The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1897-02-02
THE MORTGAGE.
To the ARDsIoREITE:

1t is really amusing to hear the
different opinions as to when good
times will set in. some say when
Mckinley is inaugurated, conf
denee will be restored and money
will circulate freely. Others (and
the more sagacious ones, we think
predicate their hopes of better
times on big crop. There are
still others who are unwilling to-
accept either of the foregoing con
ditions and say that good times
will only come from the opening
of mines, building railroads, fac
tories. etc. In our Judgment they
will never come to the common
people from either one or COM
bimation while the present business
methods are in vogue.
We refer to the credit mortgage
system. 1t is the greatest blight
upon the prosperity of people
imaginable. 1t is worse than
dlouths or floods. 1t makes de-
pendent pigmas out of what ought
to be independent men. More
than that. it Is the great incubator
for criminals. 1t bluntS the finest
instinct of our nature, and men
grow into cxtortioners and robbers
by degrees. unawares.
Let us see how it works: y
man gives his note for 500 and a
mortgage on some species of prop
erty of value and with a proSpec-
tive value. buys one dollars worth.
confirms or binds the trade. He Is
not bound to take up the one hun
dred dollars we admit, but at the
prices doubled, tripled, yea quad
rupled. it buys but very little. not
half value is realized for it. yet it
stands the farmer, honest farmer,
just that amount, when he looks
over his memorandum and sees
that he has paid fifty cents on
each dollar for the privilege Of
mOrtgaging four dollars worth of
property to secure one. there Is no
reason for surprise at the diScon-
tent and unrest prevalent among
the people. 1t Is hard even to
make living for a family in this
day and time and an impoSSibility
to do SO and work one day for the
merchant and one day for the fam
lily.
Drouths, political parties nor
nothing of the kind have brought
about this depression and wide
spread suffering, it Is the mort
gage. 1t was not 50 bainful in its
effects at first. but like the habit
of narcotics and whisky, it has
grown until nine-tenths of the pco-
pie are its victims. The farmers
in the South and the territory are
in the last ditch, and If the
Almighty should sond rain album
dant, interSperSed with showers of
guiana, he can never rise until he
pays the mortgage. When the adj
dicted opium eater or the sot
reaches the end, the last extremity
is the Keely cure, and when the
farmer sees that the mortgage has
for its inevitable results the Serf-
dom of himself and his children,
he should face about and take the
cash cure.
The credit system has been a
blessing to the people when con-
Quoted on a basis of equity. There
ought, and certainly will be, some
legislation to restrain men in tax
ing advantage of the necessity of
the poor, and turning their labor
into their Golfers without reward.
Twenty five per cent of the men in
Texas and the Indian territory, in-
stead of trying to farm should be
working for wages, and their
wives and daughters instead of
chopping and picking cotton
should be employed in raising
poultry of all kinds and making