Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-02


md national Legislation In this country has al
been in the direction Of the theories OF the
German professors. and this 10 all the more
curious from the fact that II Il contrary 70 the
ton ago. II should certainly he within
the power of the American people 70 correct
those abuses of wealth which none feel more
keenly than they do themselves
It would be hard To write In as Few
words q greater tumble OF truths and
errors than 10 contained in that part of
the editorial which we have quoted
above. Bad as any impnst or tariff 10,
protectiveOr or only for revenue,
it il nothing compared with those
measures that have characterized, not
only national legislation, but the legis-
lation of every State, and which dis
criminate In favor Of the idle and rich
and against the industrious and ps,or.
In diagnosing our case the most rabtd
Socialist has never gone too far, but In
the remedies even the mild |
est and most moderate of these REFORM |
ers has only piled an Ossa of errors upon |
a Pelion of wrong. The editor IL right |
beyond all dispute when he assumes
that the land Is the prime resource OF
labor, and that 1t constitutes the ele-
ment Of personal independence, but he
sadly mistakes when he supposes that
public domain IL poor safety-valve, for
the Iandless laborer cannot obtain a
square foot there for the asking, nor ev-
en- at any price the majority are able to
pay. West of Missouri and Arkansas
the now unsettled portions Of the cOun-
try are inferior both in soil and climate
to the country eastward OF that line.
The land speculator seized upon the
choicest bits as fast a. the u. 8. survey
0rs marked the sections; and eastward
of the Mississippi there are thousands of
men who have tried to make homes In
the Western prairies, but were, conl-
PEELED, by circumstances beyond their
control, to abandon the attempt; and
they are now living in the older States
as we'll as landlords and usurers will
let them. Tens of thousands now In
those newer States would gladly escape
and return and eke out an existance by
picking up the crumbs that fall from the
rich mans table, If they bad the means
of getting back again. With an AK and
rifle it was no very hard matter for the
settler to support himself and family,
tell he could hew out . home, In the
well-woodsd portions Of the West, where
building timber, fuel, and game, both for
food and clothing, were abundant; but
the idea that u poor man can emigrate
and make home In the bleak, timber
less, wind-swept plains, ,is best described q
| in the words that some well-infOrmed
wag rendered Greeley's advice to young
men to go West in, "Go West, young
man; take i've cents and 60 West" II
a man has means enough 70 justify him
| in irving to make home on some Of this
land which can be had for the asking,
he had better buy land I'm some Of the
older settled States, where. unless he
pays a fancy price, he will find 1t cheap
er in the end, even though IL brings
| wrinkles in his brow and gray hairs on
his head to finish paying for 1t. II we
are to trust to such u safety-valve AZ this,
we can count on our boiler bursting. We
are face to face with the great social
problem now, and we should note with
alarm the nntoward tedency Of legisla-
ton. Our experience In the tdissez fdtrc
the "lst alone, !" or "don't-Over-govern'
ally never had any experience In thai
direction; our whole system of legisla'
ton has been vicious i'm the extreme
aud while pretending to be fair and jus,
we have always legislated 30 that those
who neither spun nor wOve should pu
a price on yarn and cloth; and 80 tha
those who neither plowed nor reapeC
should fix the price of land and bread
We have done this by raising the bar
riers of rent and interest between labO
!. and seli-emplOyment, and Ii would b.
well before we fly to the theories Of 30
cialisms, before we try to find ever,
Imam employment, that We should tr,
the plan of giving every man chanc
to employ himself, and not force him Il
buy employment as we now do. Their
lis one man that the statesman and leg
lislator can never afford tn lose sight oi
, and that is the man at the plow. Is.
the man at the plOw we mean the maj
who actually holds the plow and Walk
; in the furrow behind It, and not tn
man who hires him to do vt; but wh
; though commonly called a farmer 70 Ol
!, tener mere speculator In land and Ia
, bor. This man must be always kept y
view, because he IL the man upon WHOM
all Others depend, and to interfere wit
, or iniure him in any way Injuries tn
!. community az q whole; aud every bui
den put upon others must, Of necessity
be in some way transmitted to him
!, Place the common burden OF society
,, taxation, below him, at his feet. % tha
, he NAV choose q burden suited to h1
strength; grant him no favors, for b
; asks none; indeed, It is from him that's q
favors and all prosperity comes; but q
|. not injure him. Though the operatic
2 Of our laws that recognize gain withou
!. labor, through rent upon land and IL
. terest upon money, labor is driven an
: divorced from the soil, the man at tn
I plow injured; and to prove this, and
= demonstrate that present legislation n
: suits in denying labor employment, IL
!. us enquire under what conditions " y
!, find the man at the plow placed. w
!. will take him at the outset Of life, jui
1 as the majority Of young men have
b start into life on their own accCun
!, honest, hopeful, able, willing, but poo
9 that is, with no capital but his bal
= ha nds. He has the choice Of thrt
. things, only three; he can rent or hiI
Il land by paying one year with auothe
good seasons with bad. one-half Of q
!, the results Of his labor, provided he
= willing to work hard and live hard {
q the same timr; he can 60 to the none,
, lender, instead of the landlord. and hil
. money, provided he II willing 70 su
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