People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1895 — WHO IS A FOOL? [ARTICLE]

WHO IS A FOOL?

IS ANY MAN FREE WHERE HIS BROTHERS ARE SLAVES? Farmer* and Laborer* Pay the Interest on All Public and Private Debts, and Their labor Is Mortgaged for the Principal. You say you are out of debt and own a house'? Yes. Well} bow many children hare you? Five. That makes seven in the family. What is your home worth? Oh, about $1,400. And you are a loyal patriotic American? Yes; I defended the flag in the rebellion. and the very sight of old glory thrills every drop of blood in my body. Oh, you are enthusiastic. Yes. sir; for my home anti country I am ready to lay down my life. Good; you are one of the kind of men who made this great nation the richest on the globe. Yes, I guess I have done my share and 1 am proud to be an American. Well, let's come back to the original subject. How did you get into debt? Who, me? Yes, vou. Why didn’t I tell you that I don't owe a dollar to any man on earth? Oh yes, you doi. What! Do you mean to insult me? There is my hotise free from debt and I’ve got money in the bank. Yes, but you said you were a loyal American* and you certainly are loyal to your state, county and communitv and believe that every individual should pay his debts. Certainly, but what has that to do with the case?

Oh, nothing, perhaps, but how pinch did vou make last year? Well, I made a living, and I've got enough money tn buy a new wag< i and a plow and some other things I need. Then how are you going to pay o T l!.v debts of you!’ family? Are you crazy? I want to say emphatically that 1 don't owe any debt > sod 1 don't thank any man for tryii. ' to make a fool of me. Friend, don’t get excited. Th >t won’t make the debt any easier to pa •. Don't you know that it would requi) a all the land in the United States io pay the debts of the people? Well; what in thunder has that to do with me? Oh, nothing, but do you know of any way of paying the debts without se.ling the land? Of course I do, it can be paid off wi :i the money that goes into the treasury as taxes. Don’t you know that instead of paying off debts the treasurer is borrowing more money? The debt of your family was increased sl4 by the last two bond issues of sso,oob.oiX>, and the treasurer is now prei aring thin's for another is>ue of fifty millions. That will make s2l increase of your debt t his year, and the bankers are demanding an issue of $500,000,000 worth more of bonds and that would increase the debt of your family S7O more.

The total indebtedness of the people of the United States 1b SSOO for each and every man woman and child in the nation —making your share $3,500 with a family of seven. Of course you do not owe this amount directly and you have never signed a mortgage on your own home. But you pay interest every year on the state, county and national debt—and through depreciation in prices you contribute of your lab >r and produce every year io pay interest on the private mortgage s of the country. Ultimately you must pay your share of the principal. There is uu getting aroun I it. Oh! you’re one of these darn Populist calamity how lers—l have no time to waste listening to a fool. I’ve got to go to town and pay my taxes and buy some tools I need on the farm. Yes; there he goes to buy more tools to raise more produce for Shylock.