Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-11-11
The West Oppressed.


mortgages Mr.. Porter is not open to
suspicion of desiring to exaggerate the
total, yet he gives the country the
astonishing information that the
mortgages on lands alone, exclusive
of chattels, are over 80 per cent. of
the assessed value Of all the property,
real and personal, in the State, rail
roads alone excepted. With $780,
593, 900 of real and personal property
in the State, the census gives Kansas
a mortgage debt of 1926 ,4S5.0 900 on
land alone.
When it is to be remembered that
under the census of 1890 the State
has population of less than 100000
families, and that on these at 8 per
cent. this debt imposes an annual in
terest tax of over $23,247 900, the
complaints which have come from
Kansas are not to be wondered at.
Nor is the case of Kansas an excep-
tional one. Though its mortgage
debt is probably the largest in pro-
portion to its population, Iowa, Hi
nois and other Western States are not
far behind it.
When we seek the cause of these
burdens on the farming States they
are thrust on attention by those who
have imposed the burdens-by leaders
of the Republican party. They are
now asserting that, even if the debt of
Kansas is very large, it could be more
than paid of by asingle Kansas corn
crop.
We accept the statement. We take
it for granted on their assertion that
the Kansas corn crop of 1889 was
worth enough to pay Kansas out of
debt, principal and interest
Let them tell, if they will, why it
did not. If they will not, we will.
1t was because they and their tariff
laws shut the west out of its Europ.
can market. In 1889, with wealth.
enough to clear it of debt and. max
it comfortable, Kansas went from bad
to worse. So did Iowa. So did other
Western States. With enormous crops
they were shut out of market; forbid
den to sell to Europe in exchange
for European products. Compelled
to pay high tariff prices to New Eng
land for their supplies, the Western
farming States had their crop surplus
shut up in this market so that New
England could buy cheap while it
sold dear. Kansas, with enormous
wealth in the garnered products of its
soil, was brought near to bankruptcy.
Europe would take corn in exchange
for goods, New England would not.
1t had all the Kansas corn it wanted,
and at its own prices. 1t demanded
cash or nothing, and having corn
surplus, but no cash surplus, Kansas
could do nothing-except burn corn
for fuel and 60 deeper in debt to New
England. The prosperity of abund-
ant haryests was made curse to it by
the Massachusetts, tariff, and at the
same time Massachusetts, kept calling
it for interest on mortgages. All it
could do was to go deeper in debt and
hope for famine somewhere to give
its products something of the value
taken from It by the Northeastern
legislation.
When the West has complained
aud stated the facts. the Republican
Plutocrats have accused it of lying
and dishonesty. They have assumed
that every Western man who dares
speak for the West is repudiator and
cheat. Occasionally they vary this
with the assurance that the immense
debt their laws have imposed on the
West--the debt on which they are
drawing an enormous usury-is "an
evidence Of prosperity"
Are the people of the West foolish
enough to be so deceived, cowardly
enough 10 be so intimidatedi If they
are not they have their remedy. And
| it is within easy reach. When the
West wins back its rights to sell in
I