Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-02
SIMPLY INFAMOUS.
Governor Martins Opinion Of the
Document Recently Issued by
the Democratic State Cen
tral Committee and it's
Effects

trail committee, purpOrtlng 70 give
''farm, city, town and individual
mortgage Indebtedness" the ''muni-
cipal bonded indebtedness, except
school," and the assessed value Of
the real estate of Kansas for 1885"
thus speaks of the publication:
''This document passes far beyond
the bounds of partisan pOlltics-lt IS
political iIlfamy. The man who,
for a supposed political purpose,
would thus traduce and defame Kan
sas and destroy the credit Of the
state, and Of its citizens, is a public
enemy, and ought to be so regarded
by every decent citizen Of the state.
'In the first place, there is no
more connection, direct or indirect,
between the amount of mOrtage IN
debtednesss of our people and the
bonded indebtedness of our munich
palities, on the one hand, and the tar
If question on the other, than there
Is between Cleveland's vetOes Of pen
siOns on the one hand and the theory
Of evolution on the other.
1T is a fact, too, that twO-thirds Of
the mortgage Indebtedness Of Kan
sas was incurred, not because of the
poverty of those who borrowed mon
ey, but because of their firm faith IN
the growth and prosperity Of the
state. To illustrate: John Smith
has s., 600 IN cash, and his neighbOr
owns a farm or a town lot he offers to
sell for $780, John Smith has faith
to believe that the farm or a lot will
be worth $4,000 IN a year or two. So
he buys the farm or lot for So, 900,
pays 81, 900 cash, and gives his note,
secured by mortgage on the farm or
lot, for the remaining $4,000, but the
farm or lot is worth all he gave for it,
and could be sold, any day, for that
price, or more. No figures paraded
| by a political committee for a mean
partisan purpose, can make John
| Smith believe that, because Of this
| transaction, he has been robbed by
| the tariff
Another illustration: William
! Jones owns a lot in some prosperous
Kansas town, worth 81, 800 He has
! also, 81, 900 in cash. The lot, vacant
| is unproductive. He bOrrOws 2,O0O
at 10 per cent, securing the loan By
mortgage, and with this $1,000. puts
up a building costing $4,000, which
rents for $75 per month. The mort
gage don't make William Jones be
ieve that he is being robbed by the
tariff. If some democratic Statesman
would tell him he was robbed, ht
would be very apt to reply that the
democratic statesman was either I
lunatic or a liar. Because he knows
that he has a valuable property, pay
ing the interest on his note, taxes
and insurance, and in addition, fully
! u per cent on the total value Of hi
property, viz, $4,000.
''Still another illustration: Farm
or Williams came to Kansas ten o.
fifteen years ago, with only 500. HI
| hOmesteaded or pre-empted $50 acre
of land. He has improved it, bull
himself a comfortable house and barn
has horses, cattle and hogs, and 81,
600 IN bank He has a chance to bu-
an adjoining $50 acres at S25 per acr
or $1,000. He bOrrOWs $4,000 at
per cent, securing the loan by mort
gage, and adding the amount to hi
$1,000 IN bank, buys the coveted
quarter section. 1t Is worth ever
cent that he paid for it, and he know
that he can make out of it every yea
twice the amount of interest on hi
note. No democratic Statesman
can convince Farmer Williams tina
because of this transaction, the tarit
has robbed him If any Democrat
statesman came to him with any sue
story he would be apt reply, as di
the old Philadelphia Quaker to a ma
who dealt IN similar stories. Sal,
the Quaker, Friend John. If tn
mayor Of Philadelphia should com
to me and say, Friend William
wish thee would bring to my Offic
the greatest liar in the city," wOUl
hunt thee up, Friend John, and
would put my hand on thy shOulde
and would say to thee, ''Frien
, John, the mayor wishes to see thee,
J TwO-thirds of the mortgage indeb
ness Of Kansas was, as I have saiC
incurred by just such transactions {
these, and 1t represents, therefore, NJ
, poverty or distress, but the confideI
faith Of the people Of Kansas in th
growth and prosperity of the state.
= But the figures In this political lib
7 ! on Kansas are as false as they al
, hurtful to the state. I do not belieN
that the mortgage Indebtedness
Kansas will aggregate SIS, 600, 600, o
IN other words, it Is not One-third Il
amount stated in this infamous an
mendaciOus attack by the democrat
state central committee, on the cred
, and good name of Kansas and ht
people I know that the pretende
reports from many counties give FL
I ures that are grossly exaggerate
= and 1 do not believe that the figure
IN single instance, are either Ofici
or correct Lying demagogues, WI
would ruin every interest Of the sta
to secure a few hundred petty feder