The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-07
cH1oAeo rR1RuNE,s VIEW.
(From the Chicago Tribune. }

NtrOm the CnlcaSO 1TlDuue.J
j. w. Breidenthal, Populist, who is
bank commissioner of Kansas under the
present PopuIist state government and
who year ago was a wild eyed calami-
ty howler. announces that
kansas is today the most prosper
Gus state in the Union There will be
40, 600 hOmesteadS cleared of mortgages
this fall Think of what that means.
The mortgages will average 81, 900 each,
which means the expenditure of 40 mill
lion dollars. 1t means also that this
state is becoming commonwealth of
homes
Mr.. Breidentha1 has had much to say
in the past about he"mortgage sharks
and the "bloated, money lending capi-
taliStS.'
Kansas and the rest of the country.
Perhaps he is able to see now how
much those objects of his abuse: have
done toward making Kansas a i'com-
mOnweaIth of homes
The money represented by the 40, 900
mortgages to be paid off this year was
borrowed mostly for the purpose of ac-
quiring homes. If the savings banks
deposits of eastern workingmen, clerks
and school teachers had not been loan
ed to the men who wanted to establish
homes on the prairies of Kansas, the
establishment of most of those homes
would have been delayed Indefinitely.
If the 40,0 900 farmers Breidenthal speaks
of had been unable to borrow capital
and had had to wait till they had saved
up capital, few of them would have had
Kansas homes of their own today.
In many instances those who borrow
ed on mortgages have found it harder
than they expected to make repayment
Bad seasons, poor crops, and prices low
er than they had reckoned on have
made it difficult for them to do more
than keep up the interest on their loans.
But they have pulled through at last
and they have their homes-homes they
would not have had, in most cases, if
they had not been able to borrow capi-
tai on reasonable terms.
These 40, 900 Kansas farmers will have
the satisfaction of paying off the in
cumbrances on their homes. They will
also have the satisfaction of knowing
that they do so honeStly-that they pay
back to the wage earnerS whose capital
they have had the use of money as
good as that they borrowed of them.
During the last few years many of
those farmers must have felt it would
be a great relief if they could pay their
mortgages, interest and principal in so
cent dollars.
But now that they are out of the
woods it must please them to feel that
they did not have an opportunity to be
dishonest. They can feel that they are
honestly out of debt.
Mr.. Breidenthal says further that
Never in the history of Kansas has
there been as much money with which
to pay debts as we find in the state to-
day.
THE state has struck Wonderful
piece of luck. Conditions brought good
wheat crop; the prices advanced; cattle
are plenty and command a good price.
These conditions found Kansas in a
good position to profit immensely there
by, and we are doing it.
There never has been a time in the
history of tine state when the farmers
have not raised enough to live on. Now
comes this magnificent year, with i'm
mense crops and high prices, and it is
little wonder they are making the best
of it. The people are making an earn
est effort to get out of debt, and when
they succeed in doing this the Kansas
farmer will be the most independent
person on earth, because he knows
enough to keep out of debt when once
he gets started in the right direction.
This means that the days of Populism
in Kansas are numbered. When men
get out of debt they cease to be Popu-
lists.
When they have paid off their mort
cages and have a little money in bank
they cease to be free silverites. This
years good crops are to be the redemp-
ton of Kansas.