The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-07-15

IN many cases the mlQdlom1n can
shift his burden to the consumer. But
at last the shifting process must stop,
and when it does the burden rests
upon the back OF the agriculturalisti
OF this coulsry. The statistics OF the
census report will bear me out in
what I say. quote from the
eleventh census OF the United States
on farms homes and mortgages:
in ten Kansas counties out OF
nine farms two are owned free OF
debt; three are worked by tenants.
and four are occupied by owners
sub ..ect to an incumbrance of So per
cent OF their value. In the Kansas
counties out of ten homes three are
owned free of debt; five are hired and
two are occupied by owners subject to
an increase OF SO per cent OF their
value. This is not only true of Kan.
sas but taking ten Ohio counties
Ohio. which is the great manufactur,
ing state. and the farmers ought to be-
prosperous if they are prosperous any.
wherein ten Ohio counties out OF
eight. farms four are owned free of
debt; three are worked by tenants.
and one is occupied by owner subject
to an encumbrance of 81 per cent OF
its value. In the Ohio counties out
of fifteen homes four are owned free
of debt; ten are hired. and one is oc-
cupied by owner subject to an encum-
brance OF 43 per cent OF its value.
In the Ohio counties outside of Gin
cinnati out of twelve homes five
are owned free of debt and six are
hired and one is occupied by
owner. subject to an encumbrance
And now appeal 10 you gentle
men. on both sides Of this chamber. If
these are not alarming conditions? I
appeal to you if it is not time that we
Should address ourselves to these
conditions and see if there is not
road out of the difficulty. l appeal
to you to cease your chickering's and
quarrelings about party success. See
Ii there is not some way to help the
people of this country. We have seen
The example Of Ireland. We know
what that means. When a nation be-
comes nation of tenants and land
lords let us while it is time apply the
remedy. You may call us calamity
howlers. 1t is time we had calamity.
how!srs i9 tbs country. You cannot
afford to pass by and disregard the
cry OF the people. 80 an
Mr.. Dockery. in his speech in the
house. quoted from the July report OF
the superintendent of the census. CIV
Ing the amount OF mortgage debt of
the farms and homes of the country
ht So 565. 600 900. It is we'll under
btood that these figures have been
kept as low as possible BECAUSE the
present administration the defenders
of this tariff system. did not want to
make it appear that the farmers are
getting in debt and we can well sup
pose that those figures are very con-
sentative. I
We are not regulators out there.
The Republican party drove us into
this debt but we borrowed that
money and we will repay it. principal
and interest all that is named in the
bond But we must have a system Of
trade that will allow US to exchange
the products of our labor for the
products Of other peoples labor trade
1t, not in a restricted market but in
free market. We must have a system
Of transportation which will enable US
to get the goods to market without
paying tribute to Jay Gould and
Vanderbilt and the other robbers
that stand at the head of the railroad
organizations of this country. The
Republican party, through its leaders.
has poured out copious streams OF
sympathy for poor. down. rodden Ire
land. and | quote the following from
the National Tribune. which l hope
the Republicans will consider GOOD
Republican authority. It says:
England has mortgages on Irish
lands to the amount of $780, 900, 900,
at an average interest of per cent.
This would make an annual tribute OF
$40 0O0 900 year rom the island to
the English capitalists. AS the popu-
lation OF Ireland is 5. 900. 900, this
would make an annual interest charge
of So per head or $40 per family. No
wonder at all that the people OF Ire
land are poor
Now. Kansas can beat this all to
pieces According to the last United
States census Shylock has mortgages
or Kansas lands to the amount OF
S243. 146 226. The population is but
l. 427, O96. At an average interest OF
10 per cent this would make an annual
tribute of $24. 314 6S1. so d year from
the people of Kansas to Shylock, or
an annual interest charge of $17 per
head or $50 per family. And yet we
are told by the old parties that we are
the most prosperous people on the
face OF the earth.
want the Republican leaders. when
they meet in annual convention again.
to save some of their sympathy for
the citizens OF this country. Thirty
years ago the people of Kansas re-
ceived that grand state fresh from the
hands Of nature. 1t is peopled by
the most Industrious class l say in
America the most frugal SOBER and
industrious. and yet under present
laws and present conditions they
have seen themselves sinking into
debt from year to year. until now they
are about to lose their homes and sur-