The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-09-27
THE IDEA OF THE FATHERS.

hneAOhs u JUST 0IO pI0uCunANC
tional land policy had been adopted. But
the colonies emerged from the revolution
airy struggle burdened with an immense
debt, and our fathers knew Of no other
considerable source of payment than the
public lands. In the disposition Of these
lands there was but one thought, and that
was revenue. In fighting the divine right
az kings, the divine right Of the land mo-
nopolist had been forgotten. Instead If
laying the foundations Of Democratic equal
ity ia the soil itself, and thus taking a
bond Of fate for the welflre &c coming gen
eratiuns, the goading need Of money aud
the very abundance of our lands paved the
way for great monopolics. which have IN
creased and multiplied ever since The
] purchase Of vast tracts by individuals and
/ companies was not only allowed, but en-
/ couraged by the Government. The policy
Of disposing Of the public domain at low
or nominal rates, To actual settlers only,
and IN limited quantities. Was not then
dreamed Of and So potent was the intu-
ence Of those feudal ideas which had been
| transferred from the Old World. that the
enactment Of our homestead law did not
become possible till seventy-hve years af-
ter the establishment of the American land
system But this law did not emancipate
the public domain. 1t was sign Of prom
Use, but it did not fulfill the nation desire
Non resident spectators are still at hber
" ~ purchase great tracts Of the public
domain, and hold them indefinitely for
ris, IN price, which is at war with the
whole spirit and policy of the homestead
Law, and as fiagrantly unjust as it is imam
cially stupid. Our land grant system has
already surrendered to railroad corpora
tions territorial empire of over two hun
bred millions of acres. Our Indian Treaty
policy has robbed poor settlers Of great
bodies Of choice lands, and handed them
over e. monopolists and thieves Our legis-
latlon on the subject Of military land boun-
ties, while nearly prohtless e. the soldiers,
has been a national disaster, beneficial only
to spectators and monopollsts. The acts
of Congress on the subject Of swamp lands
and College and Indian scrip have been
equally vicious and indefenslble.
THE RIGHTS OF SETTLERS UNDER THE HOME
STEAD
and pre- emptiOn laws have been seriously
threatened by department rulings III interest
of railway companies, while the growing
power of land monopoly has found pow
erful ally in the State and Federal Courts
The policy Of the Government and the
spirit nf the tim IS are alike hostile t. those
ideas on which alone true democracy can
stand Under the vicious legislation to
which have referred only one person IN
fifteen, outside Of the towns and cities. is
the owner OF a home in the land States OF
tile South. In California quite number
Of men own hundreds Of thousands Of acres
each, and III crossing the lands of one Of
these You are Obliged to travei seventy-fiVe
miles. The curse Of land monopoly i'll the
States Of the Northwest, caused by the
cruel commerce in land which the Govern
ment has encouraged, has been an irrepar-
able blight and blast to their prosperity.
Great estates are everywhere tending to
swallow up the smaller ones. and to pro-
duce a constantly multiplying and crouch
ing tenantry Even i'll New England, ow-
ing greatly to her tariff policy, non-res-
dent propretors are becoming common in
large districts, while the general education
II farm laborers is below that of the fac
tory operative, and the condition Of agri-
culture itself is that of rapid decay. These
facts are as significant as alarming They
foreshadow the approach Of deadly dan
ANl ~ Jul lASlilullOliS. anu lllC utN anu
fearful trial which certainly awaits them.
We have here, 1t is true, no crushing sys-
TEN Of landlordlsm, founded on despotic
laws and traditions, but through the land
policy Of the nation and the machinery Of
great corporations We have inaugurated
system Of feudahsm as completely at war
with the principles Of free government as
that which scourges England to-day. | be-
lieve that nothing is more logically certain
than that this system must be confronted
and overthrow, or the epitaph Of Ameri-
can democracy must be written This Is
the simple but pregnant alternative and
the craftsmanship that would postpone or
evade 1t is criminally recreant to the most
imperative demands OF the hour Men do
not gather grapes Of thorns, or tigs Of
thistles. In politics, as III morals, We shall
reap as We SOW. Land monopoly has prev
ed upon every age Of the world. 1t has
sapped the life of every free government
Of the past, and is to-day the stronghold of
every despotlsn on earth. History ever
repeats itself, and the believers IN popular
institutions are therefore utterly without
excuse if they allow its solemn and reiter-
ated warnings to 90 UNDECIDED.
THE GROWTH And DOMINATION OF CITIES.
We are threatened with another serious
trial to our democratic institutions. III the
growth and domination of cities | do not
mean to say that great cities are in them
selves an evil. They are the necessary out
growth Of our civilization. They supply
the producer with home market. AS
great intellectual and commercial centers
they are the natural landmarks Of social
and economic progress. They ought to be
the natural allies of democracy but be-
heve they are preparing for it an ordeal
which will tax all the resources Of the peo-
pie to save it. The danger to which | al
Jude is twO-fold. In the first place, the
government Of great cities by democratic
methods is an unsolved problem Thus
far, at least, we are obliged to confess that
the the chief cities Of our own country
have proved ungovernable. The forms Of
democracy have been laid hold Of by its
enemies, who have trampled its substance
under foot. In our Northern States, out |
side the great city, popular governmentIhas |
been q success. Life and property, as a |
rule, are secure. Education is widely diff |
fused, and society makes healthy and nat |
ural progress. There is a general equality |
Of condition among the people, which holds |
in check the spirit of aristocracy and caste.
The laws are respected, and the voice of
the majority is honestly registered and
cheerfully accepted. But in our great cities
all this is changed. In the city of New
York official thieves have robbed the Treas
ury. Offices are bought and sold like mer-
chandise. Legislatures are auctioned off |
to the highest bidder Courts are bribed |
by villains who escape justice through the
power of their money. Great masses Of |
men, native and foreign, cursed by igno-