The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-06-12
Senator PETERS Speech Before the
Cincinnati Convention.

Cincinnati Convention.
But what is the reason of our COM
ing? What influence lies behind Thu
majestic moving of the masses? Is THU
the work of men demented? If so. ther
indeed is half the world gone mad
Two hundred and seventy years have
we been toiliDg in this country. W.
have conquered the wilderness, peopleG
the solitudes, and civilized continent
We have removed forests, opened
highways, established commerce, and
builded nation that leads all the rest
10 agriculture and in manufactures
with half the railroad mileage Of the
world and with an internal trade which,
measured either in dollars or in tons,
exceeds the foreign commerce of any
half dozen countries. Yet with all that
we have done, with all the glorious
records Of these American workers, we
find that today our profits are dimin-
ished we find that our wants are null
tiplying and our profits are divided.
Our ancient prerogatives have been
wrested from US. Our statesmen are
drifting away from the people, and we
find that the masses are gradually going
in one direction, downward, while the
classes are going in another direction.
upward.
In the beginning ninety.fve per cent
of our people lived on farms, and farm
ers owned ninety Eve per cent Of all the
property in the country. Now forty
per cent Of our people live in towns
and cities. Farmers and their helpers
constitute about forty five per cent Of
the total population of the country,
One.half Of their farms are under
mortgage. and for more than they
would sell for under the hammer to.
morrow, and less than 100000 people
own practically more than fifty per cent
Of the entire wealth of the country,
Those Of you who can see the placard
on the other side of this hall will read
a volume, sNine Million Mortgaged
Homes 1t is charged that men and
women belonging to what we in the
West call the Peoples party are utterly
unable to deliver one short address
without quoting the word mortgage,
The superintendent Of our census, after
the Congress OF the country had been
goaded into action, has finally given us
that damning record. Nine million
mortgages upon American homes. The
men and women who builded this
country, the men and women who in
justice owned this country, are today
under the weight Of a debt that it il
absolutely impossible for them to re-
lieve themselves OF under ordinary
conditions and yet We are denounced
because we call your attention to it
There are townships-aye, counties
you men Of the east-in the Western
States, not only in one, but in dozen
where every foot of land in town and
country is under mortgage. I know
you will say to me: Who is to blame
for it2 / am not discussing that. Who
is to blame for it? If my friend here
goes home to his family and finds hi
child, his boy. the idol of his heart
sick unto death, does he grasp the boy
roughly and say: "Stand up, sir, you
have been imprudent, you have beer
eating this and you have been eating
that, and it is your intempernnce tha
has brought you here" Is that The
way father teaches his boy or instructs
him or treats him2 No, no. He sends
Billy or Tommy or Peter or Jimmie te
fetch the physician and when he comes
it is: "Doctor, can my child be
saved?' That is the first thing-te
save the child, not to destroy him. We
will discuss the matter of the propriety
or improperly of his course after the
boy is saved.
The free men of this country are
entitled to the homes that they have
made. All they ask is to be allowed
time in which to pay their debts and
save their homes. Don't you remem-
Der, Mr.. President, and all you ladies
and gentlemen who are listening to me
SO attentiyely-don't you remember
there was time when the head of the
family, if he became involved il
trouble, would advertise his estate
dispose Of it, and. acting upon tn,
advice Of Horace Greedy. "Go Yves
and grow up with the country?' Blu
you have passed that line long ago.
can remember long ago, when was |
boy, no bigger than this little fellow