The Iola register., 1889-11-15
TO THE pREs1DENr-AN OPEN LETTER

"
Hon BENJAMIN HARRISON, PRLsI-
DENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
DEAR SIR take it for granted
that, as the chief executive Of u great
oatiOu, YOU are anxious 10 SO direct
your administration as TO rteult In the
greatest gUd To the ~hOle people.
Though So far removed from The hum
ble homes of the great common people
IF the cuuntry, you cannot be unmind.
full of the fact that, though our country
ls rated among the nations Of the
.arth M y prosperous one, there II
much poverty aud distress among the
masses. Msny, who u few years ago
we're in comfortable aud easy circum
stances, are now impoverished In debi
and loaded down with mortgages. 20
that they find 1t next To impossible I"
drive rags and starvation from THEN
families, aud meet the ANIMAL calls of
the interest gatberer aud the tax col
ieciur. Many are even losing the
homes that life Of toll had prepared.
and are taking hOuseless wives aud
children out into the world not natur
ally cruel, but made sd by "man's in.
ounau,i. to man." 1t Is difficult fol
,ou, SUI rounded bs the wealth of q
rich nation, where I'll With whom you
come in contact ARE of the fortunate
upper ten thousand who command
miiIiuns, or are the recipients uf high
salaries, To realize that throughput ihe
great Mississippi Valley, nar uralIy III.
rich-st region un earth, there are hun
drt DIS and thousands of farm labUrers
begging for work at the poor pittance
uf nifty cents day, and cannot always
get il at that, because their neighOr-
are as much embarrassed rs them
selves. You cannOt realize the truth
of ihis, not because you are indifferent
tu tie welfare Of your people, but be-
cause your IntUI nation cOmes from
sources which never reach this COM
mon level. When committees of ia
v,s.igaliOn are appointed, they are
tl g elnselycs cunstItuted Uf men Oi
wealth, because No Others reach Gun
sressiOial haiis. These neu of wealth
20 for information tO kindred spirits,
perhaps to the very ones whose Octo-
pus mortgages Are sapping the liriI'
uiood that still circulates in the farm
.rS' veins. These give giowing NJ
nuts Of their own prosperity. secureu
It the c.rst 1T IL nH,inh's lIir. Ypui
committees accept these rs an index tu
the condition Of the cuuItry, make n |
graudii"qurnt reInrL la y'u, and th.
mortgage fiend continues to reap bis |
harvest uf sweat and biUni.
Bur. Mr. President, il ynu G .uld |
pass through this great region as q
common citizen, nIingle with the |
farmers and learn their secret struy
giles to save their homes from mort |
gage debts forced upon thtm, cm,i,!
YOU hear the farmer husband aud wife |
In their private AMI muurnful coiisuit |
atiuns as to how tn save the dear old |
home for the children whose tender |
years yet save them frum the fOrebOd. |
ings and anxiety that lob their parents
Of sleep; IL you could sit down with
them at their scanty meals AMI se.
upon their tables Uxught but th-
piainest fond their own hands had prr
duced, all that would command n mar
ket having gone TO sppease the u.urer;
if you Gould sre The tired wife aud
mother af,.r sIrugglinY all day Ia
have life-su-taining fn,d ready for the |
tOflers in the fields,-if
you could see her bending at night Ov-
er the ragged clothes Of the loved ones.
trying tO make this garment more
and that more presentabir
In order, at the expense Of h-r own
her health, her life, To save
little mpre for usurv-if you cOuld do
and zee these. Mr.. President, you
would firm u very different opinion of
{ .,e con iirioa Of the country.
Aud allow me to assure yGu that the
picture is not u particle Over-drs VII,
Il caBuOt be. And this state Of affairs
IL not the result Of shiftlessness or idle.