The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1886-01-21
An Uncomfortable Position.

A New England farmer who has been
spending some time among the farmers
OF the western states and territories, re-
ports as n of the results of his obser-
vatiOns that he found them almost with
out exception to be in debt. As a rule,
they bought everything IN credit. They
had running accounts with the grocer,
the dealer in dry goods, the seller of ag-
ricultural implements, the blacksmith
and the carpenter. Not unfrequently
their wives were paying for sewing-ma-
chimes, and sometimes musical instru-
ments, on the installment plan. Many
farmers agree to pay the wages of their
hired help and to settle with merchants
after harvest. With the low price of
grain and most other farm products,
however, they are not able to do this.
After selling all the crops they can part
with and disposing of some fat stock,
they find themselves in debt at the com
mencement of a new year. Not unfre-
quently they are obliged to borrow mon
ey at a high rate of interest for the pur-
pose of paying their taxes in the spring.
Sometimes, however, they dispose of
young stock at a sacrifice in order to
meet the demands of the tax collector.
This observer comes to the conclusion
that the usual condition of the farmers
in the territories and new western states
was to be in debt. They commence to
get in debt as sOon as they nov on
their places, and as often as they
discharge one set of obligations, they
contract some more.
This is a very unfortunate state of af-
fairs, but that it is general in many
parts of the west is not to be questioned.
The habit of getting in debt is not easily
broken off. Once contracted and con-
tinued for a series of years, it is likely to
be kept up indefinitely. Few farmers
succeed in producing as large crops as
they anticipate, and they ordinarily ex-
pect higher prices than they obtain.
The occurrence of a fire, a tornado, a
protracted drought, an early frost, a
visitation of destructive insects, a con-
tagious disease among farm animals, or
sickness in the family upsets all the cal
culations made for getting out of debt.
More obligations are incurred and the
labor of years is required to discharge
them. A man constantly harassed by
debts is in no condition to enjoy life.
He can have but few pleasures. He is
at the mercy of every person he deals
with. He must take goods at the price
demanded for them, thought may seem
to be exorbltant.. Traders who sell
articles on credit are obliged to charge
high prices. They assume risks, place
their own credit in jeopardy, and are
0ftan nnt tn nrnat Innnnyanianoa IN tha
management of their business. They
would prefer to sell goods at a much
smaller profit provided they could re-
ceive cash for them. The high price for
almost every article bought in the coun-
try are chiefly due to the credit system
which generally prevails.
The commencement of of the new
year is a good time to form plans fol
getting out of debt and for keeping out.
1t may be necessary to resort to heroic
measures to accomplish this, but it is
best to resort to them after sill. A res
olution to contract no new debts is the
first step necessary to climbing up out
of the degraded position in which so
many find themselves. The effort is
clearly worth making. Observation
shows that the successful farmer is Or
dinarily the one who has ready money
wherewith to buy stock and tools when
they are offered for less than their value
for the purpose of securing cash. He
buys all his goods much cheaper than
the man who gets trusted for them.
He enjoys them better after he has OBJ
tanned them. The credit system, which
has become general among farmers in
many parts of the west, has prevented
them from getting much enjoyment out
of their common life. For many years
previous to the commencement of the
civil war the condition of the farmers
in the south was poor, Notwithstanding
the fact that they raised good crops and
received high prices for them. The
credit system stood in the way OF their
prosperity. They worked one year to
pay the debts contracted the previous
AS a rule they were a year be-
hind in all transactions involving the
payment of money.-Cbicago Times.
Going to Stay in Canada.