Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-06-14
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remarked while IN his Office SATURDAY.
that ne really believed the rain hat
something to do with the numerou
mortgage releases that had been FLEE
that day, representing over $5,00O.-
Garnett Plaindealer.
Now read this, from the Kincait
KrOnicle:
Ed F. Ewing. register Of deeds fo
this county. reports that from January
lst to May 18th, there were filed for rec
ord in his office 1874 mortgages, repre-
senting sos, 7S4.32. During the sam,
period there were released Oh his books
l76 mortgages, representing $S2, 3OS.3S
| This is an increase OF. IL mortgages an(
an increase of Indebtedness of 1868
81, in less than five months, and at the
time Of year, too, when mortgages are
paid off, if they ever are. During this
the bulk of the great crop raised last
year, and the sreater portion of the fa
cattle and hogs have been marketed. Ii
covers the period Of time when farmers
have more money than ut any Other
time, and yet the mortgage indebtedness
has increased at the ra;e of more than
SOS, 600 year. Does not this give the
lie 70 the statement sent out by nOnOpO-
listic papers that from three to ten mort
cages are being paid off where there is
one put on? What is the use of these
lies anyway? Every farmer who has a
mortgage on his farm knows if. He also
knows whether or not his neighbOrs are
mortgaged. The time was when such
things were kept quiet, and a farmer
did not want it known that his farm was
mortgdge,l but that is not the case now.
They meet and talk over their financial
circumstances with each other, and
WREN they are told that their debts are
decreasing they know of a certainty that
it is not so. This thing of preaching up
the christian science doctrine. that all
that is necessary TO lift a mortgage is to
imagine it is lifted, will not 90 down.
The farmer knows better,
And more, those monOpolistic papers
purposely fail to tell their readers how
many Of these mortgages are released bv
the loan companies forclosing and tax
ing the farms for the debt, and how
many mortgages are released by one
loan company, simply to be transferred
under an increased loan to some other
company. Now these are facts. The
farmer brochures loan on his farm. He
and his good wife sign acut-throat mort
gage. The grain and stock gamblers Gin
cahoOts with the money sharks) fix the
price of his products. He sells his corn
for -, Is, Is, and possibly 20 cents; his
wheat from 30 to 65 and maybe 70 cents
per bushel; his cattle and hogs 60 pei
pound in the same ratio. His family
must be fed and clothed; his farm i'm
Elements must be repaired; he has to
pay taxes both on his own property and
that of the money sharK-the high
toned mOrtgagee-the pet of our pres
ent legislators. Owing to the fixing. by
the gamblers, of the prices of his pro-
ducts, the farmer is unable to keep up
the above named expenses and pay even
the interest on his debt, which Us com
pounded, added to the principal, and he
is compelled to procure a release ~ by
obtaining an increased loan in some 9th
er company, to pay up-the expense OF
both the old and new loan. Then the
same old SHINING game goes on. The
farmer is unable to meet his payments
his farm is sold at sheriff's sale-anOther
''release" is recorded-the bought-up
papers tell us another man is out of
debt. And so will it be AS long as the
gold-bugs, railroads ard stock gamblers
own and control our legislators.