Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-05-24
Land Reform and Limitation.

~eA"H"sS' N'"S Ns'i"S t"S uoSlIiHc VI
land reform and limitation, with dc.
termination 10 continue the work so long
monopoly and wrong exist, and We
have any power TO expose them to popu'
lar indignation. Ws presume that 9
sery larse majority Of :he people in cv'
~ part Of the union are in favor OF grant
ing the unoccnp;ei public lands in lin
lied quantities. to actual settlers only
and Of restricting .hc amount thai any
one person shall be permitted! TO own
This doctrine manifesily just in itself
is opposed by none, We believe bu, tn,
Iinid conservative, the monopolist him
self, ana the sris!ocra,, while the peo
pie. the democracy rywhcrc, are il,
favor ofsraatS and limitation.
lfany one doubts the justice and III,
propricty Of limiting the amount ofland
that any person .hall possess, let him
inquire into the foundation Of mon.
nr>hy and despotism in other countries;
he WILSON discover ,ha, they res, en-
rrely on land monopoly. If he apply
the touchstone Of historical scrutiny to
European society, he will soon learn
that king.craft and tyranny in every form
flow fr'm the monopoly Of the land BY
d few individuals, called mobiles, who
together with a corrupt ani vicious
church establishment, consume nearly
all that the people can produce. Vixen
the French revolution Of 1893 com.
menced according to Allison, the his,o.
rInn Of modern Europe. the produce Of
agricultural labor in France was divi.
.ded irto twelve parts, FIVE Of which wen,
10 the support Of the church, six parts
TO the nobility and crown. and one par,
to the actual producer.
What wonder then that the people OF
that nation, after becoming aroused to
ssense Of their rights, should become
indignant and destroy tho enemy that
had SO long enslaved them. and had
"eaten out their substance"
sOne Of the best fruits of that reyolu.
ton was Q division Of land among the
people. The PeasantIy OF that country
are now in comfortable eireunstanc C es,
compared with their condition before
tn grea, revolution.
As specimen Of the European ideas
. OF landed property, look at tho crown
grants in America, by England, France
. and Spain. The English government
granted TO VIM. Penn an entire state,
4 they male similar grants TO Lord Bali.
: more, and to other individuals and com.
penios. France and Spain were equally
free TO dispose Of lanl in America. Tho
" effect oftho'e largo grants has been III
'ome states to check settlement. while in
others. as in New York it has been the
, enn-e Of rebellion and civil war.
The idens and theory Of real property
imported by our ancestors from despo,ic
ana fcudsl Europe, still form tho basis
OF our land laws, and although their sys.
TEN 0! descca, to the el!est male child
does no, exist among us, still we allow
corporations that have neither heirs or
descent. to hold almos, unlimited guam.
Titles Of real estate. Neither do the laws
i" the Federal governmcn, nor Of the sew.
rral states place any lin:i, upon the
rights Of capital. lfan individual has
money enough he has a la,cful right to
purchase whole township, county, or
etate, end stop tho progress OF civiliza.
''on and improvement But the specu.
lsta's esners!ly select few tI.ousand
ncres in place ana hol | on "a it until
settlements form in the vicinity. and un.
iii Tho labor OF the pioneers on every side
shall have increased its marketable val
ue from three to twenty foil. Already
ME We beginning TO reap the bitter fruits.
of land monopoly in Ohio. More than
million Of acres are now iu the hands
OF t1'osc who will neither till it nor lie,
any body else, without paying exorbit.
ant sums Of money for it. Heretofore
''he great majority ofthe Statesmen ofthe
country have looked upon the public
Ian ! msrely as o matter Of revenue; and
no objections have been made, to sin.
gle individual or corporations purchus.
ing from ten 10 fifty ,housand acres.-
Congress loo has been almost as proluse
ia granting the soil to Rail Road eotpo.
-rstions, as Charles tho 2nd was to the
Go'aaists. 'Buttbe wakeful d eslous
spirit ofsshs psepie is bee oming aroused
--snotbss stioeffins is rapidly taking .
fast hold Spon the public ninl-thc
.docisios shss ,hs.ssrth w,s naas for the
support setatascas ST men It'd. inbsbi,
IL, free for tho use ~ 'ite oecunnn. ~