The Russellville Democrat., 1875-12-23
Letter from Ban Ditti.
DOVER, ARK, Dec. II, 1875.

year IS laSI uylnS out, anu Cuc new year will soon be upon us, bringing in it's bir5
 new hopes and aspirations, we can think of no time so fitting as the present to impress upon our peo- pie the importance of taking steps forward on the road that leads to wealth and power. One of the most important of these is to urge upon our farmers to bury what is known as the Mortgage System" in the grave of the old year.
 That has been one of the greatest evils that has befallen our country. It has covered our producers ill q mass of debt, from which it some times seems almost impossible for them to extricate themselves. Now let us look at the matter as it really is: A farmer will go to his merchant and execute . mort gage upon his crop, that is to be, and also upon his horses, cows, wagon stock, and tools ofall kinds. He begins to trade, and before he is aware of the fact he nas made debt that will sweep all his crop and a part, if not all his stock into the vortex of ruin that waits to engulph them. Then besides he is entirely in the hands of one man; of course he cannot expect others to give him accommodate tions when he has everything he possesses in the hands of some one else. The consequences arc that he has to pay in proportion to the elasticity of his merchants conscience. He can take no ad. vantage of bargains. He must pay just what he is asked for what he buys and get what he can for what he sells. His inde- pcndence is gone. Even the horse he rides to town belongs to some one else and is liable to be taken and sold when money is scarce and hard to get, consequently it will not bring half it's worth.
 l Now if there is class of people
 over and above all others that should be free it is the farmer. He is at work starting the founda- ton of all wealth. He is the grand moving power that sets the machinery of commerce in mo- tion. We are all dependent upon
 him. He should be the lord of creation and dictate terms to tho rest of mankind. Now l ask you can he be so if every bale of cot ton be raises, if every ear of corn that the husbandman of the uni verse lets grow belongs to the merchant even before the silk is
 formed or the bloom come to life. Now, gentlemen, for the sake of Arkansas be independent. Live upon your farms, and avoid this canker that is gradually eating out your life. It will be hard perhaps for the first year. But if you will deny yourselves for one year, pay attention to your hogs and corn, have your own meat and bread at home, then you are safe, the merchant will have to solicit your trade, and you will not have to seek and ask him to let you sell out to him, lock, stock , and barrel, and throw in the ram. rod to get him to take you.
 Now. farmers, as q parting in junction, 1 would impress it upon
 you, BE rREEMEN; assert your , nobility of nature; place yourself where the God of Heaven intend ed you should be-upon the broad , basis of independence. An! but , some of you will say; we are poor , how can we be independent, wher , poverty is pinching us at al
 points? answer, deny your
 selves. If you own what you have t around you, and that is unencum 3 bered, is it not yours? Are yol not the noblest work of God--ar
 honest man? Are you under ob
 legations to any one? Then, ever
 if you do have to work hard, ant
 your table is not bounteously sup
 piled, and you wear clothes tha
 your good wives have made fol | you, and patch appears here ant r there. if the cold of winter is kep + out, you are as good as he whs 7. wears his fine linen and broad
 cloth. And men can see from thu
 r.o c ,o, that thara Cod has go