The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-03-01

Iquainted personally with very dear
Iold couple and their plight.
We hear . lot these days about can.
ceiling debts or scaling down debts
due to the fact that the creditors'
money was made In the 1lesh Of
times and tho debtor should not be
expected 70 pay It On account Of the
returns he = getting now. Those Of
u who are now around the age Of 81
or 90 were small children then. We
recall the days . vague gray speck
would make its appearance down the
road moving slowly. Gradually It
would draw closer and We would
scapper into the house and announce
that THE gypsies were coming" Our
parents would assure Us that they
were "just people going west" THE
COVERED WAGON. They were the
people that paved for US the way that
made It possible for us to live In the
states in which We are now living.
The vision Of that covered wagon.
slowly winding its way up the hot
dusty road, on to IN unknown land,
has been on inspiration to me ever
since.
They cleared the land on the home
stead, fought cattle rustlers, wolves
and Indians, and after years Of untold
hardships succeeded
A later generation grew prosperous,
bought expensive cars, built beautiful
homes, had their radios and 80 on.
Some Of these people were still and
ARE STILL using the money Of these
| pioneers. They had that money to
use al during the "flush Of time, -
they bought cars and radios, but they
did not pay their debts. We use
| gang plows and tractors and gasoline
where they used oxen and horses, we
drive to town even now In mighty fine
looking cars where they drove the 20
Tor Is miles to the nearest station with
oxen and . lumber wagon. These
people. these pioneers to q very great
whom We are harrassing, making
them feel that they should either
cancel or scale down the debt, are to
|a very great extent the creditors. I
have not lived in North Dakota long
enough to understand the situation
but know this Is true Of Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, to . great extent
where whole communities are com.
|posed Of retired farmers. Do you, the
debtors Of today, with tractors and
cars and radios and every help that
|a generous government can give, fed
eral loans. seed loans (they did not
have seed loans then, farmers raised
their own seed and were happier for
IT'D DO you want to save your home at
the expense Of having theirs foreclosed.
I am not saying that you should per.
nit having your homes and farms
foreclosed when you simply cannot
pay your debt even II you wanted to.
AssUREDLY NOT. you should have
relief, by all means, but We are going
lat 1t as usual In the wrong way. We
are able in our state to raise money
for other things $4,000, 900 for . beau-
tiful capitol building Of which our
state should be truly proud. Why
can't We raise the money by the same
method and loan It to farm and home
owners to save their own farms and
homes? I am not talking Of finance
corporations and land owners, I am
not familiar with their circumstances.
This Is q plea In behalf Of the men
and women Of the covered wagon.
They are making their last stand.
They have lost the money In the bank.
that railroad bond. Now II they are
to lose the mortgage what weapons
will they have with which to fight old
age. sickness, death, which Is over
taking them?
We listen to . speech that Is made
over the radio, and people are critized
for not lending their money. They
are told they are not patriotic. The
next day we listen to another speech
and people are critized for wanting
to collect an honest debt. Let's not
be preposterous. Certainly we cannot
expect that people who have denied
themselves all their lives to lay aside
enough money to sustain them in
their old age are going to loan it.
knowing that In q few years the debt
ors will send representatives to the
| seat Of government with request that
they are to see that the debts are
cancelled. We can understand why
our credit Is destroyed and It will be
utterly and entirely destroyed II we
don't look out. To destroy credit acts
like . dose Of opium, 1t gives relief for
q while to the debtor. only to find
that we become addicts and it de-
stroys US In the end Our young peo-
pie some day will want to start out on
q quarter section Of their own, they
will want to build home OF their
own. They won't be able to do 20 II
We are going to destroy the credit OF
the world and II they have no way OF
borrowing the money.
This Is . plea. however, for the men
and women Of the covered wagon.
Let's give them thought.
r. +. MOWRY.
At this time even our European
debtors are coming to the conclusion
that debt cancellation does not pay.
The latest Is to effect that the newest
program includes payments Of debt4
not cancellation. This 1t adds. would
inspire. the confidence and trust
the world needs. People and nations
could again borrow and loan and
there would be . return to normal
|couditious. Il We win stop and think.
We viii al come TO that conclusion.
AN INDEPENDENT VIEW
Bismarck, N. OAK.
Feb. II, 1888.
Editor, Tribune:
To begin with, ! should Ike to
make it plain that I have no per-
sonal interest In any merchandising
establishment, "chain" store or other
wise.
When I arrived In Bismarck nearly
six years ago the first thing no.
ticed, after the high rental rates.
was the exorbitant cost Of foodstuffs
and other merchandise. Even In the