New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-29
land Reform and Labor Reform.
To the Ed,foT 81 Inc fFt0u'e'
DEAR Sir IL believe it is Sir Walter Scott who
tells nj


In foemen worthy OF their steel
but of truth do not feel any Of this "stern 10y
in contemplating this "W w" who offers m,
combat in the battle ground ofyour columns.
The question Of L and Reform is one of too gray,
and solemn importance to be dealt with fiippantIy
and after vague and rambling fashion. Fit
teen years of my life, passed not without some ex
perience and a great deal Of reflection has Only
confirmed and established the opinion with which
| / then set out-Namely, that Land Reform lies a
the foundation of all other Reforms-ust as surely
and emphaticaIy as the productions Of that laad
! lie at the foundation Of our existence Concen.
trate the soil Of any nation or OF all nations in a
few hands and whatever Of the Reforms you may
give to the people those reforms can be gradually
struck down by the mighty lever-the hand Of
these MoDopolists. What they call theirs is the
material OF life and whatever conditions
thy prescribe must be submitted TO- High Rents
would be agreeable T. them-thereiore they would
have high rents. Obsequious tenants who would
vote them into legislative power would be agree.
able TO them-thereore they would have obse-
Guous tenants and none else. Bot speculation is
needless on this point. Europe with its terrible ex.
ampleis before us.
"Ah but, exclaims some gentleman who pretenis
20 discuss this question, "it will never come to
that in these United States such attempts wo9ld
be rebuked and put down the moment they would
lift their head in this country" trust they would
lie put down and put down legally. And what
ever Law would effect that object would be Land
Reform, and to affirm that this will be So Is only
TO affirm that the great principle contend for will,
must ultimately triumph.
And lift must be established at last to save the
people from becoming impoverished By system OF
High Rents and degraded and enslaved by the CO.
ercion OF their votes why not establish It noEi
The Public Domain is now one vast sheet OF
white paper. No mans name or title has been
written on il, and il il not easier TO take it up
now and write it the words OF truth AMI justice,
than II will be two or three centuries hence when
il shall be all scrubbed over with registered titles
To say the least, the necessary Reform will MT be
made simple by the existence Of these titles. Ia
deed the chances would be IN favor of these sane
titles proving strong forthe Reform principle,
an old tyrsnt is frequently found too strong for his
rebellous subjects.
l set out then, with affirming the principle TIA.
unless this fundamental Reform is achieved there
never can be any security for any other Reform
and, because there is nothing you can bestOw on
man which he will not barter back again for the
means to live-when that dread alternative is pre-.
scented to him.
Approaching, them this sublime Reform, OF the
Ownership OF land with reverence commensu.
rate with its great importance and worth, am not
inclined to discuss it with every triher who, be-
cause be can write down any given quantity of
words esteems himself the man to deal with this
vast and far-reaching subject Undignifed, aad
withal stale wittcisms about upper glory" pos
sess little claim TO respect: nor is the wisdom and
consistency of the vender OF them enhanced by
placing this same despised upper story among
the "abest leaders" 1.-THE present day, of school
founded by the Gracchi. Affirming that Legisla
lures such as we now have, never did and never
will DO ythiDg but the bidding Of the Arlstocracy
may fill up ....,,..
but it would be more useful to adduce facts in proof
J. ere is one fact:
Abe Legislature of this State has within the last
few years passed several sautary laws on this
very que stion of Land Monopoly. On stormy
Winter night in 1898, / attended a meeting of
Farmers in Rensselaer, County, and at il a gentle
man named Bingham enforced the justice oftaxing
all the reservations"-i forest timber, streams
creeks, &c. and the ground under them-of the Pa
troons. Ofcourse, If Mr.. "W. w" had been there
he would have enlightened the farmers on the.su
iect. He would have told them that it was wholly
useless to ask the Legislature to do such thing.
because these Legislatures would do nothing bat
the bidding Of the Aristocrats, their masters
AS however, your respondent was not there 10
enlighten them they actually did prefer their re-
quests to the Legislature and, what is more, the
Legislature actually granted their requests. What
was then bodiess idea floating IN the minds OF a
few obscure men in obscure nook Of the country,
has now assumed both "A local habitation and a
name on our Statute Books
Another law too, more stringent still, and
far more disagreeable TO that class which w. w.
afrms the masters of our legislators, has been
passed still more recently. | refer 70 that putting
the PATRONS on proof Of their titles the farmers
had been imbued with the wisdom Of this gentle
man, they would have shouldered scythes, spades
mattocks and muskets, and so marchedinto Albany
l1-I. 81, I1r, 8
away victorious over representative legislaton'
but being no more than practical, common-sense
farmers, they took the other course, and the world
will pronounce them right in doing so.
And now let me be excused if | cannot devote
time 10 the refutation OF the other numerous wan.
derng and unsound positions assumed by your cor.
respondent-his accurate knowledge Of my French,
American and Roman scholarship" along with the
rest
But to you Sir, the Editor of TIE Tribune, |
will again speak, and through your columns 70 |
common sense world. will tell you that the great
and redeeming reform which | demand will give |
10 all men an ALTERNATIVE when Oppression |
reaches its hand forth 70 clutch them At present
they have nOne-they have no alternative. They |
have only TO flee from one oppressor to another |
from ten hours at the bench 10 fourteen hours in /
the field or factory. But with this alternative OF |
a free home 10 fall back upon--a free passage to it.
and necessary boon 70 commence with land 70
al this every citizen is entitled Issy, with those
appliances in his favor, any man who would submit
TO oppression would deserve TO be oppressed
In the British Islands there are hiring markets
held, once every three or six months, in which
vast amount Of labor is offered for sale-labor Of all
kinds. Tie owners of this labor, also have no al.
ternative-hre they must, and miserable lodg-
ings, and meager Diet and matter Of one or two
dollars q month is ell they can procure in return
for their toll. Ii every Of these had the alter.
native Of beccming the owner Of eveniten acres Of
land, who among them would not feel himself in
new positon-a position in which, repeat it, Sir,
II he submitted to be wronged he would deserve no
better treatment
Unfortunate would it, indeed, be- il the salvation
OF the lsbOrer depended on the theory OF Pro.ec-
tive Unions, ard so forth Then a rogush clerk
land the world is not scarce Of theml; defauting
treasurer ard their name is legonl, or any other
screw getting loose would bring the whole machine
aiRnn afll naA h