Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-15
Rights.

THERE appertains to man certain pre-
| negatives, privileges and immUnities as
| high and as sacred as his very origin, ma
ture and constitution. They are the basis
of all just social compaets, called govern
ments. In all the doings and operations
/ OF men they must be observed and re-
| spected, otherwise trouble and wrong
| surely come.
| Animals are possessed of rights, which
| spring from their relationship to mar and
the earth at the beginning. The fact was
| announced to man by the Creator himself,
at very early date in our recorded his
| tory. The statutes Of all Nations recog-
nize these rights.
| But it is not of the rights of man or of
| those of the creatures which were given
| him for his use that we want to speak-it
is of another class of rights entirely-the
| rights of the soil. If it is news to some
| that the soil has rights which men ought
to respect and must respect, we trust they
| will believe and be saved from the evils
which follow disregard of these rights,
| and the sad fate which fell upon the
| tanners of Judea and of the country be-
tween the Jordan and the sea- They
| looked to Jerusalem too much, and loved
Jerusalem too much, and forgot the rights
OF the soil they drew their support from,
| until now they have almost lost their
manhood and their responsibility as hu-
| man beings
The old Virginia tobacco growers for
| got that the soil had rights which it We're
good for them to care for and cherish, and
the bottom fell out Of their prosperity as
| farmers
We are wont to dilate with a good deal
OF earnestness and sometimes with fierce
ness about the enormity OF disregarding
human rights, and history is full of the
bad effects OF disregarding them but we
dOnOt stop to consider that not only the
well-doing of individuals but of nations
also depend upon the Just and careful
| respect paid to the rights of the soil.
Should this Nation of farmers neglect
| this right for one hundred years we should
see as badly demOralized, ignorant and
lmbeclle race here as are the Mexicans
and Haytiens. This is not flourish of
words, but truth; and we incidentally see
by this how important to National pros
perity and greatness is the prosperity of
| the Cultivators of the soil. Commerce
| and the mercantile trade, the lumber
and building interests, education and
morals all depend for their growth and
health upon proper observance of the
| rights of the soil. What are these rights |?
Heaven has formed the earth with GER
tain inalienable properties, attributes and
| elements, among which are gravity, cohe-
sion, heat; potash, soda, lime, magnesia,
iron, silica, chlorine, the phosphates, car
han and certain acids; and has said unto
the earth, these are yours; the hand of
him, be he man, or angel, or God, which
deprives you of them, shall be paralyzed,
and will put the mark of poverty upon
him-he shall be a tramp upon the
earth, and all shall know whereof he is
afflicted.
This eternal, Heaven proclaimed law
of right respecting the soil it behooyes us
all then to obey. We all love wealth and
hate poverty-we all would like to be rich :;
we all dislike the idea of being or becom-
ing poor.
So man now, if he is really and truly
a man, loves knowledge and hates ignor-
ance. Well, what does he do? Does he
go to school or college and come out and
say, Il have now stored my mind full.
and, as knowledge is indestructible, need
spend no more time in laying it by and
replenishing my mind?'' Why no-he
knows that he must continually be adding,
adding to the old stock else he declines in
strength and power and usefulness. 1t is
so with the soil. 1t is full naturally. God
has made it full, but if it is used there
must be added and added continually TO
its elements of those treasures which are
as constantly being taken from it in the
different crops.
In these various ways and forms do we
try to illustrate the great truth that moro
than the natural fertility of the soil must
be sustained in order to realize the highest
profit from farming relations. The rights
of the soil in this respect must be contin-
ually observed and needed if we are ever to
become Nation of rich agriculturists.-
Detroit Tribune.