The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-09
Bitter Partisan Persecution

transformed into guzzlers and wine-bibbers
and profigates-but the tariff issue. still
remains! That, like charity, covers a multi
tude of SINS
Look at the prosecutions to which Gov
Lewelling, of Kansas, was subjected last
winter The constitutions of nearly all the
states provide that each legislative house
shall be the sole judge of the election re-
turns and qualifications of it's own mem
bers; this is horn-book law it is essential
to the very independence of the law max
ing power. And yet, with such a pro-
vision in the constitution of Kansas. we
saw the supreme court of Kansas ursurp
power which it did not possess. and pro-
coed to organize the house according to the
partisan views of the judges. And here
again the militia of the state. of which
the governor is, by law, commander in
chief, refused to obey his orders; and
threatened to shoot the governor himself.
And again every leading Republican paper
in the United States cheered them on, and
encouraged them to plunge the state, and
perhaps the whole Union, into civil war;
for we live in perilous times when the
smallest spark may fire train that will
lead up to terrific explosion.
But the damnable partisan feeling of the
Republican politicians would rejoice in the
midst of the very destruction of the nation
if only they could thereby make their nasty
little point against the Populists. Shame!
Shame! That in the midst of the vast
perils which environ our country men
should think so little of humanity and so
much of party. 1. D. g
Government Land Loans. (
One of the most marked features of the
American intellect is it's reverence for prec-
edents. 1t clings to the shore of experience
and refuses to push out into the open sea
of experiment. Hence many oppose the
idea of the government loaning money to
the people. But this is precisely what
England has been doing in Ireland for the
so years past; and without such a system
the island would have been almost depopu-
lated Judge Cough, of Chippewa Falls,
Wis, a very able and learned man. has re-
Gently published in the Catholic Sentinel
of that city very interesting article on
this subject. to which we call the especial
attention of our readers:
There is one way in which the govern
ment could go far to alleviate the present
distress without hurting itself, doing
any violence to it's financial standing 1t
could lend it's credit to private enterprises
of a permanent character. At the capital
of each state it could establish board of
works consisting of three commissioners,
and one engineer and whenever this board
upon eXaminatio found that a farmer or
land owner, could by retaining waste land,
by putting up buildings, etc. permanent
ly improve his estate the government
should permit him to borrow in it's name,
not exceeding two-thirds of the
assessed valuation of his farm, or estate
for the purpose of making these improve
ments. We assume that the government
could borrow this money at 3 per cent for
40 or so years, and it could charge the es-
tate of the party making these improve
ments such additional interest would, in
that time, wipe out the debt altogether, this
would be done by charging about one-fourth
per cent over what the government itself
would have to pay for the money, and by
the money lent in each case could be made
a first lien on the property until paid. In
this way farmers and others could i'm
prove their properties under the supervis-
ion of the government engineer and Nc
moneys should be paid but upon his war
rant approved by the board of works. BY
this means laboring men could be profit
ab1V emDlOved all over the country and
valuable improvements made which would
add largely to the general wealth of the
nation. That such a plan is feasible we
know, for it was our fortune to be EN-
poyed by the British government in car
rying on such works, for the employment
of the people, 40 years ago in Ireland, and
in no did we find it a failure. What
is here given is a mere out line OF the
measure we would propose. In filling it in,
much would require to be added, such as
the limit of the estate to be improved. We
would have the government lend no money
on farms of less assessed value than So 900,
nor estates greater than $4,000. We
would likewise have a supervisory board
sitting at Washington, whose final approval
should be obtained in every case and heavy
penalties should be enacted for any vio-
lation of duty on the part of the different
boards. By such safeguards the govern
ment could in no case suffer loss and the
benefits would be incalculable. Farm mort
CAGES would .disappear, land the interest
charge for the use Of money would be re-
duced to the lowest possible limit Much
.yaHable Gland now :lying idle, would be
brought under cultivation, and many yalu-
able lasting improvements wouffeee made,
besides giving employment and support to
the vast army of idle men that are now
living in Indebtedness and misery, and with
their families dependent upon the charity
of their neighbors for bread.
1--WE are confronted today with very near
ly the same condition of things with which
the English government had to meet in
ireland Al years ago, when the awful
famine swept over the land, except that
ours is a graver case. for the last census
proves that 80 per cent or $4,000 900 of our
people, are virtually paupers and reports
from every part of the union show that
great numbers of these are starving for
want of work, and are entirely dependent
upon their more fortunate fellow-citizens
for support. This state of things cannot
last long. Cities like Chicago cannot long
continue to devote four or five millions of
| dollars each winter to support its paupers,
and the burdens for that purpose are more
oppressive still in rural districts IF tho