Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1893 — TOPICS OF THESE TIMES. [ARTICLE]

TOPICS OF THESE TIMES.

FA KM MORTGAGES ? The American farm mortgage is an institution, generally regarded as discreditable, but nevertheless apparently' a permanent imcumbrance upon the general prosperity i of the most deserving class of American citizens. Political agitators have for years made this condition of our farmers a stock argument to demonstrate that the world is out of joint, and this- tendency to make a bad matter worse has led the general public to a conclusion at variance with the actual facts. The impression is wide spread that a large majority of the farms of the United States are heavily incumbered. Nothing could be further from the truth. Recent exhaustive reviews of statistical information have demonstrated that three-quarters of the farms of the United States are owned free from incumbrance of any kind; and the average mortgage upon the remaining one-fourth does not represent more than the actual value of the land and improvements. The total amount of farm mortgages in the whole country is barely onetenth of the total value of all our farms. In 1880 the total mortgage indebtedness' on farms was estimated at $525,000,000, and ten years later was about $875,000,000. During these ten years at least 600,000 new farms were opened in the West and South. Providing that onehalf of these were mortgaged, the fact would readily account for the increase of mortgage indebtedness for the decade. The figures of the last census are not complete, but enough is known to justify the statement that American agriculture is not in the ruinous condition financially that has been generally supposed.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS. The English House of Lords seems to bo on a par with the American Senate in the minds of a large num- ( bcr of people. Both bodies are relics of an aristocracy that time will surely eliminate—or greatly change—from the organization of a government for free and enlightened people. Already the sentiment in England (or the absolute abolition or radical reconstruction of the House of Lords has gained great headway, and the most influential journals of the United Kingdom are casting about for acceptable measures that will save the Peers and satisfy the people. The English Radicals are a unit for the abolition of the House of Lords -so far as it consists of hereditary legislators or of their representatives. The .tendency of events seems to favor home rule for England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with legislatures in these countries to settle all local matters,' that shall elect members of the Upper House in proportion to their population. This is substantially ; similar to our own Federal system, and would undoubtedly be a vast improvement over existing conditions in John Bull’s islands.

THE GERMAN REICHSTAG. Emperor William opened the Reichstag at Berlin, on the 16th, in person, with the usual, etiquette and ceremony. The Emperor, in his address, expressed gratification that his confidence in the special session last July to give to the German army the development needed in the interest of the empire’s security had not been misplaced. He spoke at length of the financial needs of the government, very much after the style of a President’s message, and stated that settlement between the individual States and the general government cannot longer be postponed. Evidently the Exchequer of bis 'Majesty is in urgent need of ready cash. His expressed wish for the earnest co-operation of the legislative body reads well, but past experience shows that when read between the (ines his address means that a positive command has been given from the throne that the Enrperor’s wishes must be carried out or there will be trouble for those responsible for the failure. The Kaiser states that the Empire is at peace with the world, and that the friendship of the allied powers continues unimpaired. This passage in the address relating to foreign affairs was received with generous applause. The Emperor concluded with the remark that he “cherished the confident hope that, with God’s help, the blessing of peace would •till continue to be preserved to the empire." Chancellor von Caprivi then declared the session of the Reichstag opened. There were but one hundred and fifty members present ' AMERICA'S VASTNESS. Few people realize the vast extent, of territory embraced within the United States—still less the un known wilds of the frigid North.

That there may be still unexplored riversand fertile valleys, inaccessible mountains and inland lakes of great extent within pur boundaries is apossibility that few have/of late years considered. Seemingly the surveys of the great transcontinental railways would have left little to be conjectured in this respect, and the average man wbuld have scarcely dreamed that it was a possibility for a well equipped and well manned hunting party to be lost at the beginning of November because of a comparatively light snowfall. A number of men, known as the Carlin party, have been lost for several weeks in the wilderness on the middle fork of the Clearwater in MonDispatches from Fort Missoula on the 22d state that no effort will be spared to reach the hunters, but that relief is deemed impossible for weeks to come, until a heavier snow and a hardened crust render snow shoes available. Several attempts have been made to get into the country where the party was last heard from, but so far all attempts have failed, and so dangerous was the undertaking that one relief party had to be itself rescued by a second force, All who went over the summit and into the valley had such a hard time on account of storms and snow that their lives were endangered, all their animals were lost, and they barely escaped with their lives.