The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-05-19
EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNING.

of which is advertised to convene here
to-day, appears to be in the right line.
1t would be so without question, if the
instructors were both disinterested
and fair, but candor compels the
statement that these missionaries for
new party are certainly not disiater-
ested, and according to reports that
come of their teaching at other points,
they are not always, or even generally,
fair in their conclusions.
Asa specimen of specious pleading
advanced by both Messrs. Donne1ly
and Fish, take their argument upon
the statement of the register of deeds
of Dodge county, this state, showing a
large per cent. of increase in mortgage
indebtedness in that county since 1875
Doubtless a similar increase could be
shown in Redwood county for the
same period, but every sane property
owner knows that this is not on &C
count of our people being impover-
ished, but the reverse. We venture
the opinion that the increase in the
number of mortgages filed in this
county during the past few years, has
been in direct ratio to its prosperity
Our readers here know that recent sue
cessive bountifuI harvests have been
followed by great appreciation in
the value and a corresponding increase
in the demand for land. In every
school district were shrewd farmers
who were glad to buy more land and
give mortgage security for the unpaid
price. Conditions may be different in
Dodge county, but according to the
Dodge county Republican and the
Zumbrota News, the explanation is
much the same. After recounting at
length the many signs of prosperity
visible in Dodge county-the comfort
able houses and barns, the valuable
livestock, the possession of handsome
carriages by a great number of thu
farmers, and more significant than all
the large bank deposits to the credit o
Dodge county farmers, The Republic
All says:
There has been, to the best of ou
knowledge, not to exceed ha # a dozer
mortgage foreclosures in Dodge cvun
ty during the year 1891, as against a
least 30, that were advertised in 1881
and still more in single prior years
A still greater indication of progress
sive wealth and better times is the
paid-up taxes on land. There has beer
a gradual decrease in the number O
pieces of land advertised for sale TO
taxes during the past fifteen years
This fact speaks louder than the mort
gagged indebtedness. In 1876 the de
linquent tax list comprised 1872 de
scriptions or pieces. In 1880, 1923:
descriptions. In 1888, LIP descrip
tons, and so on down until 189O,wher
the list was 400, and in 1892 only 379
which is lower than that of any coun
ty in the state that we know of.
In the same line, the Zumbrot;
News says:
In conversation with farmer from
Dodge county last week he stated tina
so far as his personal knowledge Went
farmers were in prosperous condition
and be resented Mr.. Donnelly's impu
tation that they were debt ridden anC
bankrupt. He gave as reason for tht
large number of mortgages filed fol
record this spring, the fact that large
number of the early settlers were re
firing from active farm life and were
selling their homes to the young mer
just entering life for themselves, anc
who were compelled to give a mort
gage in part payment for the land
Many of the early farmers who had
made competence were moving tc
the towns to secure better educational
facilities for their children and spend
ing the remainder of their days in com
parative rest.
An instance can be given in our owr
county where the tremendous increase
of mortgages is but an indication OF
prosperity, In single community
about five miles from Zumbrota are six
farms which had a combined mort
gage indebtedness one year ago of on
ly $1,000. To-day there is a recorde d
mortgage Indebtedness of about $22,
600 on the same property. Messrs
Donnelly and Fish, had they known
of this would no doul have held up
their hands in horror at the terrible in
crea in poverty in Goodhue county
and would have paraded the facts
about the state to show that the farm
ers of this county were in deplorable
financial condition. What are the facts
in this instance: The six farms referred
to have been sold by the original own
ers to comparatively poor men who
were obliged to give mortgage in
part payment for the land, but who
were confident that with reasonable
success they could not only support
their families in comfort but in due
course of time pay for their homes.
Are men of the Donnelly- Fish stripe,
who go about the country Intentional
ly misrepresenting the condition of af-
fairs financially, politically and social
ly, safe men to head a political move
ment?
One of the fallacies which alliance
orators frequently parade, is that the
government loans money to national
banks. AS an able financial writer
says in the N. Y. Tribune, government
"doe, nothing of the kind. 1t meyer
has done it; it never ought to do it
If law should be passed tomorrow
permitting every farmer in the United
States to deposit bonds and receive
blank bills on precisely the same con.
ditions that such blank bills are fur
nished to the banks for issue, such a
| 10 ny would not did tho farmer ono mar.