Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-05
KANSAS FARMERS DEBTS.
GLOOMY STATE OF AFFAIRS REPORTED
BY ALLIANCES

Discomfort Growing Among Prairie Asri-
culrurists-Mortgage Indebtedness on
$4,000 Farm. Over S146.OOO,OOO-
Thousands of Renters Who Lost Homes
A Political Issue.
TOPEKA, KAN, July 4.-The discomfort
among tine Kansas farmers has been growing
instead of diminishing. To ascertain the
cause Of this feeling to certainty the
State officials of the Farmers Alliance caused
to be asked a series of questions of secre-
taries of the sub-Alliances, of which there
are about 9, 500. The principal questions
were: How many members are renters?
How many have unmortgaged farms? How
many have mortgaged farms?
The answers reveal gloomy state of af-
fairs, from which no relief can be obtained
except by political change. The mortgage
Indebtedness is found to be on farms alone
STAG, ,563. 1874. This Indebtedness is on some
f.. 900 farms. The majority of these mort
gagors have defaulted their interest, and
foreclosures are ssure to follow. The re-
naming ones will get through only after
great hardship.
Another startling fact. for new State, is
revealed According to the reports re-
ceived bv the Alliance officers. there are
81, 700 renters, a large proportion OF whom
lost their homes through foreclosure suits,
having been unable TO pay the interest on
loans made when they were the owners of
the land. This was caused first by success
sive years OF bad crops, and finally by the
low prices last year, when large crops had
rewarded their efforts.
OF the membership ofover 73 900 farmers,
$500 have farms unincumhered, and the
ma iority of these are the victims OF chattel
mortgages at high rates of interest, which
means they are, if possible, IN worse condi-
tion than those who have their farms
mortgaged.
There are go, 900 farms in Kansas, accord
ing to Judge Peffer a most care ul statisti-
clan, so the alliance would account for but
$4,000 The evil reaches beyond that Or
ganization. The Farmers Mutual Benefit
Association, while not nearly 50 large, will
show about IL, 900 farmers in relatively the
same condition, aud the agricultural section
of the Union Labor Party a similar state of
affairs, making an aggregate Of ITO. 1000.
These organizations are the only ones that
have made any effort to gather statistics,
and nothing but guess work remains as TO
the condition of the Democratic and Repub-
lican farmers until the grand aggregate can
now being compiled.
This condition has been the cause of the
confederation resulting in the People
Party recently organized here. The situa-
tion is intensified by the fact that the Re
publican leaders without exception have ap-
parentlv been feeding at a well-flled trough
until they are in good financial condition,
while the masses have come to look upon a
dollar as something sacred almost, and too
precious for the common people to gaze
upon, much less to own.
The Alliances official organ to-day, in
giving the statistics above, says: "We an
ticipate great howl about running the credit
of the State, but we submit in all candol
that the people may fully understand now
near we are to the verge of absolute bank
ruptcy. In some sections we have serious
doubts if the property could be sold fol
enough to cover the mortgages"
The fight against the Republicans is now
on, as they are charged with this state of
affairs. The Alliance is directing its efforts
principally against Senator Ingalls, and in
cidentally against the State Administration.
The belief is that any change will improve
the conditions of the producing classes.