The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-08-05
PETER ANSWERED.
Senator Perkins Defends the Peo-
pie of Kansas.
The Calamity Charges About Kansas Be
ing Bankrupt Fully Met and Refuted
How Kansas Has Gone For
ward In Prosperity.

Unlted states senate on financial queS-
tions and in the course of his address
took occasion to deny the statements of
Senator PETER that the people of Kan
sas and other western states were in a
bankrupt condition. Senator Perkins
attempted to show something of the
progress and growth of Kansas, and in
the course of his remarks said:
My friend will remember that in our
early days in Kansas, when the lands
were opened to settlement in southeast
ern Kansas, where at the time we
both resided. the farmers were COM
PEELED to pay from so to 81 per
cent. a year interest to secure the
money with which to deed their
houses This was an exhorbitant
rate, but our section was new, and it
was the best our people could do. Many
of them lost their homes, finding them
selves unable to pay the money bor-
rowed and the unreasonable rate of in
terest charged. But our country was
settled. our lands improved. our homes
beautifed. our towns built, our rail-
roads constructed. our obligations met,
our credit advanced. until $50. when
the farmers of Kansas We're able to Dor
row money at as low rate Of interest
as the farmers of Indiana and Illinois.
Money was sent to US by thousands and
millions for investment; our credit as
state and our reputation as people had
become so good that all the east sought
our bonds and mortgages as an invest
ment. and the farmers were able to
borrow money at six per cent interest
per annum and a small commission.
IF these conditions have changed,
have the political conditions wrought
them? Is it because confidence has
been destroyed? Is it because all who
loan money have been denounced as
robbers and wrongdoers? Is it because
it has been publicly proclaimed that
farmers cannot pay their debts? Is it
because open Reputation has been ad-
vocated in some sections of the country,
and violence and resistance of the laws
in others, to prevent the collection of
debts honestly contracted? Is it be-
cause we hear of new political organ
ization that not only desires the free
and unlimited coinage of silver upon
the basis of Is to l, but that advocates
the land-loau scheme, the sub-treasury
plan, and cheap, fat irredeemable
currency.
''Mr President, speak for the bright
and beautiful prairies of Kansas
speak for people that may be mis-
guided and deceived at times, but peo-
pie that desire to be honest, and that
are intensely patriotic: a people that at
this time are getting out of debt and
paving more than a million of dollars
month upon their mortgaged obliga-
lions, and that intend to redeem in full
measure their promises and plighted
faith: people that intend that the
credit of Kansas shall again stand
among the best in the entire sisterhood
! of states: a people that have faith il the
government of the United States and
the virgin soil of our prairie state;
people that believe within the bound
aries of our own commonwealth hon
I esty. industry, frugaGty, intelligence
/ and patriotism will rear the state
| that will be pride to our country and
/ an homer to our republic; 4 people that
| do not believe in a fat, irredeema BILE
/ currency or the paper currency of
/ Rhode Island issued at the close of the
| revolutionary war. or the wildcat
! banking scheme of Michigan under the
/ act of 1887. or the banking scheme Of
/ Alabama under the act of 1873, or the
crop-moving currency of Mississippi
! under the act of 1893, or schemes of like
character anywhere; people that be-
lieve in a sound currency and safe
financial legislation; a people that be-
lieve in bimetallism and hence hail with
delight the disposition manifested by
the governments of Europe TO respond
favorably to the invitation OF President
Harrison to meet in international con-
ference and TO agree upon 4 safe and
stable basis for the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver in all
the commercial nations OF the world
MY distinguished colleague has
called attention to the depressed condi-
ton OF agriculture. He has given you
figures tending 10 show that during the
last decade the agricultural sections of
the west and south did not prosper and
increase in wealth with the manufacture
ing sections OF the east. do not doubt,
0 VI
league. and knowing him as do, be-
Iieve he desires to be fair and manly in
the discussion OF all public questions:
but unfortunately for him am afraid
that he has, innocently of course, con-
tracted the habit of overlooking and ig-
roring all facts and figures that do not
sustain him and the conclusion that he
desires to reach NV colleague present
ed and had published as part of his
sreech the census bulletin of August -,
1891. from which he collected his figures,
and while the bulletin shows him tC
have been fairly correct in his arith-
metic 1t convicts him at the same time
of having been woefuily wrong in his
conclusions
The bulletin shows, as stated by my
colleague, that the six New England
states, with New York, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, added SIS, 054. 762. -
to their taxable wealth during the last
decade. and that the states of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi
ana. Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky,
West Virginia. Ohio, Indiana Illinois
Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas
nineteen in all. and not twenty-one a.
stated by my colleague) added but 81
69s. 1875. 65Y 10 their taxable wealth dur
ing the same period OF time, but my
colleague failed 10 observe that th1
taxable wealth OF the nine states frs
mentioned by him greatly exceeded a.
the commencement of the last decade
l a. $40 HE r,-a..l-h Of ~ha other nine
teen states named, and that while the