Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-11-24
For the Sentinel.
Land Monopoly, Interest, and Rent.

1t has. been proposed by land reformers
TO limit the amount Of land hereafter to be
acquired and held by any individual, and /
have seen an article, think in the Senti-
mel and some other democratic papers, from
the pen Of that thorough land reformer and
philan.hroplst, L. A. Hine, late an editor
Of q reform paper in Cincinnati, urging
strong reasons for limit to the ownership
Of land. Land monopoly, no doubt, works
great injustice to the. ..laboring man, as oy
it millions Of money are taken from those
who earn it by hard labor, and given to
those who only scheme to get.it from The
less crafty, by land speculation. On this
Western Reserve'-which originally COS,
those who purchased it Of the s late Of Con.
necticut but 20 cents an acre--there has
been vast millions made by the spectators
averaging probably ten dollars an acre on
the Grst and second hand sales, and vast
millions more on subsequent sales to those
who since own or have owned, and lobored
10 place the land in its present condition Of
productiveness. .-.s-.... ,rl. =.
Ten dollaus on acre on four millions OF
acres amounts to forty millions Of dollars
But there is another consideration in this
business. The interest on the money paid
for the land, together with the taxes, and
md expense of surveys and management
up to the year 1s0O, amounted probably, TO
25 cents on an acre; and thence for Fifty.
one years up TO this time, at compound in-
lerest, doubling as it would once in ii
years and 125 days, added to the original
cost would amour. to, nearly Ten dollars an
acre. II is interest compounded, such as
land dealers charge, that makes up the
most OF the large sums, which the specu-
lAiors have charged on this lnnd, and it be-
gins 10 be question with those who have
worked TO pay this large sum, whether it is
just for capitalists to lake such vast amounts
oi Interest off the laborers. They begin to
say that money itself alone earns no inle-
rest. hs not productive alone. !, is on.
ly made productive by labor. But la,o is
made to hel lp the capitalist to enforce the
claim Of interest, and rs it is law, i, is TAX
en- for justice. But law does not make
that just which is no, otherwise so. And
further. This charge Of interest, high in.
terest on money, and on debts due, leads
also 10 high rents on lands and houses, far
above fair compensation for swear .and
tear 1t is thus that labor is made tribu-
1ary 10 capital; and i. is by Interest. and
rent, tha. capitalists in populous places are
enabled 10 support their splendid equipages,
while SO many, who labor hard. and pay
rent aed interest, remain poor; or, if they
a,temp, to rise above abjecs poverty, are
cut down again, and compelled to bow TO
the claims Of capital, continue labor slaves
for life, and entail il on their poslerity,
reared as they are IN poverty, and many
of them almost compelled 10 lives Of vice
and crime.
Ii the law compelling the payment Of
interest may be repealed, and the claim
for rent may be by any means reduced as
by natural consequence it should be, there
would be no need Of land Limitation: laws
Lands would moi. thus, accumulate to the
land shark. Labor would then bnve its
reward. Think Of this Radical Reform
ers. II,