Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-12-27
THE.ENGLlsH LAND SYSTEM.
Rich Landlords and Impoverished Ten
antry and LahOrers,

~NN'N-E~NN
to good purpose:
England is the richest nation on the
globe. Her ships float on every sea;
her commerce embraces every country;
her merchants trade with all lands; her
bankers and capitalists have invest
ments in every quarter OF the world,
which Weld vast sums Of annual inter
est, and yet we are told that many peo-
pie in England are dying of starvation!
The report seems too monstrously abb
surd for human credulity. Let us sup
pose case, for illustrations: Two far
mers i've side by side in western New
York. The one owns a small farm
consisting of l60 acres, the other large
landed estate Of 10000 acres, rented TO
hundred tenants. The one has,
through lack Of economy or shrewd-
ness, secured only moderate subsist-
ance, has reared family and sent
them out into the world; but his small
farm is burdened with debt. The other
has grand mansion, extensive barns
and warehouses, large herds of Stock
cattle, horses, sheep, and swine
money in bank, investments in the gov
eminent funds, and mortgages to the
amount Of scores of thousands of dol
lars upon his less fortunate or less
adroit neighbors' farms; and is known
to owe no man anything. One fine
morning, when it may be reasonably
presumed that the rich farmer il agree
ably employed in receipting for
sums Of interest, receiving rents
t.In nd a M
cutting off coupons which call for
other sums of money from the GOV ern-
ment, the poor farmer IL informed that
the tenants and family Of his rich neigh
Dor are dying of starvation The report
is received with utter1ncrcdulity: but It's
truth being stoutly maintained, the poor
farmer repairs to his neighbours house
to investigate, and, if need be, to offer
what little assistance lies within his lin.
tied power. lie finds the great land
lord surrounded by panic-strcken
crowd Of ignorant, besotted, ragged ten
ants, clamoring for bread; and among
them, strange to shy, are Sons ofthe rich
man only ~ little less Ignorant besotted
and ragged than the rest Of the rabble,
of which they form part The poor
farmer actually stands aghast with as-
tonishment, but plucks up courage to
repeat the starvation report md inquire
what il means? The landlord explains
that the report is somewhat cxaggerat-
ed; TINT few, II any of his people have
actually died of starvation; that there
il, however, grent restitution among
them, and that he is about to open u
soup-house for their partial relief. Tho
poor farmer begs to know how 1t hap
pens that the rich farmers SONS appear
to be as wretchod as his tenants. IN
reply the landlord explains that his ia
thcr was nm Englishman, and, desiring
to continue the estate intact, had be-
queathod it to him, tho eldest son, ex-
Guiding the others, md accordingly the
others were compelled 10 shift for them
selves; and that they, failing Of success
elsewhere, had become his tenants. In
reply to tbs inquiry as to the immediate
cause Of such extreme destituton, the
landlord Occupied in tho meantime
lolsuroly in cutting off interest coupons)
observed that he held his hnd Ut $500
per acre, and required Of his tenants
rental Of $24 per acre; that short crop,
coupled with low prices, had loft his
tenants. without my surplus, since no
had seized the entire product, which |
was scarcely sufficient to moot Ills
claims. TO the question whether in
his opinion the system which caused SO
much misery was not susceptible Of i'm
proyement, tho landlord replied with
digniiied emphasis: Certainly not. Ii
is tho English system; i. is hundreds Of
years old; under il tho English nation
mas become the richest as il is the great
ost nation on earth" But" remarked
the poor farmer, under the system the
dist ribution Of the comforts Of life has
become 50 extremely unequal, on veur
estate, rs to involve, il seems to me, the
probable violent overturning Of IL. DO
you have no fear Of these desperate |
men-lear that they will sack and
burn your barns2' A look Of incrcdu-
lity overspreads tho band fnee Of the
landlord and ho suspends the operation
Of cutting oil coupons to say: mot the
least, My people know their place;
they IRE hungry now, but they ARE loyal
no me ~ thu English people nre loyal
to the aristocncy OF Great Britain. |
When they have had their soup they
will rend the mir with shouts FOR my
health and prosperity" The poor
farmer bowed himself out Of the pre-
senco Of the great landlord, but he re-
peatcd TO himself the question; GLOW
long will the system bend without
breaking"
| venture tho opinion TINT the Brit
ish system based on the law of primo
genituro, i about To receive terrible
shock. Sooner o. later revolution
must come III England which will sweep
from tho statute books the Inv Of en-.
tail, and the vast landed estates with
their parks and the vast landed estates
will be opened TO the hand Of the hus-
bandman. If the British governing
classes are as wise rs they have proved
themselves TO be III many emergencies
they will take care that the coming rev.
olution is peaceful one. Tho thou
sands and tens of thousands of people
m England now on the verge Of starya-
ton must be provided for, If need be,
by the charity If the world. But il
should not be forgotten that the English