The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-23
Do Figures Lie?


AS specimen of the accuracy Of the fig
ures which the Vn2dicdtor has been pa
rading before the public for two or three
weeks past. we refer to the mortgage list
it published last week and the week be-
fore. The figures were originally presented
by the St. Louis Republic and afterwards
used by Gen. Wheeler in a speech in Con-
gress. In this way they welt before the
country as authorities and We're taken for
the truth. But the facts dispose of the
romance and knock The point out of them.
They were produced 10 SHOW he deplora-
BILE condition of the farmers Of the West
asia result Of protec ion. We take three
States as samples. The FGadicator figures
places the amount of mortgages resting on
the farms of Michigan at $500 Gee 800;
Indiana. $685. Geo Geo and OHIO $l,227,
000,0 900. We must confess that This is a
formidable ariay OF Lun. bers, aud wele
they true. would expose a startling condl-
tion Of things. But they are not true
The total value of Michigan farms with
improvements is $3.50 l03 1871, or $751;
600 600 less than the mortgages resting
upon them, according to the Vndicator
amount to. The actual total valuation Of
all farming property in Ohio is $40 GEO.
600, i'll round numbers, and TIE total val
uation of all real estate in the State of
Ohio, city, town. village and country is
but 81 1855, 100000, while, according to the
| indicators figures, there is mortgage
upon the farms alone of 81 ,237 eco, 600
more than the entire real estate wealth Of
| that Commonwealth. In fact the whole
mort gage debt of The State is ! IS than
$50, 900 900, and the same is the case in
Michigan,
The mortgages upon the farms of In
diana are placed by the Vind5cator's fig
ures at $6S5,000 600. Indiana contains
50 900 square miles, Or about q 600 DOC
&C es. The entire area of the State. taken
at $50 per acre, would not amount to the
sum for which it is claimed the farms are
mortgaged. In fact, instead Of the mort
gage debt amounting to $685., GEO 600, it is
only $27 ,667 1884.
Such are some of the campaign romances
with which the Democrats propose tt
delude and deceive the people. Facts ART
announcement things sometimes. as the,
interfere with the play of the imagination
but yet they have to be adduced, occa
sionally. in order to secure healthy con
dition of the public mind.
> | I,
) like the grain figures the indicator pro
duced several weeks ago. The differenc
is that there are number OF perst MS Wh
can draw upon their personal knoWledg
to correct the eXtravagant statement a
: to the price OF grain before the war, es
pecially IN this locality, where the state
ments made were to have effect. The
know that -four sold for So 25 per barre
and wheat at 65 or 20 cents per bushel, i
: some years. They have no personal know
D edge of the financial condition of tb
l Western States, or the amount Of thel
mortgage Indebtedness. Get they Ca
a form AID estimate of the accuracy of til
Z statement when they learn that the re
i ported mort cages aggregate largely NOR
e than the value of the entire real estate
j CITY, town, village and country, OF ever
D description.
1t would be well enough for the Peep.
to examine the campaign literature ful
| nisbed from Democratic sources. befOr
/ they accept it as gospel Solhe Of GU
| Democratic friends believe IL the MAXI
d that the end justfies the means, and wi
j wink at huge exaggerat on if vote ca
/ be gained or held thereby. Watch then
f and when they deal in figures, ask t b
: question, wht Their or not it is possibl
/ for Figures to lie."