Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-01-28

Senate by Senator Leland Stanford, of
California. This agricultural editor says:
IT would be unfortunate under our po-
htical system if the Government should
go.into the business of loaning money to
the people
On behalf of thousands of other farm
ers who think as does that farmer in
Michigan, would like to ask that edi-
tor if the Government is not now, and
has it not been for years, loaning mon
ey to one class of its people and at a
charge of only zone per cent. for its use
at that?' with bills now before Con-
gress to loan it to them absolutely freel.
Take two men at the close of the war
One buys farm for SO, coo; the other
buys Government bonds for $1,000
Bosh are investments-the farm and the
bonds. Both represent value, and have
Laying and selling price. The money
in the bonds, without any labor of the
holder, has paid much larger interest
it Is true than has the money in the av-
erage farm, with all the hard work of
the farmer and his family. Those fav-
ored few, the special class ''of the peo-
pie" who own the bonds, can take them
to Washington, deposit them in the
Treasury (say 500, O00l. They are
safer there than at home. The interest
on them never stops It is regularly
and promptly paid. And, on those
bonds as security, Uncle Sam the
Government-loans this special class
''of the people" 100000 in money, which
they take home and, as middlemen,
loan this Government money to the
fo1-r S.4l, gGy>eA IL,
6, 8, 10, II or more per cent. interest
Now, why not let the farmer have the
same chance with his property?
If the bank loans the money obtained,
printed, made and furnished by the
Government, to farmer on his note,
and he fails to pay it, don't they take
his farm, if necessary?
In my State New Jersey for many
years past, the State has loaned its
school money to farmers, with their
farms as security, and with entire sue
cess and satisfaction,
In England number of years ago
the Government loaned large sums of
money on long time, and at very low
rates of interest, to farmers for the
purpose of tile draining their lands
How many hundreds of millions of
dollars has our Government loaned to
another class ''Of the people, to help
them build railroads that are now too
often used to oppress the farmer?
1t simply makes a difference who is
doing it.
Senator Stanford's step was in the
right direction.
The world moves, and the farmers
are awakening and commencing to
move with it. New ideas are coming
to the front.
'All citizens shall be equal before
the law" says our National Constitu-
ton, and that means finance laws, tar
iff laws and all laws. Let us think on
these things.
The National Grange at its annual
session in November last in Sacra-
mento, Cal, by vote of more than
three to one adopted the following:
- Resolved, That we = also favor the
maintenance in circulation of the paper
money of the United States, independent of
the National banks, in sufficient volume to
prevent any future contraction, and conse-
quent embarrassment to our prosperity.
And the National Grange has always
declared itself fairly on the side of the
great mass of our people on these i'm
portant questions. This the farmers
are coming to understand more and
more with each passing year; and so
this great National organization of
farmers, now nearly twenty-four years
old, grows and prosperS at this time
better than ever before in its history.
Farmers, unite with the nearest Grange,
or get one in your neighborhood as soon
nc rNalr ha
and girls above IA years of age with
you and let us all work together on
these matters that will relieve us of the
unfair burdens we are now bearing
The Grange offers to help you. We
must unite or go under.-Mortime
Whitehead, Lecturer National Grange