The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-03-12
Avoid the Mortgage.
A Mortgage Means Financial
Death to theFarmer or Busi-
ness Man Who Will Give it
Year in and Year Out-The
System is Bad Not Only for
the Farmer but for the Mer-
chant as Well--The Mortgage
Maker Not Independent.
National Co-operator and Farm Journal.

National Co-operator and Farm journal.
No farmer can be the free and in
dependent American citizen he should
be and give mortgage on his crop
from year to year. A mortgage
means financial death to any. one
who will give it. CO-OperatOr editor
is glad to know that now there is a
general awakening, all over the
country, on the subject OF mortgages:
Fifteen years ago in the town OF
Mineola, when CO-OperatOr editor
first began this fight, he stood
almost alone, and it was very I'M
popular then indeed. Today the
fight against the mortgage and cred
it system is one of the basic prin-
ciples of the Farmers Union, the
greatest farmers organization this
world has ever seen. When we first
began the fight, the merchants OF
our little city were very bitter against
us. believing that we were trying to
iniure their business, and to really
run.them out of business. But finally
got converted to the doctrine and
became as great supporters OF the
doctrine as we were.
The fight against mortgages is
not a fight against merchants or
any other legitimate business. This
is a fight not only for the farmer,
but for all other legitimate business
enterprises. The system is bad not
only for the farmer, but for the mer-
chant as we'll. With all the caution
merchants can take, fully 50 per
cent. of them fail sooner or later.
This proves beyond any doubt what
ever that the system is bad for them
as we'll as for the farmer. 1t is fl
| nancial death to the farmer all the
time and is financial death to the
merchant sooner or later. The
| farmer, now, being a business man,
or should be, should simply refuse
| longer to practice Il system which he
knows means his financial death, "A
system which literally makes slaves
! of himself, his wife and his babies.
The system also being bad for the
merchant, meaning ultimately his fl
nancial death, the merchant should
oppose the system and do all in his
power to do away with it, and he
will do so when he properly under
stands it.
We should simply refuse to give a
mortgage The merchant many
times is forced to exact mortgage
if he sells on time. 1.-The sells on credit,
he must likely buy on credit. and
the man from whom he buys will not
sell him unless he eNacts mortgages
from those to whom he extends
credit. Thus you, see it is not the
fault of the system under which we
have lived for so many long, weary
! years.
There is no way to be financially
independents but to stay clear o.
mortgages, i've at home, stay out o.
debt, and thus be able to control the
price of our products. We will make
but poor Roadway in controlling
prices if we do not own the products
for pay day must come some day
and the products placed upon the
market will always break prices.
This, now, is an individual matter
Let us begin at the home, the very
base of civilization, and bring about
this reform, thus making the farmer
what, indeed, he should be, the mos
prosperous and independent man or
on the face of the earth.