The Louisiana populist., 1895-04-12
STARTLING FIGURES.
THE GROWTH OF LANDLORDISM
ILLUSTRATED.
Out OF 1e,690,15: Families In the United
States e,25o.ooO of Them Occupy Mort
gagged Homes. s,a5O,OOO are Tenants,
Leaving 2,I90,15 Home Owners

Final and complete statistics o
farms. homes and mortgages ha.
been issued from the census Office and
the figures offer an inviting field for
study.
The report contains many striking
illustrations and the growth of land.
lOrdism is one OF the most vividly
evident facts brought out.
1t is not in Que portion OF the coun.
try only. but east and west, north and
south alike bear the sane testimony,
of tendency toward European con-
ditions.
A few figures taken at random illus
trate the situation:
In Rhode Island not quite 20 per
cent of the farms were occupied by
tenants in 1880. while in 1890 over
20 per cent were so occupied.
In Vermont during the same period
the increase is from Is per cent to IL
per cent, while in Massachusetts in
1880 S.lS per cent of farms were oc-
cupied by tenants, in 1890 over Is
per cent.
In the south, land mortgages are
not so common as in the west, and the
bulk OF debt is represented by crop
liens, as cotton is more rapidly turned
into money. The per cent of tenant
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 81 per
cent to Al per cent.
AS a fair index of the west: In
Minnesota in 1880, 9 per cent of the
farms were hired and in 1890, Is per
cent, while over 80 per cent of the
farms are mortgaged, making 81 per
cent that are virtually tenants, as the
occupant of mortgaged home pays
interest to the mortgage amounting
to a rent, not unfrequently greater
than the tenant neighbor who makes
no pretense of ownership.
The mortgage statistics present a
situation that cannot but be viewed
with alarm.
In the state of Kansas OF the num-
ber of mortgages in force in 1890 was
29S, $3.50 aggregating the amount of
s243, 600, 900, and proving per cap
ita debt Of $40 or an average OF $3.50
for each family. We have reason to
believe that conditions since 1880
have improved in Kansas while be-
coming worse in other localities.
In Iowa the mortgage Indebtedness
amounted to Sl99, being q
per capita debt OF S104.
In Illinois the per capita mortgage
debt is 800 or $500 for each family.
These figures illustrate the situa-
tion in the ccnter of the great agri-
cultural regions of the west.
The aggregate for the United States,
June /, 1890, shows that there were
1900, 152 families; of these 2,25O, 900
occupied mortgaged homes and farms,
while 8, 100000 were tenants occupy
ing hired homes. leaving the number
of 2,190, l52 occupying their own
homes free from circumference.
The average amount OF indebted
ness on each mortgage is $1257 and
tho average interest on each one is
$3.50 annually.
Figuring together those who are in
mortgaged homes paying interest. and
tenants paying rent, We have a total
of 81 per cent OF the families who are
virtually tenants. while only 16 per
cent of our people are free homo own
ers.
The mortgage indebtedness amount
ed in the aggregate to almost three
billion of dollars, or little over $44
each for every man, woman and child
in the United States.
II is useless to go farther with tho
figures; what we have given is a fair
illustration Of the whole report.
Is it not humiliating that such con-
ditions exist? A mortgage indebted
ness of double the actual amount OF
money in the country, even though
we accept as true the treasury re-
ports OF circulation which make no
allowance for losses or any other
cause by which the amount in actual
circulation falls far below the reports.
The increase in landlordism pre-
sents a dark future for country that
for century has boasted its liberty.
its free homes and free institutions.
1t portrays plainly the trend OF events
which will result in land OF slaves,
the most pitiable the world has ever
known. for In our history will linger
the glittering promises of freedom,
and in the crushed and broken body
OF once hopeful, buoyant nationality
will remain slumberiug spark OF the
spirit of liberty. subdued. conquered
and repressed.
A nation OF crushed and bleeding
hearts. OF lost and buried hopes, of
cruel disappointment; dismal despair.
Express.
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