The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-23
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE BLACK RECORD.

Necks Of the People-The Awful
Facts Which the Old Parties are
Silent About-Enough to Justify a
Observation-Disclosures Exposed
An Article by II. w. Aver.
Copyright, 1891, by the Reform Press News
If there is any one thing on earth
which the old party liners and partl-
sans are regretting and pining over 1t
is the provision they made for securing
a report of the mortgage Indebtedness
of the country. This provision was
exacted from them mainly by the ALI
ance. 1t has been said, and perhaps
truthfully, that if there had been the
slightest anticipation of the astound-
ing revelations brought out by this
work the appropriation for carrying it
on would have never been made, for
concealment of vital facts and statis-
tics seems to have been the preferred
policy of the majority of the sharpers
of national legislation for years past.
Senators and Congressman and Gov
ernors and the like have for a long
time past been accustomed to deal in
"spread eagle" ~generalties in which
they proclaimed the greatness of this
country and the prosperity of the
people. The people have been accus-
toned to listen to such g~eneralities,
and have tried to force themselves to
believe that these orators yer an
nouncing a general truth. Hundreds,
thousands, yea millions of the toilers
of the land, who were struggling and
battling with adverse circumstances
and conditions brought about largely
by national legislation which discrimi-
mated against them, have listened to
the glittering Orations. Each indi-
vidual knew that he shared none of
the prosperity so eloquently talked
about, but he thought he was one of a
few who were in some way subjected
to circumstances which no honest
energy, even though aided by rigid
economy, could control; and in his
loyal patriotism he would cheer the
rich sounding sentiments.
X x X X
But truth will out. In time, neigh
bors began to find out that each one
was subject to the same opressions
and inequalities, and began to realize
that they were all fighting serious and
almost insurmountable obstacles to
a comfortable Notwithstanding
they knew their exertiOns fully en-
titled them to. When they said that
something was wrong they were told
by their congressman that they were
either extravagant or did not work
hard enougd. This was announced
from the platform, from the stump,
by the press and even from the pulpit.
The people of one State were told that
the people in other States we're more
prosperous and progressive than they,
because more industrious and frugal.
X x X x \ x
Hearing these things the people
quieted themselves yet a little longer.
They worked harder. They sowed
and toiled in hope only to reap in dis
appointment and almost in despair, for
they saw that much production added
to their labor and expense, while it
seemed to decrease the price of their
products below the cost of production.
Then they demanded to know why
these things were so, and each man
wished to know whether or not his
brother toilers throughout the land
were subjected to the same conditions
and influences.
x y x 4 * x
Congressman and statesmen, while
hooting at and pooh pooling the COM
plants of the people, finally provided
a way for finding out something about
their general condition. They have
discovered the appalling record of
5000, 600 of mortgages on the homes of
GO, ZOO, 900 of people-a mortgage on
four out of every five of the homes in
this great American Union of States.
Now will any one of these orators
have the ~effrontery to say that this
record is the result of Incidence and
Extravaganza Will he dare say that
four out of every five of the families of
this nation are lazy and shiftless?
This mortgage record does not include
lien mortgages or mortgages on chat
tells and personal property. 1t does
not include the mortgages made by
railroads or general corporations and
companies. 1t only includes mortgages
on home lands, not even taking in
mortgages on farms occupied by ten
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