The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-11-02
A DEMAND TO HAVE THE NEXT
UNITED STATES CENSUS
show the Mortgage indebtedness
on the Farms and Homes of
tho u

There is a growing feeling that thu
farmers and other wealth-producers d'
not receive Ill equitable return fOI
their toll. The statements are repeated
ly made that ''the rich are growing
richer, and the poor poorer" tina
ninety. five per cent. of the wealth o.
the country is Ow ned by less thai five
per cent. of the population; that three
tifths of all the wealth is in h handi
OF less than thirty thousand persons
and that the sturdy, seli-respecling
farmer is becoming the American
peasant. Lack of facts upon which tC
base conclusions has rendered even
theorising valueless, and ignorance o.
the truth makes the prevalent dlscOn-
tent only more dangerous. The first
requisite to an intelligent discussion OF
| the subject is a knowledge OF The actual
facts in the case Up TO this time none
of any importance have been collected
Much statistical Information has been
gathered and published to show the
production of wealth in this country,
but none to show its distribution. An
important step in this direction, in fact
the primary step, would be the collec-
| ton of data to show to what extent the
farms and the homes-the basis of our
civiiization-are owned by their oc.
cupants and free from debt. Cores
pondence has been had with the chiefs
OF tine bureaus of statistics of the vari =
Gus states, asking them whether they
had collected any such information
With singular unanimity they reply
that the facts are of great Importance
and ought to be collected, but that the
labor aud expense of such all investi-
CATION are too great to be undertaken
by a state bureau, and that the work
naturally devolves on the national
census. MIR. Robert p. Porter, super
intendent of the eleventh census, in
reply to correspondence on this subject,
says that the act authorizing the cen
sus did not contemplate the collection
or these data; that before he IA I'M
dcrtake the work there must be special
legislation by congress ~instructing him
to do so, and that he will lay the mat
ter before the secretary of the interior
with a view to securing such legisla.
ton. There is no doubt that if d gen
eral public demand existed, the legis-
latiOn could be secured. The conntry
cannot afford to wait till another Cell
-us for the facts, as at least fifteen years
would be required to make them pub
lie, and i'm these days OF the rapid cOn-
centration OF wealth into a few hands
that time Is too long tor a first diagnosis
of the case. By that date the patient
may be fatally i'll.
With a view to creating such a de
mani, the Western Economic Associ-
alton, E - n,to hoo ioorn1 fhio cd
dress 70 the farmers and other wealth
producers of the country. The practi-
cal method of procedure is for any
body of such individuals, either or
ganized or unorganized, to adopt reso-
lutlons of the following character and
to send them to Washington.
w hereas, There is a gro wing belief
that the farmers and other producers OF
the country do not obtain an equitable
share of the wealth which they create,
and that the farms aud the homes of
the country are very largely under
mortgage; and,
Whereas, Exact knowledge on this
subject is OF great Importance In the
study of the social and ques-
IONS of the day {; therefore, be it by
(insert here the name of the bod,
adopting the resolutions, and the 10.
cality);
Resolved, That it is our judgment
that the next United States census
should show what percentage Of the
people in this country occupy their
own farms and homes, and what pro-
portion are tenants; and of those who
occupy their own farms and homes;
what proportion have their property
rec from debt; and of the arms and
homes which are under mortgage;
what percentage of the value is SO
mOrtgaged; and be il further
Resolved, That the secretary of this
meeting be requested to transmit a copy
ct these resolutions to Hon. John W.
Noble, secretary of the interior, Wash
iugtOn. d. o., and a copy to the con-
gresham from this district with a re.
quest that he use his influence TO have
these facts collected and published.
This matter is neither republican nor
democratic. 1t is purely economic.
The appeal is made to you personally.
The reader. The next time you are in
n meeting of the wheel, the alliance,
the farmers and laborers' union. or.
binary mass meeting, or what not, in
Iroduce resolutions expressing these
sentiments, and send them to officials
named. AS the reassembling OF con.
.ress is at hand, and as considerable
lime will be required to procure the
necessary legislation and to prepare
he schedules before the next
lion, prompt action is necessary.
q. N. NAPTON, President.
III. MARTIN WILLIAMS Secretary.
Western Economic Association.