Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-14
THE RUIN OF THE FARMER
A Reply 10 the Statement BY Mr. william Matt
land In the Nineteenth Century.

A writer. NJ. william Maitland. IN the
November. iSq2 number Of the "Nineteenth
Century" announces ''ihe KUN Ot the
mo article is characterized by suppress
sion OF easily attained statistical fncis and
by misrepresentation 30 pmpaDie ~ 20
cause no little surprise on this side of The
he aNinetee1tb century, was beguiiei
The creator portion Of Mr.. Maitland
enusion 81 devoted 90 n discussion Of ffcf
Trade W. Protection. and as the gentle
man Is well known TO occupy a free trade
standpoint his conclusions are obvious.
AS campaign document the intent ~
S,r article may ~. pc Sna PSiiie1 AZ
maxim AZ not Hn axiom The article Is q tdr
sample Of lurid campaign hteraturei no
better. no worse than the average OF its
class, but ifs ultimate effect upon read
ers II something beyond parueanship. II
Is mischievous in that 10 Indirectly tends TO
lead the unlnformcd TO false conclusions
regarding most vital subjects. IL sparldce
with gems u prophecy, Ny. Maitland
crecps under the mantle OF John VI Pat
mos ana thus orncles; 1T seems unlikely
that the TURNER'S Alliance will be able TO
elect its own candidate Tor president, but
~ seems not Improbable that II may IN
directly insure The election Of a Demo.
FOR the American farmer, tho one thing
that Cuu stcm the current which ia rapid
W bearing him aud The rest Of the coun.
try to "a financial catastrophe, the Ike OF
which has never been experienced before
Ina rny country.
MI Maitland was prophcucally hypnotized
ON the immediate eve ~ the national cleo
tion. a few days after his prophecy tsicl
n Democratic president was elected by
vote 40 large that were There deducted
from Il the electoral votes OF every Al
lance state thc result would not be
changed.
Nj Maitland ls known better as a pou-
ueian than an esonomist Ergo ~ nv
political reasoning y 30 bad what weight
shall be accordelc his economic yagaricsf
There are twp Things when prompt
the standard reputation Of its vehicle.
Second Its title, ''rhc Ruin Of the American
Farmer"
IN Justice to many who are deeply inter.
ested In the welfare Of the American
farmer. it e. proper TO examine the causes
presented by Mr.. Maitland Az arswerahle
FOR his declaration that the American fur
mortgages are Increasing with amazing
rnpidity. aud ais fAst ns they are iucreaB-
Ing they are not Keeping pace with the
necessity Of the farmer warmers are too
often unable to pay the Interest when It
Is due, and too often q has 20 be added
to the principal. and then wiped out by
further loan nc higher rate OF interest
The mortgage generally results IN fore
closure"
Let Va examine the fucts. The congress
of the United States passed "a law, approved
Feb. "a, 1850 requiring the superintendent
or the census to ascertain and report the
number of people who own farms and
ANNtt NAu Allt lNNllhAAH lNueHiFAhfHh Ahete-
on. The full report u the census bureau
j. not yet complete but the superintendent
has published o partial one contained In
census bulletin NO o. statistics OF Farms
Homes and Mortgages" The methods
employed in obtaining the data are given
showing the mllucss uud completeness of
the Investigation. Experimental lhresuEI-
lions were nude 100 tltc states OF New York
Massachusetts, Illinois and Iowa. The CEN
sus bulletin sHys.
The causcs for making READ estate mort
IHufr Tod NHHN oil Ga
the Investigation made in nine towns in
Cnttarnugus county, New York, were.