Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-03-27
STARTLING FACTS.
RANDOM FIGURES ILLUSTRATE
THE PRESENT SITUATION.
The Increase OF Landlordism Presents
Dark Future for This Country That
Has for Century Toasted It's Liberty
and Free Homes.

Final and complete statistics of
farms, homes and mortgages have been
issued from the census Office and the
figures offer an inviting field for study
The report contains many striking il
Illustrations and the growth of landlord
ism is one of the most wildly evident
Facts brought out. 1t is not in one por-
ton OF the country only, but east ana
west, north and south alike bear the
same testimony, of a tendency toward
european conditions. A few hgures
taken at random illustrate the sltua-
ton:
In Rhode Island not quite 20 per cent
of the farms were occupied by tenants
In 1880, while in 1890 over rs per cent
were so occupied. In Vermont during
the same period the increase is from 10
per cent to IL per cent, while in Massa-
chusetts in 1880 SIS per cent of farms
were occupied by tenants, in 1890 over
10 per cent In the south, land mort
cages are not so common as in the
west and the bulk of debt is represented
by crop liens, as cotton is more readily
turned into money. The per cent OF ten
ant farmers in Georgia increased from
1880 to 1890 from "A per cent to So per
cent. In Tennessee during the same
period the increase is from "a per cent
10 Al per cent. AS fair index of the
west: In Minnesota in 1880, 8 per cent
d. the farms were hired and in 1890, Is
per cent, while over SO per cent of the
farms are mortgaged, making "a per
cent that are virtually tenants, as the
occupant of mortgaged home pays
interest to the mortgage amounting to
rent, not unfrequently greater than
The tenant neighbor who makes no
oretense of ownership.
The mortgage statistics present sit
latlo1 that cannot but be viewed with
alarm. In the state of Kansas the
number of mortgages in force in 1890
was 29S,S8O aggregating the amount of
s243 100000, and proving a per capita
debt OF $170 or an average of $3.50 for
each family. We have reason to believe
that conditions since 1880 have i'm
lproved in Kansas while becoming worse
in other localities. In Iowa the mort
gage Indebtedness amounted to $780,,
774,171, being per capita debt of $104.
In Illinois the per capita mortgage debt
is 500 or $500 for each family. These
figures illustrate the situation in the
center of the great agricultural regions
Of the west.
The aggregate for the United States
June l, 1890, shows that there were 12,-
500, 552 families; of these 2,250, 900 occu-
pied mortgaged homes and farms, while
| S,250,000 were tenants occupying hired
homes, leaving the number of 2,19O, 152
occupying their own homes free from
sncumbrance. The average amount of
Indebtedness on each motgage is ST.
! 257 and the average interest on each
One is $3.50 annually. Figuring to-
gether those who are in mortgaged
! homes paying interest, and tenants pay
| ing rent, we have total of "a per cent
Of the families who are virtually ten
ants, while only 16 per cent of our peo-
! pie are free home owners. The mort
gagged. Indebtedness amounted in the
| aggregate to almost three billion of
! dollars, or little over $44.00 each for
every man, woman and child in the
United States. 1t is useless to go far
| Their vita the figures, what we have
given is a fair illustration of the whole
! report.
Is it not humiliating that such con-
ditions exist? A mortgaged indebted
ness of double the actual amount of
money in the country, even though we
accept as true the treasury report of
circulation which make no allowance
'or losses or any other cause by which
he amount in actual circulation falls
ar below the reports. The increase in
andlordism presents a dark future for
| country that for century has boosted
is liberty, its free homes and free in
ititutions. 1t portrays plainly the trend
If events which will result in land of
slaves, the most pitiable the world has
ever known, for in our history will lin
ger the glittering promises of freedom.
and in the crushed and broken body of
L once hopeful, buoyant nationality
will remain slumbering spark of the
;pirit of liberty, subdued, conquered and
oppressed. A nation of crushed and
bleeding hearts, of lost and buried
hopes, of cruel disappointment; dismal