The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-12-15
ANOTHER USURER ON
HIS EAR
CHAMPION OF THE TEN PER
CENTS, CHARGES EDITOR OF
THE PRODUCERS NEWS-IS
SARCASTIC ABOUT '"HONEST
FARMERS"

The following letter came along in
our mail few days ago, from man
who is probably charter member of
the Usurers' Union. This champion
of the ten per centers charges his
imagined enemy like the knight errant
of old, or as Don Quixote charged the
wind mill, and wakes extremely sar-
castle about the Honest Farmers"
A person would think after listen
ing to the tale of woe of the money
lender that he was actually produc-
ing, useful member Of society, instead
of barnacle on society. His side of
any argument is so wonderfully lib
eral and benevolent: the farmer is
to blame for ever borrowing his twelve
per cent bonus commodity in the first
place, giving blamed good security for
the use of the thing that in most in
stances he would have been thous-
and times better off If he had avoided
as he would rattle snake. The farm
er when he borrowed money, usually
did it as business proposition, to
use in the process of actual, useful
production. The farmer gave the
usurer mortgage on cattle, crops,
machinery and farm. The farmer then
plowed, planted, and toiled but did
not reap. He lost everything. He
gave what few cents there was left
to Mr.. Usurer He lost the labor of
himself, his wife, his children. His
children went that winter to school,
half fed and thinly clad. After re-
newing the note, adding the due inter-
est to the principal, and giving an
other mortgage on the crop, he again
plowed, sowed and toiled, but did not
reap anything of consequence. Mr..
Usurer again stepped in and took the
bread from the mouths Of hungry
children, and sent the babies of his
fellow man hungry and freezing to
school, in order that he might take
the last cent as the toll for his sacred
money. Another year, and the long
hoped-for big crop comes, but the
prices drop down to go cents per
bushel. Mr.. Usurer is right at the
threshing machine to collect his
money and his interest Mr.. Farmer
begs for time: he wants to hold his
crop for higher prices-nothing doing,
it must be sold for nothing, in order
that Mr.. Usurer can get his, for If
he does not get it right then, Mr..
Farmer may get away with little of
it to buy shoes and stockings for his
suffering children, and a suit of I'M
derwear for his wife and Mr.. Usurer
thinks. that would be dishonest. Dur
ing all of the above time, the farmer
has lost his time and the time and
work and misery of his family: he has
lost his equity in his homestead: he
is ruined and discouraged and Mr.
Usurer steps in and takes the farm
for a modicum of it's value and the
farmer with his children is a beggar
on the highways. Any suggestion
that ten per cent business is a crime,
is resented by Mr.. Usurer, and any
idea that it might be we'll for him to
take little loss of his sacred capital
along with Mr.. Farmer, is treason and
red revolution. Everything is alright |
as long as he collects, but Mr.. Usurer,
you have killed the goose that lays the
golden egg, and you will find that in
time, along with the men you have ex-
plotted, and by the process that has
ruined the farmer you too will go !
down the highway a beggar, and then
perhaps you will get sane, christian
poln of ciew in regard to what would
be fair and equitable division of loss
in time the same thing will hit you
that has hit the farmer and hit you
N exactly the same place.
THE LETTER
Westby, Mont. |
November rs, 1922. |