Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-22
IRONTON. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 1881
as property. just like the products OF
human labor.

Calls dtteutlOu I'd I1lS III his ASTarldu
JUSTICE" and he shows that while in a
savage or barbarous state. every child
is born with an indefeasible right, in
common with his fellows, to the soil;
yet, in our civilized or enlightened state,
we have virtually alienated and tram
pied under foot God-given right; and
hence it may well be doubted whether
our civilization-with all it's boasting,
glitter and glare-gives to the human
race more happiness than misery.
Blackstone very significantly says
that "lt is well for those who profit
most by holding land, that the masses
do not see what their natural rights
are with regard to it,"
God created the soil for the purpose
of tillage and cultivation; and God new
er opened land Office, nor issued title
deeds in perpetuity to any individual.
Every man, woman and child depends
upon the land, as babe upon its moth
er's breast; and 50 long as this natural
dependence upon the land exists, 50
long will the common right Of all to the
land be inalienable. We call this right
the right Of eminent domain; and We
ought always to exercise it so far as to
derive all public revenue from the land
and to see that it is used only for the
purposes for which it was created.
deny the right, in equity and NOR
ais, for any man to put his money into
opportunities and hold them for sale to
those to whom they by right of nature
belong; no man has right to own land
unless be desires to labor upon it him.
self, and to cultivate and improve Ii TO
the uttermost. But if he desires it for
that purpose, he ought to have an her
liable or testamentary tenure of the
soil; because its full and proper i'm
prOvement requires him to put prod
ucts Of his labor upon it that are insep-
arabic from it. and which ought to go
to his children at his demise.
But if a man holds land for the pur-
poses of usury, while no individual has
the right-or can ever gain the right
to pounce upon and possess his holding,
yet the public has right to correct
him, and, if necessary, deprive him of
his tenure. Hence the suggestions of
my opponent have neither weight nor
point, for they cannot be logically de-
duced from the views | express.
All this prattle about democracy is a
sham and "a shame while every labor
ing man is forced to serve either US
urer or landlord, or work for only a
part of what his labor Produces; and
yet, under our present system, labor
has no other choice. Under our old
system of slavery, capital owned the
laborer; but only in few of the States
Under our present system of slavery,
capital seizes and monopolizes, and u.s.
es for the purposes of gain without la
Dor, the natural resources of labor-the
land; and the best-the only way-to
better the matter, is to destroy the in
terest that money has in land, and
leave only the interests of labor i'm it.
Money would go, then, out of mort
cages, rent-rolls and banks into ships,
railroads, factories and other public EN-
terprises, the owne ship which would
be so various or widely spread that heal
thy competition would naturally take
the place of present combination and
concentration.
have often written my platform, but
keep shortening and sharpeningit. l
have got it down to this now:
WHEKEAs, The laws OF every civil ed land
dis rrininate In ia, or Of The rich; therefore,
Resolved, 1st, That the unearned increments
of iuter:S5 AMI rent be declared Contrary 10
public policy.
2l, Lad, which bv the right OF eminent
domain Is common property, shall bear the
CON uon huri 'n-taxation
That is all of it, and I defy any one
to show any communistlc leaning in
such therapeutics, let the diagnose be
what it may.
Previous to 1911, i'm England the ten
ure of the soil was feudal, but virtually
there was nothing but land tax; and
this, for the most part, paid, not in
money, but in kind. But in that year
Parliament released its members-the
land-owners-from paying the taxes,
they thus received, to the king, whose
tenants they virtually were; but it re-
fused to relieve the actual tenants, be-
cause, the act recites, lit would he pref
JUDICIAL To the lords of the manor."-
Parliament gave the king, in lieu of a
land tax-which the landowners as
sessed as heretofore, but kept them
selves-an excise upon malt liquors and
other products of human labor. Thus
rent, which was once public fax, be-
came a private emolument, and the
burden of bor was doubled.
We have, it is true, adopted the al
lOOldi Ol ttHuTe, Dut VII
fortunately, retained this robbery of
rent, and the system of taxing the prod
ucts of human labor.
feel cramprd in trying to say in one
short newspaper article, and In an
hours writing, what it would take "a
large volume, and months or years of
writing, to elucidate. The hope OF my
life is to live to write such q work, and
to endeavor to do what can to make,
not only two, but hundred blades of
grass grow where but one grew before.
1t is just as important that we should
have an equal right to gain ,as We should
to keep after We have gotten. 1t is the
duty of every one to earn, and it is the
duty of society to see that all earn with |
out having that chance to buy.
Your proxy must now see lat he has
misunderstood me, and jumped at con- |
clusions that were warranted neither by
my words nor the actual condition Of
society. FARMER.
MCRaAYvIILE, Ill. Sept. TO- 1881
SEED WHEAT-Clawson wheat for sale at