The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-05-22
Ma. PETERs, Of thIs state, tool

marks were reiatlNe 10 Tue uoIt-
RaRed Indebtedness Of Kansas. He
said:
But I want 10 say In answer TO .
great many statements which have
been made In regard TO the farmers
Of Kansas and the mortgAgs-ridden
people Of Kansas, that the statements
which have been made - to the con-
dItIOn Of the farm mortgages there
are largely misleading, are unwar-
ranted by the facts, and are utterly
unreliable and exaggerated.
MFR. McMIlIIn. Were the state
ments you made Lefors the commit
tee on Ways and Means exaggerated =?
Laughter.
Mr.. Peters. No, sir. At that
time corn was selling - low - lOc
o busheI. That statement was .
fact; and yet without reference, Mr..
Chairman, to the tariff, without ref
srenee to any legislation which may
be pending In the House, the price
Of corn has gone up TO pc bushel
and all the panic and all the despon-
dency Of men who hOwled against
the tariff have gone to the winds.
Applause on the Republican side.
The greatest enemy Of the Deme-
sratIc party, the greatest enemy OF
all those who oppose the Republican
party. IL prosperity to the farmer
and the increase Of the price OF corn
and wheat and other commodities In
Kansas has brought about the dis
eomfiturs Of the maligners or the
fair name and fame Of the farmers
Of that state.
But I want to call the attention Of
the committee 10 another fact: A
statemeB has been made by q num-
Der Of gentlemen on the floor that
there are upon record mortgages
amounting TO over 500. co., 900 on the
farms Of Kansas. want TO make,
emphatic As ] can, denial OF the
statement. There IL not Ons-third Of
that sum
Mr.. DOckery. Does the gentleman
mean 20 admit that there are $780,
OOO, oOOO on the farms Of Kansas, In
the shape Of mortgages.
Mr.. Peters. No, sir; deny II
most emphaticalIy.
Mr.. Dockey so understood the
gentleman.
Mr.. Peters. Yes, and you are IN
dsrstAndIng = great many other
things that are equally as unrelia-
BILE. But the records will show the
facts. A careful examination Of the
records Of Kansas shows that the
mortgages upon farms Of that state
do not exceed fdO.UOO,OOO. Aud yet
when the Democratic campaign was
going on the Democratic crowd went
oil over Kansas prOclaiming that
there was over sSOO, ~. OOO. aud the
statement has gone abroad through
out the whole length Of the land.
Now, what does that include? Why,
90 includes mortgages upon all the
railroad property. The Atehison,
Topeka aud Santa Fe have mort
gage upon their roadbed aud rolling
stock recorded In every county
through which Il runs. The same IL
true Of the Missouri Pacific, San
Francisco aud the Rock Island-
Mr.. Anderson, Of Kansas. And
the Union Pacific.
Mr.. Peters. Yes, and the Union
Pacific. or course u all the mort
cages on all the railroads In the state
10 taken into consideration, and they
have TO be recorded IN every county
through which the lines run, you
can fix the amount Of mortgage In
debtedness Of the state at almost any
figure you please and create an Inn
preston that Kansas IL mortgaged
to death. But / state on high au-
thorIty that an examination Of rec
ords will show that the farm mort
cages OF Kansas to-day does not ex-
coed $50, 90 ,OOO, and il IL more
Mr.. Peel. Will the gentleman
yield for 9 question:
Mr.. Peters. Yes.
Mr. Peel. would like to ask the
gentleman whether, u they have an
Indebtedness even Of $50. OOO, 900 thGre
10 . market enough for corn, Kansas
corn raised In the state to pay Il of?
Mr.. Peters. Yes, cir, and let me
tell the gentleman that the increase
In price In the last thirty days from
l3c TO &c . bushel on corn has made
Kansas so, OOO, 600 alone applause on
the Republican side, because we
have that quantity Of corn on hand
ready TO sell, and the increase In
value Of Zoe aud I2c . bushel will
bring TO that state so. 900, 600 Of sur
plus money. Applause