Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-05-13

themselves right before the world by
acknowledging that they have been
wrong. In the Boston Advertiser, a
republican paper recently appeared the
following editorial:
The mortgage assignment law enact
ed at the last session of the late Kan
sas legislature, of which the essential
features were described in the Adver-
t1ser yesterday, appears to be just and
judicious. To be sure, it is the work
of populist legislature, but that fact
ought not to be taken as prima tacie
proof that everything which the legis-
lature does is fraudulent or foolish or
both. Some very unwise measures
we're certainly introduced last session,
and it may be that some of them were
enacted, though as to that our infor-
nation is incomplete. AS we have
criticised what we thought to be OBJ
jectionable features in the proceedings
at Topeka during the past winter, we
are all the more pleased now to COM
mend what seems to be praiseworthy.
The mortgage assignment law re-
Gently enacted protects mortgagors and
mortgages alike. There is nothing
unreasonable in the requirements that
all assignments, to be valid, now exist
ing, must be recorded in the Office of
the register of deeds of the proper
county on or before September 10 next.
The time is ample and the warning is
fair. The requirements that all assign
ments hereafter made ''must be ac-
knowledged and recorded within 90
days after making and must show the.
address of the assignee, to be valid, IS
plain, common sense and even handed
honesty.
Every man who is in debt has a
right to know who his creditors are.
Every man, more especially, whose
home and means of livelihood are liable
to be taken from him at the will of an
other, has right to know the name
and address of that other. 1t is in
credible that any honest creditor, to
say nothing of any humane one can,
object to such a requirement.
But it is really the mortgage rather
than the mortgagor who will be bene-
flied by this law. or. to be more exact,
the law will work chiefly in the interest
of legitimate investors. The man who
has the right to be secured by means
of mortgage on Kansas farm is the
man whose security will be strengthen
ed by this new assignment law. It will
no longer be possible for a rascally
mortgage to make an assignment, re-
receive pay from the assignee, then
foreclose, get the money from the
farmer, sign a release, have the mortg,
age cancelled and leave the man to
whom tile money belongs robbed and
helpless.
There has been good deal too much
of disposition here IN the east to take
it for granted that in all conceptions
between Kansas farmers and eastern
money lenders the farmers are at fault;
and that at any rate every act of the
Kansas legislature, especially il it be a
populist legislature, relating to mort
gage Indebtedness. is intended to swim
die the money lender. We are not de-
pying that some reprehensible legisla
tion has given color to these injurious
notions, but there is, to say the least,
much exaggeration. The farmers have
had reason for some of their complaints
as well as eastern money lenders fol
some of theirs. There is room fol
more fairness, calmness and willing
ness to hear reason on both sides.
And in general, it is proper to say
that if the east and the west knew each
other better, fewer people in the wes
would believe that the east is princi-
pally inhabited by Shylocks greedy fol
pounds of flesh; and fewer people il
the east would believe that large sec
tions of the west are controlled by wild
eyed fanatics who take for their motto
s.Property is robbery"
The. Atchison. Kansas. Champion,
also republican, commenting on the
Advertisers editorial, says:
The above from the Boston Adver
tiser is full of good sense which ough