The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-07-29
l'Thlck walls nor moated gate,
Nor cities proud with spires and tur


10 pride
':But men, high minded men
YSybo their duties know but know thoir right'
t'And knowing, dare maintain them.
'Governments ARE created for the
benefit Of the people aud the officers
EheTe.f arc the servants OF the people,
and our government ought TO bs 80 ad-
ministered as to be the grcateat bene,
llt TO the greatest number, but unfor-
tunately II IL not always 30.
Upon ownership Of the soil rests Tho
foundation Of civilized society and all
beneficial government. Ia the beginn.
Ing Of the world, we are informed by
holy writ that the all-bountiful Creator
HEave To man dominion oyer. all the
earth and over tho fish OF the Sea, and
over the fowls Of the air, aud over
every living thing that moveth upon
the Garth, and trough IL is interest-
ing aud Instructive TO trace out the
different forms and manner Of holding
and owning property and especially real
estate, from the time that abraham
diggsd a WE'LL" down through the
Roman law of allowing only six acres
TO man, the allodiAl system of the
middle ages, the feudal tenurrs Of the
Normans, aud the modern English ten
ures, 10 our own liberal system Of land
titles, would not be justified 10 tax
ing up your time in discussing these
questions only 10 far AZ they throw
light upon the ileA | am trying to
place before you.
As the world by degrees grew more
populars, says Mr. blackstone, II be'
came necessary TO pursue sons regular
method of providing constant subsis-
tance and this necessity produced, or
at least promoted and encouraged, the
art Of agriculture Aud the art Of
agriculture by regular connection aud
consequence introduced sud establish
ed the idea of +" more permanent prop
erty ia the soil than had hitherto been
received. IL was clear that the earth
would not produce her lruits ia snih-
cient quantities. without the assistance
Of tillage, but who would be at the
pains of tiiliug IL ii another might
watch his opportunity co seize ppon
aud enjoy the product Of his industry,
art aud labor. Had not therefore
separate property il lands ns we'll as
movables been vested III = 'n. individu-
ais the world must h,ss Is ntlpued
forest aud men hV, i.e a. nne ani-
mails Of prey, wbef.ss i.,sy. al srAcbJus.
ly has ?royid snss intsr ~ogsn onr duty
and our hapi,iussp-tv srtarr, the result
Of this very necessity las been tie emo
bling of the Lumian slDocies by giving It
opportunities of impros ing ITS ratIo,ial
faculties ~ well "a exSstiag ita Batsssals
Necessity begot property, aai ia or.
der 10 insure that property recourse
was had 10 civil society which brought
along with il a long train ot iasci@r-
able concomitants states, governments,
laws, puniAhments and tue public ak
ercises Of religious duties. Thus con.
nected together it was found tnut
part only Of society was sufficient To
provide by their unusual labor for tho
necessary subsistence of all. aud leisure
was given to others TO cultivate the
human mind, to invent useful arts,
and 70 lay the foundations of science.
We find that carrying out the theory
Of self government in its truest sense,
in this country \ course Was eall y pur-
sued Of vcsting title in the land To the
people, making them tillers of the soil
and pillars of the Government by
granting to them the right of pre-
smption on the public domain, by
which man might pre-empt and become
the owner Of 100 acres of land at the
nominal price Of 81 25c per acre.
This was Afterwards followed by the
Homestead act, giving 10 each head of
n family l60 acrea OF land, a. a home
for himself and family, to be free from
execution for any debts contracted
prior to his obtaining a patent therefor
from the Government. The early
settlers OF this state was favored with
a very liberal land law, passed in 1850
by which every settler on the public
land was granted one section, or six
hundred and forty acres of land, one
half to himself and the other half to his
wife in her own right. Here We fnd
the dignity and personality of woman
recognized in substantial manner and
her rights to property placed upon the
same footing and secared as co,nplete-
ly TO her as those of the man. This
provision of the donation act is one Of
the strongest arguments j have seen in
favor of woman's rights and entities
the.authofs of tbaIaw to the gratitude
of every man aud woman IN Oregon,
for it has enabled many mother to
support herself and family aud educate
her children in a respectable manner,
and even provide for an improvident
husband in his declining years. 70
those who d. not believe in the capa-
bilities of woman / ask to point
single instance in which this bounty of
the Government has not been more
carefully guarded and more bene6cially
used by the woman than the man,
where she had the same opportunities
of managing anil controlling it that he
had.
Other liberal grants Of land were
made to our State in favor OF the in
terests that this society represents.
Sections numbsr l6 and SO in every
township were set apart and received
for the use Of the common schools.
Seventy two sections were granted to
the State for the support of State
University, and ninety thousand acres
were granted to found and sustain an
agricultural college. These grants of
land have been. well utilized bY our