Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-10-03

OOhh 3D." C1db UIlO L1ICA WSE0 Cu1cAJ
farmers like himself, and he knew that
like him they had come there as the last
eesort to raise money to buy bread for
their families. and even in his own
deep distress he pitied' them. They
the heart and claim the sympathy
bronzed features, swarthy and deep
story of their sufferings, while
the restless rowing of their eyes and
the uneasy moving of their limbs be-
trayed all too well the anxiety of their
minds. They were thinking of their
loved ones at home-of the wives and
children clothed in rags and pinched
with hunger, and of the wolf that
lowered about their thresholds, and
the picture was forbidding enough to
make their hearts quake. They real
to pay for Mills Accommodation"
but even this dear1y-bought favor
this longed for and prayed for robbery
was by no means assured them. Mills
was particular about his security, and
even at the exorbitant rates of interest
he charged man must put up choice
vance," and these men, knowing that,
trembled with anxious fear lest they
should be turned away empty banded.
After the lapse of near an hour, dur
ing which time Green had studied the
faces of his companions, and drew pic
lures of this ones and that ones condi-
ton, he made bold to break the death
like silence and engage the man next
him in conversation.
'My friend" he began, ''our business
here is evidently the sa me. I came to
try to get some money on my farm chat
tells, and judge that is the object of
| all these men.
ST guess it is" replied the man John
had addressed. THAT is my object, at
least"
"Do you know" asked John, ANY
doing business?"
mo, only from report"
| "What does report say Of him?"
SIT don't say anything good, my
friend nor anything calculated to tickle
US poor devils who have to come to him
for 'favors,' as he calls them. 1t says
he has no mercy on his customers,
charges them outrageouslY for a little
money, loans only for thirty or sixty
days, and if payments are not met
promptly to the day your property goes
at any sort Of sacrifice to pay the debt"
cts shame and an outrage" said
John.
eyes," replied the other, 'it's worse
than that. It's legalized robbery. Our
laws permit this man to come here like
vulture to feed off our misfortunes.
There is nothing to restrain his avarice,
nor law to hold him in check, and his
charges are governed by our necessities.
He knows that we are compelled to Dor
row, and that in our present straits we
are glad to jump at any kind Of terms
and make any sacrifice, and he is not
slow to avail himself of that advantage,
and the terms he makes us are such as
Shylock made with the Jew. 1t is a
shame and an outrage indeed, my
friend, but it is useless for US to fight
against it. There is no law to protect
us, and we have no reason to hope that
there ever will be. Laws are made tc
foster and protect the interests of the
wealthy, and our interests are not
taken into consideration. Congress is
always passing laws to protect this in
terest or that, and appropriating money
to foster and encourage this or that in
, dustry; but did you ever know of the
farmers interest being considered?"
NO." said John, 81 never did"
} ''No," replied the other, land you
. never will We are not in position tx
| be of use to the politicians, and. they
cannot look to us for financial assist
= ance, therefore we are not worthy o
their consideration. The manufac
= turers, the railroad companies, the shil
5 owners and all other rich corporation
l must have millions of dollars in subsi
, dies to enable them to amass their mil
= lions more surely and moro rapidly
t But did congress ever dream of MAXIM
an appropriation to aid the poor west
ern farmers in their struggles agains
every imaginable obstacle? No, indeed
They are left to fight it out alone an
f unprotected. They are left to the mere
n of drouths, pests and grasping money
e lenders. And yet the farmers are tn
- salt of the earth. Without arrogatin
/ anything to ourselves, we can clair
J. that we are as necessary to the worl
l. as the best of the giant corporations
n | We produce the food of the world, W
e improve and beautify the land, we ad
: to the country's wealth, and yet we ar
o not fostered or protected. If we fail t
?. produce food to feed our wives and chi
o dren they must suffer the pangs of hui
n ger. If we are without money and con
Y PEELED to borrow it, we are placed {
n | the tender mercies of such men as tn
y Mills. No, congress nor our state LEI
n islatures have any money to appropr
t. ate for the fostering Of our interest
1T nor time to devote to the making
1t laws to protect us from money sharks
That's too true" said Green, ''tc
it true, indeed. Yet we have no power
tie remedy it."
)" mo, not so long as money rules tt
S, land-not so long as men can buy the
at way into Office. Yet an effort ought
he be made to effeGss change, for as it
is we arc drifting into a state of SCI
Mt dom, and in few short years the
western farms will belong to la1
IS, corporations, and we will be Il
81 tenants. Ninety per cent. Of Il
r L +