The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-01-27

'he damage TO the individuals concerned being ap
praised, or their loss being remunerated? Anc
why is this ? Is it of more importance that lane
holder, who has Ill the means of living and all Oh
most Of the sources of wealth at his command
should be paid for a trhng inconvenience, thar
that thousands of the industrious poor should be
deprived at onte and forever, Of that which cost
them the labor of the best part of their lives to
Quire? And all this to accommodate and extend
The influence Of the capitalist and increase his means
: of accumulation. For, let it be remembered, that
the capitalist and the andhoder under the present
system, are the only ones who are really benefited
by the Introduction Of labor-saying machinery
Again; setting n price upon wild, unappropriaed
land, is violation Of natural right, for which 10
equivalent has OF can be substituted. 1t is out of
the power Of legislation to substitute an equivalent
for mans right to the soil, No power earth has
a right either directly indirectly, to compel any
person Of mature age, and not araenabe to the laws
for misconduct, to work for another But TO set q
price on land, leaves the andless and moneyess no
other means but to labor for others Hence there
is nothing but the freedom Of the soil which can Sc
cure to man his right to liberty. The present sys-
tenn leaves him no choice, but to work foy others.
He must work. starve, or beg, or submit 10 what
most men regard as bad, or 'rorse than death.
! What then becomes Of our so much boosted ri hit to
liberty? The present system annihilate5 it, and
reduces very large portion Of American citizens to
& condition as bad, ana in its extreme results inf
ni,ely worse than that Of American slayery.#
Again; setting price uron land dcprivos man of
the right to live; and consequently of every other
right This admits Ct easy Illustration. The pro-
duets of the soil are a necessary means OF living. If
have no right to the SOIL to its use, have no
right to its products, and consequently right to
life. But you will perhaps say you live notwith-
standing. So may the chattel slave say, who has
kind master. lie has liberty to n certain extent or
to the extent Of his wishes. But the slave is allowed
to exercise his liberty only by the permission, and
at the discretion of his master. His right to liberty
then is not in the slave but in the master. Apply
this reasoning to the laudless laborer lie applies
to some person for the privilege Of working to earn
his bread And if he is allowed to work, he can
only say to his employcr-"by your permission sir"
He has, under the present system, no other lawful
resource but to work for others for living, or throw
himself upon the town. But if he is supported by
the town he still lives only by the permission, and
at the discretion Of Others In selling the land, then,
his right to life his God-gven right to live, and to
the comforts of1ife is usurped by the Government,
or the majority Of the people. This is tie actual
condition Of the moncyless and landless aborer.
N.
Witness the effects Of land monopoly in Ireland.
REMARKs.-There are some points in the forego-
ing communication which We think should be no
ticed. The first Of which is in regard to Patented
Inventions. As we understand the principle and
object Of the Patent Laws an inducement is held
out for Scientific and Mechanical discoveries in or
der that the of the people may, ultimately be
benefited. In order to accomplish this object, the
Government says to each man =" If you will dis
cover or invent an improvement on what has already
been known pay Thirty Dollars to the Patent Of
fee, and risk all competition from others assimilat-
ing to yours, you may have all the right to make
all the profit YOU can for Fourteen Years, on what
you secure by Letters Patent" The result is this
proposition stimulates 10 bring into greater exercise,
the scientific and mechanical powers of men -
which powers might have lain dormant, but for
this very incentive presented. But do the Inventors
rs a class receive remuneration for the time and
money expended in maturing and patenting their
Improvements? No;-probably no more than one
in ten get enough to balance their expenditures.
The reason is, because the inducements held out by
the Patent Laws, brings competition in the way of
the less successful Inventors. But the men who
cultivate lands doreceve benefit from the Patented
improvements, and so do all classes of consumers.-
If consumers would be satisfied with the same
amount and kind of articles as were used previous
to improvements, they could save half the labor
they now perform, and this because not more than
half the labor is necessary to accomplish the same
business.
The parallel introduced we think twill not stand
on all tours" as the saying is but may in part
The laborers compelled to abandon ace,tdn mode of
doing business in consequence Of improvements,
may with proprety he classed with nine tonths of
Inventors who aidedn bringing about some of these
very improvements. 1t is hard for either class, in
many cases, but we know not how this can be rene
died, unless some plan can be invented to give all
men equal minds. As matters stand, provision
is made in different towns for the support of those
who need it, and to enact laws to prevent men be-
ing compelled to labor would be rather u difficult
task. For should each freeman in the United States
have one hundred acres of wild land offered him,
free of cost, he must cork some one else work for
him, else he would die. And when he works on
land and raises such eatables as he may need, he /,
must be compelled to labor for Others in order to
get his tools to work ith,-his axe, his hoe, pow,
&C., and for different kinds Of raiment because no
man can live comfortably without an interchange of
commodities he cannot raise or manufacture the
whole himself and consequently will be compelled