Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-08-21
THE ''AMERICAN SHYLOCK.-
The kind Of ''Friend of the Working.
man. Bill English Is.

The kind of Friend of the Working
man. Bill English Is.
The Ohio State Journal cOndenses thu
statements of page of the Cincinnati
Commercial into the following:
An Indianapolis correspondent of thu
Cincinnati Commercial furnishes tran
scripts from the record of Marion coun
ty.lndlana, which cover nearly a page
OF that paper, giving i'm detail a portion
OF transactions of William III. English
in the matter of sale of vacant proper.
ty in Indianapolis during the flush
times, and his foreclosures on the same
after the panic, his purchase of real
estate at tax sales, his purchases of
property under DEGREES of foreclosures
and of property levied upon at his in
stance 10 enforce money judgments fol-
gage premises.
By himself, and through others, Mr.
English laid off large number of lots
In the suburbs OF indianapolis several
years ago, and sold them to poor people
many of them widows of soldiers, at in
fiated prices, receiving One-third or one
half purchase money in hand-the bal
ance being, as usual, secured by mort
gage On the premises. Mr.. English was
the bOasted friend of the poor" He was
giving them an opportunity to acquire
hOmesteads and become independent. In
this way he received several hundred
thousand dollars in cash--twO, three or
more times the original cost of the
property. After the panic of 1873 he
commenced fOreclOsing. though i'm nu-
mer0us instances he had received three
fOnrths or more of the purchase money
yet the accumulatiOns of annual inter
est authorized him to fOreclose, which
ne did, and there being no sale of proper
ty, except at ruinOuS prices, he bought
1t In himself and turned the unfOrtu-
nate purchasers adrift without dollar i'm
the wOrld-he holding against them large
claims for balances. In this way hun
dreds of men and women, who with lit
tie leniency would have come out all
rlghtwere utterly ruined.
But few months ago Mr.. English ex-
pressed great sympathy for the poor
Irish tenants who were being evicted
from their holdings on account of nom
payment of rent; yet at the same time
he had made for himself record more
dlscredltable to humanity than the evic-
lions of the most heartless landlord in
Ireland-many of English's victims be-
ing, fact, poor Irishmen who. RELYING
upon his professions of friendship for
the poor, had paid over to him all their
surplus earnings for several years. The
English landlord i'm Ireland is, i'm some
sort at least, the owner of the property.
and under the law may claim his own at
any time, the tenant having no title to
the premises except a ShadOwy claim for
permanent Improvements. But this In
diana English eyicted men and women
from property when they had paid both
for soil and improvements.
In addition to these things. Mr.. En-
glish has, for years, made it part of
his business to buy real estate at tax
sales, and to exact the last penny i'm the
way OF penalties and forfeitures, or i'm
cases OF failure to redeem, to take out
deeds and claim title to property worth
forty times the amount paid by him.
Of course, we freely admit that. of
necessity, the law must recognize the
right OF every man to collect money due
him, and to enforce payment by fore
closure of mortgages if necessary. also
that the law recognizes the right of anv
man to purchase property at tax sales.
and to collect all lawful interest and
penalty, otherwise the State could not
enforce the collection of taxes. But in
all civilized lands the professional pur-
chaser at judicial sales and the profess
slOnal dealer in tax titles is regarded in
the light of necessary evil-sOmething
akin to the professional hangman or
headsman of Europe. Both of these
classes of men are looked upon as useful
persons in their way, but entitled TO
neither social or official recognition.
Their money must be their reuard. That
Is what they toll and strive for. and with
that they must be content.
There may be men now living in the
United States who have been as nIerciIpss
and uncOnsciOnable as Mr.. English i'm
the way of foreclosures and judicial
ROBBERY. But no such man has ever
offered himself for high and honorable
office in the gift of generous and free
people. We all recognize the right of
the professional grabber to everything
which he has acquired under color Of
law. But to recognize his right. and to
protect him in the possession of his i'll
gotten gains,is one thing, to reward him
by elevating him to honorable official
position is another, and entirely differ
ent thing.
The story of English's Shylockism is
out; 1t Is indisputable, for it is attested
Dy fye hundred or more official entries
IN the public records of single county.
The story will be read and pondered by
millions of voters. English will never
be President or Vice President nj, nor