The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-28
WHAT 10 THE MATTER WITH
KANSAS?

The Springfield (Mass.) Republican. in
an article on tho cause Of the Kansas re-
bellion. says:
Massachusetts, which has harbored actual 70.
bellion Of . debtor class In the shays outbreak
OF little more than . century ago at least, need
not BE- amused. When Job 6hattuck, one of the
leaders OF the shays rebellion, gathered his men
about the court at Concord and declared the
time had come 10 wipe out all debts. some one
yelled out ut him: I'VE know all about them
two farms you can't never pay for" shattuck
was the American original of some of the Kan
sas Popuiists, and . full blooded Yankee who
had plunged hopeiessiy into debt In the BOOM
Ing times OF AN inflated currency.
Kansas recorded a mortgage debt in the
ten years of the last decade of $4s2. 800 600,
and at the height Of the craze it was re-
cording debt yearly Of over s97. 500, 900.
or over $50 per capita. And interest rates
of 10 per cent. or more were paid on no
less than SO per cent Of this enormous
debt. Comparison with the state of Iowa
shows that while the mortgage debt in
force there was sos per capita in 1856
and only sos in 1889. the debt in force in
Kansas per capita increased from $107 in
1856 to $is7 in 1889. Barber county in
creased the yearly amount of mortgage
debt recorded from $i3.S3O in 1850 to
$i.27i, go IN 1856 and for the ten years of
the decade this county, with population
of but 1910. recorded a mortgage debt Of
over 81. 900. ooo Geary county borrowed 500. >
900 on mortgages in 1850 and over 1865.
COO in 1857 and recorded a mortgage
debt in ten years of over e, 600 600.
The people of Shawnee county borrowed
money on mortgage at tho rate OF over
$500 900 year in the latter part Of the
decade where in 1850 q recorded debt Of
$H4ooo was made. Cowley county re.
corded nmortgage debt of SIS, 900. 900 in the
ten years. and was borrowing at the rate
Of sS,eNo,ona year in 1857 against $4S6. 600
in iSso. There are nearly q dozen counties
In Jerry Simpsons district, the Seventh
Kansas, where the yearly borrowing on
mortgage ran up from less than $loo, 600 in
the first half of the decade, above or close
to = 81 oc0. oC0 in the latter half. Seds.
wick county in this district borrowed over
Oil. 100 600 in lsS7 against si31, 900 in 1850.
The Republican cites these facts and ne.
ares as sufficient explanation of the Kan
sas craze. With wheat ruling all the time
1t below 80 cents at Chicago. and with a
mortgage debt drawing 3 per cent. on the
average, the Kansas farmers grew discon.
tented. and with . certain class OF men
discomfort breeds desperation. violence
and disposition to cut loose from a bur
den by dishonesty rather than 10 carry il,
patiently and honestly work free from
Il. There really is no moral difference be-
tween a farmer that recklessly overtrades
and any other kind Of = man that
rrck!essly overtrades; q merchant who
horrows money at extravagans rates. who
over,rades on his capital. 10 sure TO go into
bankruptcy. and the same memorable eco
uomic law Is sure to swamp q farmer who
huys more land than he can afford 10
carry at high rate of interest. Like any
other rec kless sreculasor. the farmer who
overtrsdes comes 10 grief, and adversely
has no, oniy made some Of these Kansas
farmers sorry, but has tempted good