Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-11-22

the benefciariee under insurance
policies should not be robbed by the
payment Of those policies in a fat
money, etc. Il is not because we
cannot pay you in fifty cent dollars,
but because you cannot afford 10 be
paid with them. We again heard
the same cry Of the imperialists dur
ing the present year. It is not that
we want TO govern other people, in
ferior races, they insisted to us. but
because they will be better of for
being governed. Abraham Lincoln
said that those arguments bad been
the arguments, through all history,
OF those who favored Kingcraft and
so have these arguments, through
all history, been the arguments of
those who would seek to govern not
through the ordinary functions Of
government but by virtue Of the
control of the money and the debtor
class. Did any Of these arguments
cause us to repudiate the s per cent
interest law, the unlimited coinage
of silver, or the tendencies towards
Imperialism, and will they now pre-
vent us from favorlng a law which
would help the debtor without work.
ing injustice to the creditorf
Again. Mr.. Editor, / would ask
why it is that you. the editor Of q
Democratic newspaper in Audrain
county, should ask the representa-
tive of that county to oppose a
measure which the voters had with
in the last ten days. by an over
whelming majority, declared them
selves to be in favor Oft Do you
not recall that this amendment
not only carried throughout the
entire state, but in our own county
it carried in every precinct except
one; to borrow the language of your
own editorial "this ammendment
went through with a whoop".
Would you have me. as a repre-
sentative Of this county, cast aside
this decision of the people of Aud
rain and record my vote against a
measure so beneficial to the masses,
merely to crafty a few gentlemen
in the money lending business? Do
you wish such, because, as you say,
the voters misconcelved the lswl
II 90 / cannot agree with you. lam
not prepared TO say that the people
CT this county are a set Of igDoram-
uses, unacquainted with the amend
ment and knew not for what
they were voting. believe that
the amendment wRs understood
and that the citizens of Audrain de-
sired it, and as their public servant
l propose TO do my duty as such,
and, II the opportunity prevents IT.
self, cast my vote in favor Of II.
What, MIR. Editor, could be more
equitable than this amendment
For illustration, suppose. A has q
farm worth $40, 10000 and B has a
mortgage upon it for $1,000. 90, is
1t not but fair and right that A
should be taxed only on one-half of
the farm and B on the other halfi
But you cay that il this is to be the
law then eastern capital will be
withdrawn, and in the same sen
tence tell US that the eastern capital
ist will raise his rate OF interest, two
propositions Numerically opposed
to each other. IL the eastern ctpi.
talist withdr4ws his money then
certainly the eastern money will not
be here to loan at any rate. But
for the sake of argument let us ex-
anime both prophecies, for that is
all they are. Again l reiterate,
how often have you heard urged
these same reasons of the money
lending classl As stated above, in
1889, they told us that if the legal
rate of interest was reduced to 8
per cent II trould drive eastern capt.
tai from oar state, that capitalists
would not loan their money, mort
cages would be foreclosed and the
debtors burdens increased; that if
the then present rate continued in
terest would adjust itself and drop
to z and 8 per cent. Did this deter
the legislators from their duty9 No,
the rate of interest was reduced,
yet eastern capital remained, mort
cages were not foreclosed as pre-
dicted and the burdens Of the debt.
or instead Of being increased were
considerably lessened. Again In
1895 we were warned not to sup
port bimetallism; that IL toOuld
driue money out Of The country, CAPT
ialists would hoard and not lend
their money, interest would in
crease, mortgages be foreclosed and
again the debtor class injured by
increased burdens. Did this deter
the people Of Missouri from voting
for bimetallisml Think not. Was
not this argument again used in the
last campaign. when we told
that the election Of w. j. Bryan
would throw the country into a
by reason Of capitalists Nth
drutC5ag their money etci
Did this prevent Democrats Of
county from casting their votes
for that peerless tribune OF the peo-
plei I am sure not. Is not this
same argument being used today by
those who oppose the passage Of the
8 per cent interest law, yet would
you have me oppose that law, which
| now 70 heartily endorsed Capital, I
Mr.. Editor, will not lie idle ; it will
over seek investment, and Missouri
just now seems to be a most profit
a5le field. Look around Us and OBJ {
'erve how many states there are,
ior example 1exss, wherein there is J
10 limit to the interest rate, yet {
eastern capital stops here st 5 and 6
per cent in preference 10 going there !
Il a higher rate. 10 reading your
editorial II would almost seem AZ q
.hough some e~asterner had inspired !
{. 1t deprecatss even the thought a
u losing o dollar Of ~'seastern" K
Did you ever reflect upon
he question a. to the good eastern
in the form Of loans. does to d
bis county OF stated For illustra- a
loo, A living in New York loans 20 1,
/ In this cnnnir e. IN - $1,000