The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-08-23
No RepHdiatiOR.

- Out West at atime when fArlners
had to team theiriv hest ovsr bad roads
twenty, fifty and hundEed liiles b
mill and sen il for thirty, forty and
fifty cents bushel, there was great
cry for railroads But money was
scarce, and in order to raise means TO
buy iron and hire labor, the farmers
took stock, paying for it in mortgages
on their farms. The railrosds were
built; q market was brought to the pro-
ducers' doors; they sold their grain at
double and treble former prices, and
grew rich besides in the increased value
OF their land. The farm which had
been mortgsged for few hundred dol
lars, and which, in many cases was
more than It was worth, soon increased
in value thousands of dollars, and the
old Log cabin aud ricketty barns gave
place to comfortable and costly build
ings. While the railroads had enriched
the country it happened they made no
money for themselves; running expen-
ses and ACQUIRING interest were heavy,
and the debts incurred in construction
large, the mortgages of course having
been sold at discount for ready
money; consequently the stock was be-
low par. About this time the farm
mortgages began to fall due, and were
presented for payment. Everyone who
read the papers seren eight and ten
years ago, knows what happened. Some,
Of the farmers refused to pay the mort
cages, or any per cent of them, and
made forcible resistance to their fore
closure. They raised the cry Of "mer-
cenary mortgage-holder," ''rich ma
bobs," and all that, and among other
very foolish things demanded that the
railroad companies. should issue new.
bonds and redeem all their mortgages.
This in face of the fact that they had
been enriched by the building of the
roads, having already received hun
dred dollars for every one dollar re-
quired to clear of their Indebtedness.
This thing on a larger scale is being
enacted to-day by the party calling it.
self Democratic. The Southern slave
holders sprung a rebellion on the coun-
try at a time when its defensive ap-
pliances were in as primitive state as
the farmers market facilities. Money,
was needed teiorgauize, equip and sus-
tain armies, build ships, and. carry. on
the dwsr The people pledged their
faith to the Goverment tacitly mort.
gaging all their property and freely Of,
fering their lives as well as their treas
ure for the common defence On the
strength Of their patriotic promises, the
Government borrowed money by is,
suing its bonds. The rebellionrwassputl
down, and the war closed, with a big.
II 70 enH. Il
debt; but the people are enriched un-
told millions; the abolition of slavery
and the maintenance of the Union has
quadrupledthe real value of every acre Of
land and every village and city lotiiu
the nation; aud rendered life, and lib
erty secure for all time to come. Now,
even before these mortgages become
due, this so-cslled Democratic party,
are dehouncing the men who hold them; /;
bowling about "rich bond holders" and
demanding that the Government shall
issue new non-interest bearing scrip to
redeem them, The parallel is perfect
But the country is rich and strong, and
will not for moment listen to the sug-
gestions of repudiation dbroached ty
dishonest politicians p
Hs-sF sr4 81 .