be free. They
are slaving at work, but making no progress toward relief. The crisis
must come. In the race with biting usury tha