o 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.

Those who defend the fraud of usury always take to cover behind the
widow and the fatherless. They plausibly pretend to be zealous for
their protection while endeavoring to hide their own greed. Their
pleas are often touchingly pathetic. "A thrifty loving father was
taken away by death from a dear wife and sweet little ones. They had
always leaned on his strong arms. He was their joy, their protector
and their support. This widow and her fatherless children are left
with nothing to support them except the saved hard earnings of this
husband's life. As these earnings are their only support they are
deposited with care with the 'Security Co.' for safety and that the
regular interest dues may be received without fail. If there should be
one failure they would suffer. The 'Security Co.' loan their deposits
as opportunity offers. They take some local mortgages and also some
mortgages on western lands. They buy some bonds of a milling trust and
also of a railroad and street car line and some national bonds and
loan on personal security to local merchants and traders. From all
these sources the interest is regularly collected and regularly paid
to this widowed mother, without which she and her little fatherless
dear ones must suffer. 'Certainly,' they say 'usury is not oppressive
to the widow and the fatherless. Usury comes to the help of the