The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-16
Land Reform.
From the Ne,u Yorker, Dec. L..

From the Netc Yorker Dec. L.
The Tribune of Saturday last devoted a column
and half to the discussion OF the subject com
monty understood as Land Reform. The OBJ
ject was to show that the public domain under
the present system yields but a beggarly reve-
nue. while incalculabe injury Ia entailed thereby
bune demands that the public lands should be free
to the settler as the air OF Heaven Now, we are
land reormers well as the Tribune; and we think
il the curse Of this we'll ether reforms that its
advocates deport themselves too much after the
fashion OF vaulting ambition and ''fall on tother
side" The TrIbune's assumptions are utterly IL
logical and uu5ound, leave but the land open,
and you will have thousands settling down day by
dayn The Tribune ought to know that it is in fact
open at the present moment, and has been so al
ways. The hardy and thrifty laborer can, save
where the land is already settled settle where he
will, and assume to himself the ownership OF what
land he plcascs, and till it and reap it, and eat
cell the produce, without paying one farthing He
even thereby acquires presumption right. Gov
ernment cannot remove him, provided he pays from
the proceeds of the land itself the original price of
one and quarter dollar per acre.
To this there is answer. II will be said the
speculator seizcs the nearest and the best spots he
if the other inference Of the Tribune be correct the
same evil would result from squatting down indis
criminately The squatters would seize on the
nearest and best spots they too would forestal the
newcomers and thrift and new enterprise would
be driven farther and farther back into the bush,
and in such pell neil confusion too as to leave little
cause OF qualification to the reform philanthroplsts
But let it not be Understood that we cry hail
speculation. We acknowledge the evil. 1t presses
not on the andless and penniless, but upon men
having some capital to invest in farming. To the
extent that they overcharged they are losers.
! and the prosperity of the State in which they To-
! cate is thereby affected. With larger capital
| they could cultivate usefully to themselves
and add more TO the public stock Of their State
| Let a law be enacted to check speculation and
overstalling. Show the necessity Tor such law
and put il its grounds Then we shall be It's
| foremost advocates But will not advocate
claptrap Land for the landless ia a humbug. We
see il in large placards nnouncing public meetings
| having other objects in visw. Aud much more ap
! propriately we see il in the advertisement for
lottery Land for the landless just If one sane
man. from Kennebec to Ell Dorado, believes that
the objects or design Of the lottery is TO afford
home TO the houseless The lottery will do one
thing-it will bring the true question into con
tempt So, too, we may say, With all respect, eve
ry appeal based an impracticabihty, every ar
rument resting ON the naked assumption that the
man having three dollars, and only that sum,
which he gives for the lottery ticket, could torn
the waste he wins (supposing him to win I'D into
home with his naked hands Let W have no more
of the 'ad coptandum r,dgus" in respectable,
sources.