JOBE, OUT OF TROUBLE, IS UNRULY AGAIN.
JOBE he is jist as contrary and stiff-necked as he ever was. He acts as
though he had never went through what he has went through since last Noo
Years. He is beginnin agin to act towards me as if I was his inferior;
as though it wasent me who stuck up for him and fought his battles in
time of trouble—yes, stood by him when all creation, office-seekin
canderdates and all, had forsook him.
He now says the reason he did not pay off that other mortgage years ago
was because it wasent made “payable in gold;” he says he believes in
payin debts in “sound money,” and that he now feels sorry that he dident
git gold and pay what he did pay on it; that he feels as though he has
cheated Mr. Richer by payin him in greenbacks and silver and sich.
He says that he would ruther pay seven per cent. interest in gold than
six per cent. interest in paper money or silver.
Then he gits up and swells out his boozum, and says:
“John Sherman is the greatest financier on airth. He has brought us to a
gold basis quicker than any other livin man could a done it. He has
taught old Cleveland all he knows about sound money.” And so forth and
so forth.
He goes on in this way day in and day out until I am sick and tired of
it. He even wants me to come out and be a Republican, when he knows I
have been a Dimicrat for nigh onto thirty-five years.
When he is tellin the neighbors about how much better it is to pay debts
in gold, and about us a givin a “gold mortgage” to the banker, he always
calls it his mortgage and his doins. He never even mentions my name when
speakin of the mortgage, when he knows as well as I do that both the old
parties, as it were, made that gold mortgage, and that it is “our
mortgage” and “our doins” that made it.
But that is the way with Jobe. As long as everything is goin along
without trouble he wants all the glory; but as soon as trouble arises he
tries to blame me for gittin him in it, and calls on me for help.
Now, as Betsy Gaskins, I am ashamed of that gold mortgage, and if I
could have had my way I never would have signed it. Ide a dide fust. But
as a Dimicrat I must approve it, to be in line with my party, and I
think Jobe is mean that he dont speak of it as “our mortgage” and “our
doins,” when he knows the highest paid Dimicrats in the land is jist as
much in favor of “gold mortgages” as John Sherman or Mistur McKinley or
any high-up Republicans are.
Haint Mistur Carlisle, who is drawin $8,000 a year (for work he ort a be
a doin in the money department at Washington), spendin lots of time
makin speeches for gold mortgages down in Kaintuckey?
Haint Carlisle a Dimicrat?
Dont Mistur Cleveland set up of nites and write letters favorin “gold
mortgages,” and some nites like as not lets Mrs. Cleveland sleep all by
herself?
What more has John Sherman done, or McKinley?
Jobe thinks because McKinley has spent all spring outside of Ohio,
talkin “gold mortgages” and workin to git elected to the best payin
office in the country, that he is intitled to all the credit for bringin
about “gold mortgages.” Now, I dont believe it, though he was so bizzy
at it that he had to have his salary as governor sent to him by mail for
months.
[Illustration: “‘John Sherman is the greatest financier on airth.’”]
Suppose my dream was true, and instid of us havin to give the banker a
mortgage drawin seven per cent. interest (“interest and principal
payable in gold”), that we, that is, Jobe and me, could have gone to the
county treasurer of Tuscarawas County and a borrowed the same amount of
paper and silver money (the same kind we got from the bank) at two per
cent. interest, payable in any money of the government. Who would it a
hurt?
Wouldent it a been better for Jobe and me? Wouldent we a had only $36 a
year interest to pay to the county instid of $126 in gold to the
bankers? Wouldent we a had more money to pay toward our home or to buy
store goods with?
If we could spend $90 a year for store goods that we now have to pay as
interest, wouldent that help the storekeepers a little?
Which would be the best for the storekeepers, for Jobe and his likes to
have to pay high interest in gold, or low interest in any kind of good
money?
There is another question I would like to ask you.
It is this: If the pay of the post-offices is big enough to pay a feller
to buy them from Congressmen, and pay big money for them, haint it about
time that the pay of such post-offices was cut down?
Why is a feller’s time what is glad to clear $300 or $400 a year doin
anything else worth $1,500 or $2,000 for keepin the post-office?
Does it hurt their character so much? And why is it that all them
fellers what sells post-offices, and most of them what buys em, favor a
gold basis and gold mortgages and sich?
Are they afraid they will have to go back to their old jobs and less pay
if they dont holler as the big fellers holler?
[Illustration]