The advocate., 1890-07-23

him the straight question:
"Is your farm mOrtgagcd?'
| ut ~" WAS the answer
No more questions were asked, and as
the enumerator WAS departing the farmer
asked.
"DOn't you want tO know how much the mort
/ gage Is fOrY'
Ono, ar; our business Is merely 10 ascertain
whether your farm IN mOrlgnged or not That Is
| ail"
Another source OF failure 10 secure n
report Is In case Of nonresidents. We
make a statement that at least oneiourth
Of the mortgages in most western states
are on nonresident investments In lands
But the most direct and damnlng testi-
mony we have yet received Is contained
In the following letter;
OLARKsvILLE, Iowa, June "a, 1890.
EDITOR GREAT WEST Reading some time
ago nm intlmatlOn In the GrCdt West Of fraud
ln the mortgage census, We resolved To lAy IN
walt for the onumerhtOr Wen, he came along
the other day as we were lahOrlng hard I'm field
by the road. lie told US his business and We sat
down ln the shade Oi a friendly oak aud had II
out. When no had finished and WAS folding up
his papers 10 go We said swell, what about the
m9oTTtgage part Of thls business" , ,.,,
"BuE how can that beW
"We You do not live on your farm, and the
farm You do live on IL not controlled by the own
or. You see I'm the report the two pieces Of land
are classod as one farm. Although as You say
the owner OF the farm You work lives with yOu II
| he Is your relative he VIII DO ClAsscd as one Of
your family or II no relation, merely as n boar
der no Fecount lg taken OF his property Y he has
any not Cassed with the farm stock, etc
"Wel thCn we suggest no farm mOrlgagcd
can be given In unless the owner lives on his land
and not only that, but controls II besides"
Whats ID exactly" he said "Let me read you
some OF my Instructions .whercupOn he read
several clauses sustaining the above.
WThen the three mortgages on these two farms
VIII never become u part OF the census we
said
"NO, never, he replied, "You see have no
place for them In my blanks"
Then we 10 I'm for his opinion and get it, too.
"What do you think of the reliability Of the
| mortgage census renOTt2'
"WhX there will be no truth In II whatever.
We can not possibly get them MI, and are not
permitted tO get all we might"
| We suggested scheme, and he @d he he
! leyed 10, although he was nm old soldier and re-
! publican. We offered him $40 for The loan NJ his
Instructions over night, but he slld that h0 could
! not do 10 for ten hundred dollars. lie must send
the thlrty.siX pages Of inlguity and every blank,
| used or unused, back tO Washington as soon as
he was through He went ON his way, and we
went ~ our work In the blazing sun. II Is super
tous 70 say that we were mad. We wanted Che
blaCk-hearted sCOundrcs no Washington 10 know
about those mortgages, We wanted t0 cut of
their heads. Soon the mortgage census report
! viii be hred from Washington and then the howl
will 80 up, "What Is the matter with the farm
er2" one man I'm every county could have OK
amined the records and furnished reliable re-
port But M II iS not much more than half Of
the iArm mortgages VIII be counted, The largest
are among those left out.
Go In, DR. Fish! Go In, Great WGsn Go I'm,
DakOtaS and Minnesota Iowa has more than
LOO alliances, yet hestates TO move lndepen'
IDENTIFY God help us all. Amen
AS we make this letter Of very great
importance in the nation, tho writer's
name Is at present omitted. But we us
sure the public that the same will be
given at any time called for.
OPEN LETTER TO CENSUS SUPERINTENDENT
PORTER.
DEAR SIn;--Will You kindly send TO this onice
a copy Of the private or public Instructions 70
your enumerAtOrs, leaving nothing out You He
under grave charge which we win Do compelled
10 take up by public Indictment unless proven
untrue Dy thu documents We have secured an
opportunity 10 bring witnesses " the eXanllna-
ton OF these documents, and II they are Nv fHl
we shall he able tO 80 state We are not aware
OF any circumstances under which document OF
the United States Is under orders OF secrecy, OK
Cept executive papers related 10 the foreign dc.
partment and the special secret service
You might also feel that the examination Of
your documents pertalned solely To your superior
officers, In special state department. but we ARE
certain that public papers for development OF u
public mission are at public service for Commcn-
daliOn or criticism.
N, therefore, YOU decline 10 give the public the
documents called for, we shall feel that you are
responsible for designing and executing census
our country
Whatever action YOU may deem II best 10 pur-
sue, we can assure you that there are many com
plants similar 10 the above, which we are walt
, ing % publish, aud 10 which your documents, II
furnished may bear relation
VerV tr1iIy yOllrg FISH n FRAN