Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-10-17
WHO HOLDS THE MonreAGEsg

There has been good deal said by
Il certain class of men with regard 10
the "gold hugs" "money kings" and
"Shylocks" of the east who hold the
destiny as well as the mortgages of
Kansas in their diabolical clutches,
and in the opinion of great many 1t
would be wise aml commendable
act TO rcpudiate all claims these
''money sharks" hold against the peo-
pie Of the state.
Before passing any act of wholesale
liquidation would il not be as well TO
stop and enquire who our creditors
are. and then consider whether or not
We can conscientiousIy ignore the
claims that stand against us? Jay
Gould, Vanderbilt, Aston, Sage. Ad-
ans and other well known million
aires of the east are frequently mcn-
toned in this connection, and IL we
could by legislation or otherwise beat
these men out of few of their mil
lions the act might be righteous and
commendable one, but none OF these
men hold mortgages on Kansas farms.
Probably not one OF the immensely
rich men of the country has one dol
lar invested in Kansas mortgages. Ii
every mortgage in the state should be
repudiatcd By Il legal act Of orr legis.
lature neither the gold bugs" of New
York nor the "Shyl0cks" of Massachu-
sets would lose nickel. 1t is upon
the poorer class Of that section that
the loss would iall. The hard work
ing mechanics, the industl ious factory
hands and the labOring classes of the
east are, through the agency of saw
ings banks and loan companies, the
owners of our mortgages. The ell
tire estates OF thousands Of widows
and orphans have been invested
through loan companies in western
loans and it is these and such as these
who must suffer when we refuse to
pay the claims we honestly owe,
If we could IN some way, either by
legislation, population or train rob-
berry get hold Of Jay GOuld's ill-gotten
gains no one could find any fault, but
can we as a christian people rob wild
ows, orphans and our hard working
fellow citizens of their savings? Are
these reputation ideas the proper
thing to teach our children? Shall
we strike out from their copy books
the old Ben Franklin motto, Honesty
is the best policy" and insert the new
er-to- bc-forgotten phrase Of Mrs.
Lease, "Raise more hell and less
wheat" or the third plank in the
'lost" platform, "Put dollar in the
slot and Mother Lease will secure the
repayment of your mortgages"
1t is a well authenticated fact that
when Noah turned loose the animals
from the ark Kansas got more than
her share of the species called, in BIZ
BILE times, Pharisees, aud they have
developed through evolution or some
other process into the long. haired men
and short-haired women of The present
time and are designated by this gen.
Grafton of men as "cranks." They are
endowed with tho gift Of
Yah and are ready 10 take the lead in
all "reform" measures without STOP
ping to consider results. Kansas has
had entirely too much progressive
legislation for her own good and be-
fore we take up with the advanced"
theories OF these pharisaicul pllilO-
sophers and bring further discredit on
our state would il not be well to make
a closer enquiry not only into the
"plans," but the autecedenls of the
men and women who are promul-
eating them?
List OF Letters
In the post-olFice at Bax-