The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-04-22
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Raging On Mortgages-sOur Debts Rep
resent Our Property"
T. c. johnson, clerk of the distric
court OF Phillips county. Kansas con
tributes the following to the Topek,
Advocate:
The trial docket for the Januar,
term OF the district court in thi
county showed 100 foreclosure cases
OF these. thirty cases were continued.
| The amount OF judgments taken wa.
$57. 621.
At the same term there were forty.
five sheriff's sales confirmed. in cases
representing judgments to the amount
OF $50. 28O. 20. and in which the lands
sold for So S24.6L
The mortgages are released, but
there remains unsatisfied judgments
| just in these forty-fise cases to the
amount of $40, 400 80.
Is this calamity howl?' Verify, a
law that will allow such state of af.
fairs is a calamity. Men may talk of
Offering inducements for capital to
come to our state. but the people now
say after their eyes have been opened,
that men who will enact such a law, if
not guilty of robbery. are at least ac-
cessory before the fact
No one among the members of the
Farmers Alliance denies the right Of
the creditor to foreclose when the con-
dltlons OF the mortgage have been
broken. All even admit that, if the
mortgagor is unable to comply with
the agreement set forth in the instru-
ment which he has signed, that the
owner of the mortgage may legally
foreclose, though the mortgage be
ever SO iron clad" But the people
are speaking now, and demanding
That laws be enacted by which the
property pledged after their enact
ment shall satisfy the debt.
A law that allows a farm of the
value OF 81, 600 to sell for $50 as was
the case In one of the above named
judgements, and leave a large unsat-
listed Judgement against an old gray
headed man. is unjust, unhoIy and
cruel. He can not own property in
this lie but what it can be seized
upon aud sold under execution for
what it will bring
This system is fast destroying the
small farmer class. Our lands are /!
passing into the hands of few per.
sons. Americas yeomanry is being
deprived OF their homes, and at the |
same time having an incubus of debt
fastened upon them from which they
cannot recover. unless relief comes
soon. These are facts very disagree
able ones, not only to those who make
it their business to condemn the
calamity howler," but also. and in
much greater degree to the ones who
Dear that classic name; for they are
he ones who are most affected.
The man who says that the peop1e
IRE making these protests for political
effect is mistaken. 1T is a condition
md not theory that confronts us.
NO matter if We had good crops and
air prices and many got out OF debt;
ne same condition still confronts the
'eople OF this nation. and while the
'ood Lord blessed us last year and
lelped us in our time of need | be.
leve that unless the people 90 for. |
'ard and do their duty as men and
7omen that they are unworthy the
anne OF Americans. and that future
enerations of rack ridden tenants
I'LL look back from their scenes of !
oil to the time when their ancestors q
ad the power to redeem $50, O00, 600 '
cres OF their domain from foreign I
capitalists and failed to do it, and will c
ronounce anathemas against an an h
estry so lacking in moral courage as s
allow a mighty empire to slip from t
leir grasp and be robbed by foreign e
obles. q
This government should provide a
'me means by which American citi-
Ems can save their homes. Enouoh c
oney should be provided by the gov n
'nment, and got into circulation a
trough a system of public improve. r,
ents. so that the people can paw off A
e debts and be once more free. g
Such state aOilI mevey aqain be en-
r1enced IN this our beloved land ne
ng as our present laacs IN reqayd TO
rec(OSxTeS 2'e77Hl72 I'm fn,.ce n