The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-12-16
OUR MORTGAGE DEBT.

We de 1re once more to call the atten,
ton OF County Alliances to the great i'm
p%Ortance of securing correct statistics OF
of the Indebtedness of the people. The
old party papers persist in declaring that
1T is not serious, that farmers who are in
dustrious and economical are prosperous,
and that there is no cause for complaint.
They publish weekly r. g. Dun's report
which speaks of the great revival Of trade
and the constantly increasing indications
OF unpreced. nted prosperity throughout
the country, notwithstanding every mer-
chant and every farmer and laboring man
in Ameri "a kno VS. that there is no indica-
ton Of anything of the kind. Our mis-
representatives repeat these declarations
on the stump and in our legislative halls
and go on legislating In the interest of
Wall street and the corporations. We
shall have a few men in the next Congress
Who will o. willing to serve the people.
Will the people now place within their
power the means of demonstrating be-
yond question the absolute necessity of
Legislative relief2 Of what avail will it
be for these men to assert that the cOun-
try is dangerously overwhelmed with
debt if they have not the means Of dem
Onstrating the truth of their declarations
when they are called in question by the
tools of Wall street? Already NJ. POr-
tex estimates are being given to the
press, and we begin to see the boastful
statements that the census shows a more
prosperous condition Of the country than
has been anticipated. This census has
been takep for a purpose, and the method
of Ify oHJnn onH tho 1nIiCNTIiooG froV1IC
connected with it are absolute proof of its
unreliabi!ity. Never before in the history
of the nation has the department for the
collection of stats ical information been
openly prostituted TO the service of par
tisan purposes. Are the people to be
victimized by such open frauds as these ?
We have heretofore pointed out the
methods of the departments in the taking
of this bogus census. Fortunately there
is a remedy if tn people will avail them
selves of it. Follow the example of Lyon
county. Let each County Alliance ap-
point a competent committee to examine
the records and make a complete record
of the Indebtedness of the people. Send
reports of these Investigations to u and
we will compile and tabulate them in
form for convenient reference. This in
formation will place in the hands Of our
Repre- ,eutatives means of demonstrating
the absolute necessity of the legislative
relief they are expected to demand The
following items If information should be
compiled:
Frst-The number of mortgages that
appear upon the records.
Second-The average amount of the
mortgages.
Third-The total Indebtedness.
Fourth-The assessed valuation Of the
property mortgaged.
FIfth-The number Of foreclosure sales
in the county during the past five years.
Six-The number of suits ne v pending.
Seventh-The total number of mort
cages released during the past FIVE years.
Eighth-HOw many OF these were
actually released.
Ninth-How many were released by
foreclosure sales.
Tenth-How many wer9 released by
relase of title to motg tgee.
Will our County Alliances attend to
this matter as one of the most important
preliminaries to the demands for legisla-
tive relief2-AdUOcGte.