The Forrest City times., 1890-06-14
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gage on farms, and to run a long time, This was done to secure lands which
 could not be bought out right, as the
 slIrewd capitalist knew many farmers
 would never be able to pay what they
 borrowed, if long time was given.
 Accordingly the farmer was told the interest would be fixed low and the time long-5, 10 and 15 years. Many
 hundreds of farmers borrowed money
 this way. Times have grown harder
 and money matters tighter ever since
 the loans were effected and the mort.
 gages given. The shylocks knew tha, by making the loans run ten years. it would give them time to steer the finances of the country to tightness
 that would virtually prohibit the bor-
 rowers from paying the loans when due, and then the farmers valuable
 lands would fall into their hands There were thousands of bargains of this character negotiated between the
 farmers and moneyed men of this country ten and fifteen years ago Hundreds of these debts are now falling due, and the enforcement of their pay
 mont is Il great factor in causing the
 present agricultural depression. But the farmers have caught on to this
 process of beating them, and are not
 So easily coaxed into the meshes of
 debt. Seeing they could no longer be tray the farmers into this means of los. ing their lands, the money changers
 have hit upon new plan of procedure They have elected themselves life time
 members of the third and most poten.
 tial house of our federal congress, the
 house of lobbyists. These lobbyists
 make it point to ingratiate them
 selves with those members of the house who are most immediately interested
 in the welfare of the farmer and the
 small land owner. They have agents
 too, scattered all over the country
 under positive instructions to make
 close friendships with the leading fac.
 tors of the various agricultural organi
 cations. Between these two great agencies, the farmer at his home, and
 his representatives in congress, art daily subjected to influences, that
 though plausibly for the good of the
 country, tend to draw around him the
 coils of tinancial distress that vii
 finally compel him to give up lis farm X thousand beautiful stories are told
 and u thousand plausible propositions ]arc submitted to the national congress all declared to be for the relief and good of the country generally, and fol
 the farmer especially. All sorts oi pretty words were used to induce cer'
 tain New Jersey farmer to borrow
 money some ten years ago. He wa:
 told of the pleasure of living in n fine palStial residence, and of the joy ol
 owning imported blooded stock. and { seeing them brouse on his broad acres of green pasturage.. It caught him. h, borrowed the money, murtgage,l hi. farm, and now ihc ten years are behind him. The debt fell due two weeks ago lac was unable to pay. and his home
 was to bc sold under the sheriff ham
 mer. On tho day of sale, he secretl, poured coal oil over his ''palatial resi-
 dence." and then igniting tle building
 in several places, he laid down on the carpeted floor. as unconcsrnedly us il
 he were retiring for a night cf swee, repose, and went down with the ashes, and and up with the smoke of his burn 1 ing home.
 nproof of the fact that these sl,ylock agencies are scheming in this wise te the detriment of agricultural interests
 we need to mention but one instance. Through such influences as above mem tioned one l.. T.. Fcatherston, non- elected and fraudulently seated in the
 House from this district for the sole purpose of doing dirty work for the re- publican money sharks, has introduced bill to allow farmers to borrow money from the government at two per cent. interest per annum. The two per cent. is the feature that Is in tended to catch the farmers approval of the measure, and they are invited to look at no other part of the bill. Featherston is Il member of the Ali ance, and this order, we believe, sup ports the measure. IL the farmers woald analyze the bill, and see what its results must be, they would instruct the corrupt and ignorant iatroducer of it., to cease pushing it. Should such d measure become law it would cause farmers to lose all independence and self-reliance, and every little financial emb,rrass that ovsrtake them they would turn to the government for a two per cent. loan. It would bring about n species of vassalage that every farmer should despise, and scorn the man who would dare to favor it. It would produce tamencss of disposi- ton that would tend to render them submissive to any despotic measure the party in power might impose upon them. The tendency of tho masses, under such law, would be to yield subServient assent to any and all i'm positions, and to tote, without gr,lm- bling, all burdens the party passing the measure would see fit to require of them. It would tend to create depend. ent feelings in the people, and cause them to lean on the government, and. also. make it possible, when partisan republicans are in power to heap the most oppressive measure upon them without n dissent. 1t is this disposi- ton and feeling on the part of the pco- ,sla that ths. ros.,,bli~apa ,,,x.at .la.sea