The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-05-01

rustic, and it keeps him poor. 1t is a
strong incentive to action, and a
wholesome reminder of the fleeing
months and years. A mortgage also
represents industry, because it is never
idle and never rests. 1t is like a
bosom friend, because the greater the
adversely the closer it sticks to a fell
low. It is like a brave soldier, it eve
hesitates at charging nor fears to close
in on the enemy. 1t is like the sand
bag of the thug, silent in its applica-
ton but deadly in it's effect. Like the
very hand Of Providence, it spreads
all over creation and it's influence IS
everywhere visible. 1t is like the
grasp of the devil-ish, the longer it
holds, the greater the strength. It
will exercise feeble energies and lend
activity to the sluggish brain. No
matter how hard the debtors work,
the mortgage works harder still. 1t
makes a fellow sour, cross, selfish, I'M
sociable and miserable, and rarely
does him any good, only to exercise
him"
We are constrained to admit, and
with great regret, that is pretty near
the truth, and yet it does not seem, as
in the first case mentioned, that the
mortgage is an unmitigated evil.
Some people need squirting up and
are susceptible Of it. To such it is an
actual benefit to have something to
arouse them out of the apathy and
contentment that often attends only
moderate success. But all the same
we should not advise any one to mort
gage his property for the sake Of sup
plying himself an incentive.
Very unfortunately the mortgageis
very How many Of the
farms in this country are mortgaged;
or to put it in stronger terms, how
few farms are not mortgaged, is a
thing that will probably nev be
known. And there is a very strong
and general feeling Of hostility grow
ing up against the holders Of mort
cages on farms all over the country,
be they individuals or corporations.
We are free to say that we regard the
rates made on a great many mortgage
loans as usurious and in many cases it
is easy to see the end from the begin
ming, viz: foreclosure. But at the
same time let all men remember that
there are two parties to every mort
gage. The money lender does not 60
to look for the farmer, but the farmer
for him, and therefore, since it is a
voluntary action of the owner that a
farm becomes mortgaged, however
much the owner may regret the mort
gage, it is foolish and wrong for him
to blame the holder of it any more
than himself.
Indeed we sometimes think, how
ever much sympathy we may have for
men oppressed with debt, that if they
would all allow it to act more as in
the case Of the. man we first spoke of
and serve as a spur to vigorous work
and economy, and less as a depressing
incubus, there would be less occasion
for farmers to cry out against it. Mere
complaints without action not only do
no good, but great harm. A man
may work himself upinto feeling that
he is a martyr because he has Dor
rowed money on his farm. He may
have been a fool, but never a martyr,
and it is a very unhealthy kind of
feeling for a man to indulge in when
for any voluntary action of his own he
blames somebody else.
If a man has a mortgage on his
farm and it is not hopelessly over
whelmed, the thing he ought to do is
to try to get a lower rate of interest,
If he is paying a high one. The way
to do it is to put his farm in such
good shape that he can borrow money
at a lower rate and pay it off. In
order to do this it will be necessary to j..
show to some one who will lend money,
that the farm is we'll worth the money
and the farmer an industrious, thrifty
one, and prompt payer of interest.
Such a farmer can easily borrow
money at rates that even farming will
justify. If you are mortgaged re-
member these things.-&. Louis
Journal Of agriculture.
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