People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-01-31


on All Public and Private Debts, snd
Their Labor Is Mortgaged for the
Principal.
You say you are out of debt and own
house?
Yes
Well; how many children have you?
Five.
That makes seven in the family.
What is your home worth?
Oh, about 81, 400.
And you are loyal patriotic Ameri-
can?
Yes; defended the flag in the re-
bellion, and the very sight of old glory
thrills every drop of blood in my body.
Oh, you are enthusiastic
Yes, sir; for my home and country l
am ready to lay down my life.
Good; you are one of the kind of
men who made this great nation the
richest on the globe.
Yes, / guess l have done my share
and / am proud to be an American.
Well, let's come back to the original
subject. How did you get into debt?
Who, me?
Yes, you.
Why didn't tell you that l don't
owe dollar to any man on earth?
Oh yes, you do.
What! Do yOu mean to insult me?
There is my house free from debt and
I've got money in the bank.
Yes, but you said you were loyal
American, and you certainly are loyal
to your state, county and community
and believe that every individual
should pay his debts.
Certainly, but what has that to do
with the case?
Oh, nothing, perhaps, but how much
did you make last year?
Well, made living, and I've got
enough money to buy new wagon
and pillow and some other things |
need.
Then how are you going to pay off
the debts of your family?
Are you crazy? l want to say en-
phatically that l don't owe any debts,
and don't thank any man for trying
to make fool of me-
Friend, don't get excited. That
won't make the debt any easier to pay.
Don't you know that it would require
all the land in the United States to
pay the debts Of the people?
Well; what in thunder has that to
do with me?
Oh, nothing, but do you know ofany
way of paying the debts without sell
ing the land?
Of course l do, it can be paid off with
the money that goes into the treasury |
as taxes.
Don't vcu know that instead of pay
iDy off debts the treasurer is borrow
ing more money? The debt of your
family was increased about Sl4 by the
last two bond issues of $50, OO0, 900, and
the treasurer is now preparing things
for another issue of fifty mil
lions. That will make SCI increase
of your debt this year, and the bankers
are demanding an issue Of $500, 900, 900
worth more of bonds and that would
increase the debt of your family $40
more.
The total indebtedness of the people
of the United States is $500 for each
and every man woman and child in the
matchmaking your share $500 with
a family of seven.
Ofcourse you do not owe thisamount
directly and you have never signed
mortgage on your own home.
But you pay interest every year on
the state, county and national debt
and through depreciation in prices you
contribute of your labor and produce
every year to pay interest on the pri-
vate mortgages Of the country.
Ultimately you must pay your share
of the principal.
There is no getting around it.
Oh! you're one of these darn Populist
calamity howlers-I have nc time to
waste listening to fool. I've got to
90 to town and pay my taxes and buy
some tools need on the farm.
Yes; there he goes to buy more tools
to raise more produce for Shylock.