Year: 1874

L
nearly all Of the farmers in this coun-
ty (Shawnee) have borrowed capital;
and those who happened to have
wheat sold it to pay off these debts,
or to pay Is, "a, or SO per cent. in.
terest. There is not less than hall


million dollars loaned BY the bankers
of Topeka at these ruinous rates.


Now, what are these people to do:
When Chicago burned, there were
thousands given TO the unfortunate
people Of that city. Lawrence, Kan
sas, burned twice, and was shout .,
well off, financially, after these dis
asters as it was before, but the people
Of Kansas, and especially the farmers
who have been visited by the drou,h,
chinch bugs, and grasshoppers, whe
have had one total failure and one
half crop in succession, and who are
oppressed by debt, and cant keep
the interest up at l6 per cent. with
bankers, Christian bankers, they are
all pious men) clutching at their
throats. say what are we going to
do? Some of the Eastern papers say
that there are hundreds of people in
the East who would be willing and
glad to help the destitute anywhere,
but the Governor said "there was no
cause for alarm" "the people Of the
eastern portion Of the State were
self supporting" Our sister State,
Nebraska, is receiving aid every day,
Railroads are carrying grain and pro-
visions to them free of charge, but
the people of Kansas do not need
help. The Governor said SO in his
message, and the Governor should
be truthful man, whether he is =
sober, honest man or not. Look how
the press of this State have treated
this matter. They have misrepre
Sc nted the true state Of affairs from
the beginning. The Kansas State
Record, in late issue, told the peo-
Pile Of the East, the splendid condi
tion of our people, and closed this
piece Of gratuitous information by
saying that any man who said other
wise was liar. Well, perhaps l am,
but there are hundred men in this
township who will testify to what !
have here stated. Why do the press
misrepresent the facts? For this rea-
son, they want immigration to this
great fertile State OF Kansas. They
do not want the people Of the East tc
know the true state of affairs. They
want money to come in here.


There is only one thing that can
see for the suffering TO do-sell their
little all for what they can get, unless
they borrow more money, to take
them through until they can raise a
crop. This only makes ruin surer in
the end, puts of the evil hour little
longer, but does not benefit them one
particle. 1t orly makes the matter
worse. Not one man have talked
with, who knows how to get through
the winter without coming out
ruined in the spring, with not enough
| grain to feed half . dozen chickens
say nothing about their teams, which
the farmer depends SO much upon
They nearly all have cattle they
might sell, If they could get anything
for them. Fat steers thrce-fourths
Of cent per pound, and can't be
sold even for that. The teams must
come out poor in the spring, and the
farmer will be unable to plant crop
and cultivate it; still the people OF
Kansas are prosperous and happy
% the Governor intimated. II the
farmers could get feed to carry their
teams through on, and had fair sue
cess another year, l believe we
would come out all right in the end.
Very truly yours, L. I. Y.


This letter goes, perhaps, to the
opposite extreme, and represents the
case as being worse than it really is,
especially his representation Of the
price Of fat cattle is wrong. Cattle
are low enough, but butchers pay II
to cents per pound, and shippers
have generally realized about $50
per head for Texas steers in good
condition. l.. T. Y. is also at fault
in saying that the legislature provid-
ed for the relief of certain counties.
The legislature did nothing Of the
kind. 1t authorized certain counties
to provide for their own relief by
voting an insignificant amount of
relief bonds by two-thirds vote.
This county was authorized to vote
two thousand dollars in bonds. But
as the people generally understood
that nothing less than ten thousand
would be adequate relief they voted
them down by common consent. l
believe the bonds we're voted down
in every instance, so that it is mis-
take to say that the legislature pro
vided for the relief of anybody.
With these qualifications | believe
that the statements Of l. T. Y. are
substantially true.


In order to get at the truth of our
situation, it is essential that you
should not forget the power and in
fiucnce OF the land spectators, who
ara determined thai our situation
shall not be understood. You must
not, say they, go begging to other
States, it will injure the country and
prevent immigration. Nearly every
body here is in some sense land
specula,or, as they expect to grow
rich by the rise in value Of their
lands. This sentiment governed the
legislature; it controls the local press
and shuts the mouths Of men who
are at the point Of starvation. |
shall, no doubt, incur the vengeance
of these men by publishing the truth
Of the matter, but | do not have their
fear before my eyes. My sympathies
are with the poor men, for the very
good reason that | am . poor man


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