New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-28
Tyne Cou,ervasisn,-Lnnd Reform,


Our excellent Conservative friend, Editor
Mansfield Of the Cincinnati Chronicle, is out
among the People, looking into their con-
ditiOn BY the light Of the New Census. He
is struck by the fact, that in Clear Spring
District, Western Maryland, lin the high,
healthy, Allegheny regiOn) with q popula-
ton Of 1904, there were SIS deaths last year,
or only to IS of the population. But,
looking along, he finds another cheering cir
eumstance, viz:
"Another extraordinary fact in these return, is
The number oil tarnls to the population. There are
6os families qua 6i6 farms. There 10, therefore,
but very small fraction Of the families which do
NOT live on theiT onn tdads. 1t is troe, some OF
these farms may be rented, but in that district not
many. The RATIO Of persons to a family is g.
which, in an agricultural community is about
right. Netry every head Of family OscHs part
II the foil, and in tbs fact IA fac. whicn prevails
IN large part OF ths United States) may be found
no greatest safeguard Of American Society. A
community of iTeehOlderf must be stable com.
npnity.
at will be conservative community for in the
main, the man who lives on bic En farm and lives
a. American farmers do, In c state Of prosperity
nust be conservative. He may call h,msef
changes In the condition OF things For my own
part wlsh every msn Ia America owned land.
Every able bodied lGbo.er ought TO make il an OBJ
Ject OF ambition 70 get land as soon az possible Is
gives feeling Of Independence which nothing
else can.
"If l thought that i, would really cause the set
tlsment OF the floating population Of cities, would
readily vote for the distribaton Of lands to actual
settlers. TIE public reveLae could well afford 10
lose the Hale that would be l0st la order that the
floating and often idle hangers on Of 20 wnr sholld
be permanently settled. fear, ho viewer. that it |
u only those who noe bug who would become |
actual settlers, even when tire land is given them
Good land can now be bought for 81 Is per acre
Mr.. Mansfield has here bit the corner .
Of great truth-namely, if you want to
make man O conservative, you must give
him something to conserve. Telling him
that you have property and comforts which
it would be very inconvenient to lose, is not
exactly the same thing.
We presume that no rational and mode.
rate advocate Of Land Reform supposes that
the mere passage Of an act to give patches
Of these lands to whoever needs and would
claim them would draw away all the float
ing population Of our cities to the cultiya-
ton Of the soil. Of course it would not
But it could not fail to attract very many, and
would secure work and bread for thousands
Of the poorest class in the cities by drawing
Oft the class just above them and giving
them chance for step upward. Suppose
five thousand only Of the mech anics and ar.
tisans Of our city were 70 be drawn off an
nually to the West by the attraction of Free
Land, this abstraction would better the for
tunes Of five times FIVE thousand families
behind. Here an assistant fore
nan would take the place Of q foreman
While the best journeyman would become
assistant, and vacancy be made in the shop
or an apprentice just out Of his time who
would else have been without employment
Ind every five thousand families SO with
rawn from competition with our remaining
itizens would swell the number of their
ountry customers.
But this is the least important aspec. of
and Reform. Without it, il will very soon
0 difficult for our crowded-ous artisans and
.borers to obtain Publ, Lands to settle on
, all. Mr.. Mansfield coolly says that
good land can now be bought at 81 % per
re-" but that Is not practically irae.-
man wants to settle on new land within
ach of Mills, Mails, Church, Doctor,
}. he must pay good deal more. Ia many
,rts Of the West, be can getwild prairie at
0 Government price, but be cannot fence
acre Of it without buying some conven-
II woodland, which is held up by specula-
q AT I've. ten and twenty dollars. A city