The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1897-05-28
Dguer $ interest," oeihreunsidered2@'
NO" said John. Il never did"


tnruer inyeresV beihreunsidered2@'
no" 4" said John. II never did"
No" replied the other. ''and yon
never win. We are not in a position to
be Of use to the politicians, and they
cannot LOOK to us for financial assist
ance. therefore we are not worthy of.
their consideration. The manufac--
turers, tie railroad companies, the ship
owners and ell other rich corporations
must have millions Of dollars il subsi--
dies t3 enable them to amass their mill
lions more surely and more rapidly.
But did congress ever dream OF making
al appropriation to aid the POOR west.
ern farmers in their struggles against.
every imaginable obstacle? No. indeed.
They are left to FIGHT It ont alone ana,
unprotected. They are left to the mercy
Of drouths pests and grasping money
lenders. AHi yet the farmers are the,
salt OF the earth. Without arrogating,
anything to ourselves, we can claim
that we are as Necessary to the world
as the best OF TN giant corporations.
We produce the fcr7 of the world. we.
improve end beau 4 the land, we add.
TO the coult-Y's wealth, and yet we are
not foatercd Or protected. If we fail to
produce food to feed our wives and chill
dren they mus5suiIer the pang5 of hun
ger. If we are without money aud COM
PEELED to borrow It, we are placed at
the tender mercies Of such men as this
Mills. No, congress nor our state Leg
stature have any money to appropri--
ate for the fostering Of our interests.
nor time to devote to the making of
laws to protect US from money sharbs.''
That's too true" said Green, ''too,
true, indeed. Yet we have no power to.
remedy it,"
mo, not so long as money rules the,
land-not so long as men can buy their
way into office. Yet an effort ought tc.
be made to effect change, for as it is
we are drifting into state of serf.
dom, and in a few short years these,
western farms viii belong to land
corporations, and we win be the
tenants Ninety per cent. of the.
farms in this section are mortgaged,
and ninety per cent. of those mortgages
win never be paid, but will run on
until the high interest devours the
farms"
There is not much hope of the
people in this section ever being able
to redeem their FARMS" John re-
marked, $50 long as they have crop.
failures three years out of four"
mo, nor there is not much hope for-
those farmers who are more fortunately
situated, since in the best and most IA
vored parts Of the land the small farmer
is barely able to live. His products fetch
him beggarly prices and the little he
has to sell only sufices to pay his taxes
and his store-bills. As for us, well, we
are satisfied, and feel ourselves fortu-
nate if, by mortgaging everything we
possess except our souls, we are able TO
raise enough money to keep breath in
our bodies for few weeks or few
months longer
At this point in the conversation the
door connecting the two rooms opened,
and an old man with white hair and.
withered form shook and the tears were
running down his wrinSled checks. He
stopped on the Threshold and made as
though he would reenter the private
office, but Mills had becl1oned the next
victim in and closed and bolted the door.
For a moment the old man stood
hesitatingly, then in weak, faltering
voice he cried:
''Thc last hope is gone, and the worst
has come to the worst. There is
nothing left to me but starvation. OH
my God, my God, why hast Thou for,
sakcn us?"
AS the old man ceased speaking he
tottered to a seat, and dropping into
it allowed his chin to fall upon his
breast and in this listless attitude re-
mained long time, while great tear.