New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-02
NEBRAsKA.s DEBT TO THE EAST.
DISHONEST sPECULATIoNs HAVE GIVEN GooT
REASON FOR HARD FEELING.

Si-. Say "Wa, Stree4" 10 the Western farmer and
you bind his judgment and raise rampant preju-
dices Similarly the word "Popu.ist" IS enough TO
give the average Eastern citizen. however otherwise
intelligent a nightmare vision Of red flag hoatlnS
from the Washington Capitol 1t were better u the
two sections OF the country could alphabetically
know more about each other. and 1t Is pity when
anything Is written that tends to Increase the pres
ent Observation-Disclosures.
therefore regret the letter of "AequItas' in The
Sunday Tribune Of May l3, for such a statement
confirms the Eastern reader in his already intense
prejudcea and exasperates the Western voter. who.
smarting under great grievances and wrongs fais
to recognize 10 what exten; he himself has con-
ributed to his undoing
went to Nebraska in the early days. going
straight from the far East served my time on
Government and taking UP in succession pre-emp-
ton and homestead and that de;uslve gift. TIM
Der CAIN. each Of 100 acres have been out with
railroad locating parties assisted IN their surveys
sold sunpl,es 10 the builders. bought helped survey
and owned and sold town sites on rev raiiroad
lines: I have owned and operated Nebraska farms
have been Interested In Nebraska banks nave
paced and sold countless mortgages. chat'ei aHu
real on Nebraska property passed the best years
OF my ,ife In that State. and whatever worldly
goods 7 now possess were for the most part nc
uured there and are stil held there SPEAK '"e'e
fore not by hcarsay but by personal experience vi
tho conditions existing between the Missouri River
and the Rocky Mountains, east ana west anu VIC
Republican and Niobrara rivers. south and nortA
peone DID not settle In Nebraska FOR their
health" The first settlers did not cross the MIS-
souri, River with any landscape gardening sehemeS
as their IDEAL but hunt buffalo and Elk ana 10
acquire as much they could OF what mas 'u'"eu
out to be very valuable farm land. These hrs' Hp'-
,,ers aimed 10 make the mos, they could. with III
tie regard TO ethics. out Of the gifts OF ha'ul''
namely. game. land and fertility. These call me
nroduccrs They were accompanied and followed by
the traders the mdd,cmen, whose IDEAS ABOUT tne'
health" were not whit higher han those OF '"e
farmers but who as rule were shrewder ana
keener Their aim was 70 make money honestly "
n,ssib.e hut few scrupies hampered them.
The non-produclng class proceeded at once 10 ih'N'
,her stake off OF the farmer The methods were
numerous There was the lightning agent VINO
has decorated s. per cent " the rural houses VIII"
yards Of twisted copper plated rod ending IN n'"y
spires BY his glib tongue the farmer was "'u"N'
10 sign a contract note, at 50 much per FOOT OF r''
slsfully worled to deceive even the most care
f,l and this note turns up later In the possession
o. the local banker. innocent purchaser OF tn'
same Generally the lishtnng-rod ornahch'""'"
cost more than the house Then there was me "'e
agent selling for some Eastern nursery displaying
marvellous Autographs ana he also sec"''' IN
tract TO deliver trees. which rnrely grew but ue
,,,,os ,rere none the Jess collected. Next came
along the seller Of parior organs OF VIZ ''""s
machine agent each receiving for h!s goods about
five times the retail cash price. but taxing notes
In. IN instalucnts drawing Il per cent interest
Worn out street-car horses were bought IN Easter"
cp,es for $40 per pair and resoll on time - the
granger for gro Ploughs Tint cost - ~ 10 'h"n"
factt,re which the wholesaler bought Tor ~ PaSS'
into the farmers hands AZ 81 - ~ e'cn. - -
safe 20 say that scourge has - ati'''' ''"'','
farmers a. that Of the Implement deaf
ars nv falls. and misleading representations the
farmers have been induced 10 buy on time every
thing from, a new-fangled post anger 70 ""
steam thrcsher or cornshc!lor. In PAYNE" we
agent takes as much cash as be can get p''"~o''
n fair price for the machine. ana IN aid'u'" inns
,o,ea drawing high rate 81 interest secured ny
a chattel mortgage on the machine on %" wv
far,ne-'s horses and II pos lble. by mortgage on
his farm II h. cannot pay one %. thr'" notes WIG"
due he IS threatened with the loSs ~ hh hf I's-
se-ses and he resorts 20 the local money ''l'''
who accommodates him vith Tow hlhiieu p"'h''
a, per cent per month taking as security mort
gage on his growing crop What wonder J" IL lh"t
CA nor con, OF the nrst setters far lose home mnH
and other Dor sessions that 20 Per cent ~ toHt WI"
make the second wave Of settlement also '''' "'''
leave. and that It "a not unth ~" intI crop 81
settlers comes IN that families begin 70 be- p'iA'
ncntY ,,t.- ..,,.,,o-inr ~ school
districts. townships. counties ana S,"u r. ut,ie
srhoolhouses with elaborate furnitnr" ana hpph-
ratua child that sits AT ho ,ro on months school.
ing on u $20 patent combination hInOpi, o,,ronv
gazes AT q 80 map, when AM ral''o", =, ";;,ices
would be glad TO supply free ll me ,,,,r chit
are fitted up with patent bank iu'hllu.r '. r ann
cago an elaborate set OF county r'cD'TIS c" ,ront
piled at exorbitant prices burglar aht ~ T., p,oad
vaults (Which never stand the test are put m ROM
machines bought for 81 e,o ana a." ,rotshly uIti
ma,ely funded ia county bonds, OF which escn
dollar TepTg@y yase received SI by The coun,y
Next the railroad corporations s'nu on' h od
agents ,o ana nc% SoI road or for competing road
Ofen times after the bonds are votrd ,he pto NO.
,oad "a never built or the competing ron" ..'Hs
ont 10 be n branch 81 the road already buiit MANY
Nebraska counties have y9tra r ,h1s homDIapies
vet they DO not possess any interest IN thr I'm,
which is In addition, bonded ana sipckfu lo' NJ
Gems are asked pay freight and paasenfrr
that win yield dividends on the whtc ,r I.arn
houy Wttle equivalent il gven) are induced 70 thNS
stock ana FOR IT, IN sonr prIpI n"sscs M fore
rlosure into the hands Of ~ promoters. ana the
county Is left 70 mourn rs tIn Northern
pacdc is one long Of fraud practlsed on re
United states which gave In me hrs, psee an he
stetes through which they run whose 'o,eIs az" th
legislatures and courts have HrSn hns interests
bav. heer ruthlessy sacrificed. IN recent ri.no
some or a ,n me Chicago Burlington and quincy.
hnve carefully abs,ained from asking ot acroP'his
any 'n he,ter position to resist the claim that ~
u,aIly built With the people, money they shall
orlg ~, without compensation for the people
70 Doubt the people OF Nebraska, ihtonsh 'n'i i
own Ignorance fOolishress ana SuIlIDu,ti ,lior
Nv ru,s rcsnonslble for the various traps mo ".cn
49, have fallen. but the agents OF I.hsl.In
,alists scruplcd not 10 deceive 10 ;,
aPltaa, ali eager 10 gather where they hhh not
tou,n n now excites amusement To see ms SIN SIN,
ciose uarvcllng that the modern Brhnscr .Dp.hf H..
ci1Ss beam in Ma eye. sht rld declare that ms
,n ia now come and that In q strictly Irgal way
he viii narrowly inquire into The hlstyfy Oh W.
inronsactions that have loaded him and ms county
,yth debt that he viii pass laws destined TO btD-
tect foolish Ignorance from 'h,ssonn' ,he,r cam
80 ,hat N the railroads have Waicred tIlelF 'hP'-
taI naralieied each other, squandereh ther ~
sn,,rcea among their dishonest oiIccrH anu W
sou,ors &C. The popust is sorry but VIII never
,hcIcss proceed TO pass reasonable laws regulating
rates on basis Of cost anu no, 1 u rererous one
for going into new country where rishs are arte,
and railroads. built honestly ana wisely ou StoI
rotrcted but II Is not the lightning rod ana ScIopl-
man and tree pedier the oily tongued agent ior
shelters and threshcrs ana rohu lion i Dnt