A FEW REASONS BY BETSY.
THE Republicans swept the platter. They elected every officer from
township clerk down, and the sheriff has sent Jobe a notice to appear
before the Common Pleas Court and show cause why he should not be
foreclosed.
Jobe feels good over the election, but bad over the notice.
Now I think there are a good many reasons why we shouldent be
foreclosed, and more reasons why we hadent ort to be. Its not our fault
that we have to be.
First. We shouldent be because Jobe has voted the strait Republican
ticket, rain or shine, for nigh onto thirty-five years. In this he has
done his dooty—as he seen it.
Second. We have paid our taxes every year without ceasin, not even
complainin when the law-makers drawed two years’ pay for one year’s
work, nor when new officers were added and old ones given more wages. In
this we done more than our dooty.
Third. We have given all we raised to Congressman Richer for interest,
not even keepin enough out to take a trip to Urope or to buy me a new
spring bonnet. In this we done all our health and opportunity enabled us
to do.
Fourth. We have indorsed everything the polerticians and office-seekers
done or said durin our united lives, even havin to change our minds as
often as twice a year to do so. In this we have been foolish.
Fifth. When John Sherman was a burnin up that $623,428,000 of greenback
money and givin the rich men of New York and Urope mortgages on our
property to git the money to burn, I agreed it was fine sport, jist to
please Jobe, and when Jobe said the national debt John was makin was a
national blessin, I nodded my head to it, though I was a Dimicrat. I
nodded to keep peace in the family.
I am now payin for them nods, payin for them in fifty-cent wheat and
high interest.
Sixth. We have taken good care of the farm, and have jist as many acres
as when we bought it from Mr. Richer and give him a mortgage for the
balance due. We have paid him $1,700 of the purchase price and all we
raised besides, and I think he ort to wait till land increases in price
before foreclosin us.
We sent him down to Congress to make laws for us, and it was his dooty
to make sich laws as would make it easier for Jobe and his likes to git
a home and git it paid for. He dident do it. In this he dident do his
dooty.
Now, suppose Mr. Richer, as our Congressman, had introduced a bill, and
got it made into a law somethin like my dream was. He would have been
sent back to Congress and a been a drawin $5,000 a year salary and
disposin of post-offices and sich at payin prices, and wouldent need the
money still due on the mortgage, or if he did need it to help him out on
his real estate deals, under that new bill Jobe could borrow the money
of the county at two per cent. and pay it, and besides could pay the
interest easier and have more each year to pay on the mortgage.
You remember that my dream was that Congress had passed a law that
hereafter, when more money was needed to do bizness with in any county,
instead of the United States lendin it to the national banks at one per
cent., and lettin the banks loan it to the people at eight or ten per
cent., I dreamed that the law was that the same officers of the
government should lend it to the county at one per cent., on county
bonds as security, and that the county treasurer should lend it to the
people of his county at two per cent., on sich security as the banks now
take, and I drempt that Jobe and me and Bill Bowers went to the county
treasurer to see about gittin the money to pay Congressman Richer the
$2,100, and we found that sich a law was passed, and the county still
lived. And I dreamed that the bankers was a peckin, and a beckenin, and
a coaxin of people to borrow their money at the same rate of interest as
the county treasurer loaned it. Now, had we ort to be foreclosed because
no sich law was made? Had Congressman Richer ort a want to foreclose us
when he dident try to git sich a law made? Had we ort to be foreclosed
when Jobe has been a votin men into office to make laws that would make
it easier for him to live and pay for his home, and they dident do it?
Had we ort to be foreclosed because them men have made laws agin Jobe
instead of fur him? Made laws to reduce the value of his farm and the
price of his crops; made it harder for him to pay debt?
Had Mr. Richer even made a law permittin county treasurers to receive
deposits of people who would ruther put their money in the county
treasury than in banks, and allowed the county treasurer to loan it out
in the name of the county at three or four per cent., givin all he
received as interest, less what it cost to attend to it, to the fellers
what deposited it, it would a helped us some. But he dident do it nor
try to do it.
If we are foreclosed and our farm is sold by the sheriff, and Mr. Richer
bids it in for $2,100 and gits the farm back, where is Jobe’s $1,700
cash paid on the principal and $2,212 interest money he has paid?
Who gits it? What has Jobe got for it? For who has Jobe and me been a
workin for the last sixteen years? For who is this foreclosin law, with
high interest, made? I hope we will be able to git our case at court put
off till arter the fall election and corn huskin! Livin in this hope I
must retire to bed. Jobe is asleep in his cheer. Every little bit there
is a troubled look comes into his face, as though his dreams haint all
pleasant.
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