The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-03-04

and 57.f12 Town and City Lots Were Sold
Under Mortgage AND NOT REDEEMED.
You can tell pre- cisely, by the aid Of
the state statistics, just how many
bushels of corn, oats, wheat potatoes,
buckwheat, grapes and apples, we're
raised every year in Minnesota for the
last twenty years; but if you ask how
much was the Indebtedness Of the
people; or how many homes were
mortgaged Or free; or how many have
been reduced from yeomenry to ten
ants, you can only obtain these facts
from the United States census, or by
d personal examination of the Regis
tiers Of Deeds books A game of sup
preston has been persistently played
on the people of Minnesota.
Hence we are under many obliga-
tions to our excellent friend, Mr.. d. O..
Gates. for very important letter
bearing ON these questions. Mr.. Gates
is one of the best known and most
highly esteemed citizens Of Dodge
county. He was for years Register of
DEEDS OF that county.
Here is his letter:
Editor Representative:
The people of Minnesota have been
much interested In mortgage fore
closures and redemptions. They have
sought to find the whole truth Of the
matter. Yet they are much confused
and deceived as to the true facts.
The. old-party papers have concealed
the truth in this matter as in every
other matter relating to the financial
condition Of the people. Certain is
olated facts and data have been given
with the design to mislead and de-
ceive; instance the selection Of Ger
tain old counties in the state and
parading before the people the facts of
great decrease Of mortgage forclos ures
| therein in certain years, while ignor-
ing every other part of the state and
all facts and data which would fully
and clearly enlighten the people upon
that subject. Now the people want
to know the t: nth, and nothing but
the truth will satisfy them. With
the view of satisfying that public de-
sire, l have compiled, from reliable
sources, "a table which exhibits in con
densed form all Uf the most impor-
tant points relating to mortgage fore
closures and redemptions in the state
| of Minnesota for a period of II years
commencing with 1880 and closing
with 1893 inclusively. The figures are
| indisputable and reliable. | am re-
sponsible only for the manner OF ar
| rangement. Here is the table. scan
| it closely; there is much in little.
A table showing the number of fore
| closures and redemptions, the
| amounts Of foreclosures and redemp-
tions and the number OF acres and
| lots involved, in the state Of Mime
sofa. for the years 1880 to 1889 in
| clusively and an additional table for
| 1890 to 1893.
IS So 81 A%Ssnt As:ss 9 bGts
Reservations. PIP 2.ssl9So 2s3.s5e s.24s
| 1880 to 1889, 10 years, per cent of redemp-
tions, 14A.
| No; Amount Acres Lots
Rsdemptions. iss5 ssssSss 1Ss ss -
Unredeemed, 1858 2o,3a5,97o $3.50 3O,o9e
| 1870 to 1871, four years, per cent Of redemp-
ttons, 10.
NJ .5ssSs 1 Af5ss 5 5si'
EEsds%dpt1S1s s ssS s 55ss5 !s
1895, one year, per cent of redemption, .05
| Elk planation-The amounts given in re.
demptlOns are just the amounts for which
they were foreclosed and do not inc Jude the
| costs and interest after foreclosure.
| Note:-the amount involved in the
four year period was greater by &c.
O,479, than in the ten year period!
| Note:-in 1893 the amount involved
| lacked but 81. 24l $40 of being one-half
as great as the entire period Of ten
years! Note:-while there were in 1898,
| 4,l79 foreclosures the people were a bic
to make but 249 redemptions. Note
how comparatively small the redemp
tions have been all along and the
frightful decrease in the last year
| given (lS93). Note the large mum ber
Of acres and village and city lots that
| were lost to the owners in 1893 Surely
the worshipers of the Golden Calf are
| getting in their fine work. They ire
sowing the seed of ruin and complete
destruction OF all that is valuable TIC
people. While the people are blindly
and stubbornly aiding their own de.
| stroyers. 1t needs no prophetic vision
to foreshadow what shall the final har.
| vest be. ID. q. GATES.
Mantorville, MINI.
| This is an appalling exhibit.
| A number of farms, nearly equal
to one-third of our whole number OF
| farmers in the state, has been quietly
removed, in thirteen years, from the
hands Of the owners, in many cases
the original settlers, and conce ntrated
ia the hands of money-lenders, who
did not proba bly, pay one-third Of the
value OF the land and the cost Of the
improvements.
The advertisement of these fore
closures has kept alive an innumer
able horde of old-party newspapers
which, like the vampires Of the
tropics, famed the victims to sleep
while their allies were sucking Out
their life's blood.
Both the old parties were silent a.
the grave while this deadly work wa!
going on. Not a whisper escaped
them. Not an attempt was made tt
relieve the sufferers. Those wht
| CT rnur1oI 4ho