Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-04-19

support an ordinary sized family allowing
him sixteen hours in the twenty -four for rest
recreation and mental culture. But under
the present land system, where one man il
permitted to own the land for others to cult.
vate,-and from them demand large share
Of the proceeds of their labor,-it is not to be
wondered at that they find it necessary to
toll from sixteen to eighteen hours in the
twenty four in order to secure bare liveli.
hood leaving them no time for thought OF
mental discipline. And where the present
land monopoly system has been most extern
sively adopted, and its practical working most
closely observed, the tiller of the soil is d.
vested Of that native dignity and manhood
with which he was created. Was it not for
the unnatural control Of the soil, tho master
would strive in vain to hold his tyrannical
sway over his fellow beings. And in the
same proportion in which the few control the
soil, the many approach the condition of
slaves. Thus we have to-day the practical
workings of the land monopoly system in the
reasonable and tyrannical movements Of the
shareholders Of the Southern States Of this
Union. Had those slave masters been COM
PEELED to follow out the Divine injunction and
the laws of nature, and earned their bread by
the sweat of their brows, suppose you that
the sound Of treason, and war, and bloodshed
would be sounding in our ears to-day?
answer no The laws of nature have been
disrcgarded, the tiller of the soil has become
brutalized, and the whole social fabric of this
government now suffers from the fearful
shock. We were designed to be social be-
ings, and placed here for mutual benefit and
protection,--to support the weak and the
helpless, the innocent and unsus-
pecting,- TO soothe the aching heart and
troubled spirit, and to extend to every indi-
vidual the hand Of fellowship and brotherly
love.
Permit every individual to have q free
homestead where he can sit under his own
vine and fig-tree, and you confer lasting
benefit upon the human family. You stop in
great measure the tide Of vice and immoral
ity, which is sweeping over our land at so
fearful rate at the present day. For it is an
undeniable fact that in communities where
few have homesteads, vice and wickedness
abound; and where all have homcsteads, viz
tue and intelligence abound. Thus in cities,
crime of every description is more prevalent
than in the rural districts. Ifevery individ-
ual was permitted to enjoy and occupy a
homestead, there would be less excuse for
the vagrant and the idle; but under the pres
ent system hundreds and thousands are often
thrown out Of employment and find it i'm
possible to get work, and frequently are CON-
PEELED to starve or steal
There should be no drones in the social
bee-hive,-no disgrace attached to labor
the motto Of every one should be:
D,,.h
Push on the world is large enough
For you and me and all
You must expect your share Of rough,
And now and then fall;
But up again-act out your part
Bear willingly your load;
There's nothing like CHEEKY heart
To mend stony road.
Remember when your sky Of blue
Is Swallowed by cloud,
The sun will shine soon for YOU
AS for the monarch proud.
Push on you're rustng while YOU stand:
lnaction will not do;
Take life's small bundle in your hand
And trudge it briskly through"
Then away with the idea that the world
owes one a living without honest toll; and
he who obtains it without, is destined to SUI.
fer the penalty which idlcness inflicts upon
its votaries. Our systems require exercise
to develop and strengthen our physical con-
sttution, and race which labors not is de-
ncient in both mental and bodily vi-or,-
Now do not wish to lie understood rs find
ing fault with those who now hold large tracts
of uncultivated land. The present system
forces upon them the necessity for so doing.
1t the system was so changed that every in
dividual who wished to become a tiller Of the
soil could occupy and cultivate the nearest
unoccupied land, and constitute it home,
then the man with family would not be
so anxious to secure great tracts of land in
order to place his family in the enioymen. Of
each homestead. But under the present
system, unless the parent furnish certain
number of acres for his children as a home.
stead, they are compelled, in order to secure
one, to 60 into the market, and sell their
bones and muscles to the hi hcst bidder for
series Of years-and that, too, in the prime of
life when they should be improving and
identifying homes for themselves. Suppose
a young man who, like dutiful son, has lived
with his parents until he istwenty-one wears
old, wishes to purchase a farm to commence
business for himself If he is an extra hand
can earn from 5000 to $500 per wear, some
good old farmer will give him $3.50. Out of
that amount it will take $75 to clothe him,
ETC., leaving him $75 per annum to Law by
for the purchase of his farm. If he wishes
to occupy land adjoining settlements and
civilization, he must pay at least ten dollars
per acre for good tllablc land; then, 160
acres, which makes very decent farm, will
cost him $1,000, which will take him twenty
one years to earn at the above rate, making
him forty-two years old before he can COM
mence home and enjoy the comforts. there
Of Or, suppose he gets his land for Ave
dollars per acre, it will take him over ten
Years to earn the money. making him over
thirty years old before he can become the
possessor Of alarm. have allowed nothing
for interest, for to offset that there is the
probability of sickness and bad luck, as it is
called, which in nine cases out of ten will
amount to more than all the interest on his
earnings. Then you need not wonder that
there are so many who remain poor, and
never have settled homesteads, for it takes an
iron arm and persevering will to overcome
such great obstacles. And here, too, you
have clue to the great prevalence of dishon.
esty among all classes Of men. They adopt
the practice of the Yankee and the Irishman:
during the day the Yankee would cheat the
Irishman out Of all he had, and during the
night the Irishman would steal all back
apain Thus one class of men have cheated