The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-10
TIE SPRINGER EBIRs.

'' Auielisa to-day that is greater ihan /
the political Acknowledgement ard 1
consequent wholesale legal robbery Of
the earnings Of The women Of the coun-
try, that wrong lies in the chimericai
idea aud its practical enforcement that
there ls an intrinsic, real, personal
property rigkt inherent ia the NOR y
q some persons ana the heir-hip 81 otii-
ers, by which ~ such person are sup
posed to become ilNineiy. Or at iesat
righteously, entitled TO the ownership
of our common mother, the terrestrial
earth. Centuries ago, when William
Penn was a living resident Of the colo
nies Of the New World, that illustrious
philauthropist received q grant from the
English crown for the State Of Della
ware-a grant which the crown had no
other right than the power Of might to
bestow. William Penn sold twelve
square miles Of this land to one Law
renee Springer for twenty pounds ster-
ling. Springer then leased the land to
another party for a period Of ninety
nine years. This lease, says the Truckee
Republican, has now expired, and the
property reverts to the Springers. An
association Of the Springer heirs has
been formed, and legal steps are being
taken to recover the land, upon which a
city has been erected and stationary
property placed that is at present worth
eighty million dollars. Now, in the
name Of common justice, we beg leave
| to ask the Lawmakers of this nation to
inform US by what moral right these
! Springer heirs claim these possessions.
What will they attempt to render as an
equivalent for the outlay Of SSO,OOO,OOO
by the toll of more than twenty thou
sand persons who have never heard oi
them, and to whose prosperity they
have never contributed one cent-for the
property which they now propose tc
confiscate?
How many lessons like this must the
people be compelled 10 learn through
the bitterest experience before they viii
realize that it is not the lahd, but the
Improvements upon or adjacent to it
which constitute the basis OF realty?
No doubt there are all kinds Of peopl,
among the Springers-good, bad and in
! different. They wouldn't be like othe
heirs If there were not. We supposr
they will realize their golden dream
We have little doubt that the Syringe
, heirs will form an extensive aristOcrac,
! by the confiscation of this Ss0,O00,0 ,00
that really belongs to nobody excep
those who have toiled and bought ant
p paid for 1t. But where is the justice o
o this thing? And how is it all 10 end
g The Springer heirs were born as such
T to quote an idea of Josiah Aliens wife
Z "unbeknowin' to 'em." There ar
n doubtless many thousands OF heirs {
, the twenty thousand real owners Of tn
o eighty million dollars worth OF labo
4 and coin which has been expended o.
= that tract Of twelve square miles Of hu
4 manity's footstool to which they nov
o lay claim. What is 10 be the heritag
OF those heirs? what the fate OF thei
. progenitors? By what principle Of jus
tice are the bony fingers Of the dead an
= cestor of all the Springers galvanize
. into the power to release for all time
9 come seven thousand six hundred an
q, eighty acres Of the soil of Delawar,
! with all the appurtenances Of the toll {
d, others for a century to his heirs an
! their assignees? o, Equity! o, Jul
= tice what robberies are perpetrated
n thy namel What fools We are, an
blindl And how like the living gho
\ of departed slavery does this phantom
q landed property rise up to shake i
fossil hands in the face Of humanit.
!, and clamp the iron chains Of ideal owl
= ership upon the accumulated toll of
- departed century
Itisli little wonder that communism
gaining power. This phantasy is on
the other extreme of a mighty wron
The middle line encircles Justice, wi
e recognizes no individual ownership
air or earth or water, and protects I
'' realty save that which is rendered ju
: 10y occupancy, use, buildings, minin
manufactures, or other industries.
j., In the meantime, while the world
d, learning this important lesson, it wou
" be well for everybody to overlook Il
g musty records Of the by-gone centur
VI and see whether or not a vandal hor,
Of the greedy heirs Of some departed a
IT. cestor have not legal claim upon tie
=. homes and buildings.