New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-27
LABOR MOVEMENTS.
Chicago National Industrial Congress-
ADDRESS ON LAND LIMITATION,

AdoDisd Jv Me Industrial Congress al Us late
Session in Chicago, June, 1850.
The two measures of Homestead Exemption,
and the Freedom of the Public Lands to landless
actual settlers in limited quantities, with the prom
bition of further government sales as demanded Dy
| the princirles of genuine Land Reform, have al
ready secured the favorable consideration OF the
| American public; but the measure OF UNIVERSAL
Land Limitation, to be effected by AVS operating
ON future titles has not yet received the nolce que
/ 10 its paramount Importance
! There is an objection prevalent among ICON
adorable body Of conservatives, that Land IL M
itation Law would be an unconstitutional aoridge
ment of individual liberty, by preventing persons
from employing their money according TO their
free pleasure in the purchase oil lands TO an IN
limited amount and by foroidding persons having
lands to sell them TO whom they pleased; and
that Republics should guard against too much
legislation; and therefore it is inexPedient to c
eislate concerning the transfer OF lands, bat that
this subject should be left open to the untram
meled action of the parties to the contract them
selves.
1t is manifesty erroneous to assert as an absolute
propositon. that men have natural right, or free
individual liberty TO their money as they please.
They have no right to employ their wealth In hiring
assassins to commit murder; nor In poisoning the
elements of nature which all must use nor in erect
ing institutions which must spread pestiential aud
ruinous contagion through the land nor In carry
ing ON pursuits which impair the general health,
corrupt the morals, degrade the public Intelligence,
and undermine and destroy the foundations OF the
liberties Of the country Neither is 1t inexpedent,
when such abuses become established to legislate
AGAINST their continuance and for their abolition
Az well might the holders Of feudal prerogatyes in
Europe assert that sound public policy dictates the
propriety of as little legislation as possible, and
therefore the people should not ask for laws abol-
ishing teuda despotism, and securing the Liberties
of all Indeed far less legislation will be required
TO secure to actual occupants their homes ia limit
ed quantities, than is now in use for securing titles
TO real estate under the present system oil land
ownership; and that, under such legislation, the
entire system OF mortgages and leases would soon
| be at an end. -
Again, these advocates of conservatism ailege
| that there is DO resemblance between land and
man; the one possesses life, feeling, hopes, Tears,
organic wants the other is inanimRte matter, with
out feeling and therefore not the subject OF poit
cal. moral or social evil; and hence there can be
no parallel betw cen laws securing human life aud
freedom and laws securing land limitation aud the
free right of man to the use Of abortion OF the earth
| This allegation, however to candid, inqulrng
mind must seem to be very weak, upon bare
statement Of it; and if not, brief examination
would expose the falacy by which 1t is protected
| from instant detection.
| Ifaman holds piece OF solid earth in his open
hand and this earth is so connected with The vital
stamina OF bis organism that the earth cannot be
separated from the hand without the destruction of
life, either instant or gradual might not an sssail.
| ant be equally guilty OF murder, whether he takes
hold Of tho earth, and removes the earth from the
| man. or takes hold OF the man and removes the
man from the earth The question then resolves
seIfnto this: whether the free use OF portion OF
earth is not essentially connected with the exist
ence of human life, liberty and happiness; aud
whether a law for land hmitdtt0R is not necessary
or expedient for securing to al the free use oil
| portion Of earth
The elements of nature contained in the earth
/ 10 and nj
human constitution; and no person VIII pretend to
| Sepv that man must perish If ex 'luded from the
/ earth and its fruits. Yetiti is alleged by the advo
Gates of conservatism that man, although debarred
the natural and unbought right OF access to land, is
NOT excluded from its use, because he may purchase
land or rent il in consideration of the payment Of
money, and he may also purchase provisions aud
| clothing. The answer is, that Ii person be born
of poor parents, and dependent on his labor alone,
as most persons are, he has nothing to give IN eX
change for land, or for food aud the necessaes OF
life but his daily labor or mechanical skill; and as
the rate of wages for labor, like the value OF all
vendible articles is dependent on the proportion
between supply and demsnd, alaborer or mechanic
in such case holds his life at the mercy Of his EN-
ployer; and when country shall be long settled,
It's population filed up, and manual labor in great
| degree superseded by Improvements In machinery,
the surplus labor population is doomed to perish by
starvation be supported by charity, to commit
pera transeressions against the laws Of society
And while this is the miserable condition OF the
surplus unemployed labor population, those who in
such times are able to obtain employment, are re-
duced by superintendent competition to rate Of
wcges barely adequate, in return for incessant,
overstrAined toll TO sustain existence with coarse
scsnty food insufficient clothing, in poor novels or
unhealthy, unsightly cellars, without tho means OF
educa,en or Of social intercourse and the comforts
necessary for prolonged existence, much less happ
ness Hence, it is uahappily too PLATA from facts,
tba, the deprivation Of the natural rights Of man 70
the free use of the earth destroys the right 10 iie
liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness and that when
Institutions Of society wrest the earth fcom man,
they innict no less evil upon him than when they
| remove man from the earth. Hence, also, il is
demonstrated that by grasping from your fellow man
the inanimate earth, YOU commit a moral political
and social evil against him, OF Kindred nature
with that perpetrsted by the assassin who planges
dagger into his broihers bosom, or the p0isoner
who mixes deadly ingredient with food and ad.
ministers il TO the human race
la fact, Land Monopoly s az the foundation of all
the forms OF the evils which act present civilized
society IL causes over toll, aud the loss OF oppor
tunites for study and selfimproyement, and conse
quent ignorance and degradation the poverty Of
the masses the unjust accumulation Of wealth aud
, power by privileged few and the corruption Of
the morals Of the rich by luxury, pride aud sensu
atty Lard Monopoly produces intemperaDce
both among rich and poor: among the rich. by con
ferring wealth upon them without meritorious pro
ductive industry, and thus exciting depraved
taste for vicious and animal pleasures and amons
r the poor, by creating want for preternstars
snd artificial stimulus in place Of the beautiful slim
| ulsnts impsrted by moderate labor and by mora
and intellectual activity, and the stadies Of phoso
ply ard natural science. Land Monopoly caasel
/, large numbers Of men and women 10 be reared
rom childhood to manhood and womanhood Ia de
pressed, destitute and dependent conditions. with
cut those opportunities Of lreqaea, social inter
course between the two sexes which are necessary
G = hnmaIizinr and refining both the nale and e