Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-09-07

zled to know whether T. G.. really doe
not understand what he is attemptin
to write about, or whether he is onl
! giving the arguments on the usurer
side to show their weakness. His di,
tum that expatriation is the only rem
edy for Ireland looks like playing int
the landlords hands. 1t reminds on
of the story of the boy who jumped In
to the river to keep shower of raj
from wetting him. His tropes, toe
are not correct. A hobby is an i'm
practicable idea; and. the word hobb,
comes from hobby horse-a child
rocking-horse, plaything. The bi
cycle does not embodv the idea at all
for the bicycle is very practical an,
useful machine as lately improved
Exhibiting the usual weakness of the
lsurer's side, he sets up q straw mar
and commences crying, Socialism =
"Communism!" &C., when nobody ha:
proposed single measure that has ev
en- the color of Socialism and Com mum
ism about it. He says that men who
have not a secure tenure of the soil are
inclined to become nomadic. This il
very true; and it is because half the
farms in the West are mortgaged that
men are moving here and there, be-
cause they have no assurance that
they will ever enjoy tlle fruits Of their
own labor. He says no man would
improve the land if he was likely lose
his possession, should he absent him
self from it. Who has proposed any
thing of that kind? I have proposed
that man should lose his land If he
failed to pay taxes; that the State, ex-
ercising the right of eminent domain
as 1t does now, should evict for non-
of taxes. Under such sys-
tenn man might own million acres
Of land and never see it. I say he
might; but it is not likely any man
would want to do so; and the best way
to govern men is through the medium
of their own interests. "Reason, JUS
tice, and truth never had weight
on earth to govern the coun-
'els OF men; it is interest alone that
ioes it, and therefore interest alone can
De trusted" said John Adams in the
of 1881; and If q mans ten
Ire of the soil depended upon his pay
nent of taxes, you could depend upon
that he would pay the taxes. Fur
her, and here is the best of it. If he |
ould not enforce the payment of rent.
Eor use the soil for usurious purposes. !
le would not pay taxes OH a square
nch moro than he has titled. And
1rthermpre stfll-another beauty ofl
UGH system-if Improvements did
OF increase taxes, he would improve
very rood to the uttermost before he
ought another rood! T. C. passes
nese ideas without notice; but if he
'ould examine them he would find
hat every question upon which hu-
ian happiness and prosperity depends
answered when they are answered.
l have not cried down feudal tenure /,
zcept where an individual and not ,
tate was the feudatory; but then 1 I
could call it the right of eminent do
ain and not feudal tenure. lam well I
ware that the very existence of civil j
'vernment depends not only upon an s
:ercise of this right, but upon a prop il
exercise of it; and we shall never
ercise it properly until we make the
nd, which this right itself claims as
mmon property, is made to bear the !,
hole of the common burdeBt taxation. y
Let US go back little. T. C. quotes !.
lakspeare-"You take my life when n
u do take the means by which "
e." Is not the land the means of
3? and when a man takes more of it N
an he can use himself, is he not TAX e,
: the means of another's life? What E
legation is there upon my part to re- 81
oct the life Of man who takes the p'
ANS of mine? Here is the great D
W, the shame, and curse of our civil
ton, which, as yet, dazzles only to :.
'eive. We drove the Indian out be- -.
lse he would not improve the land. tis
we have the same or a better ex- cd
e for driving out the landlord. an
der the term landlord Is included to
money-lender and land speculator. ha
,nything that raises the price labor
to pay to get at the soil, drives ing
into cities, slums, necessities. ma
kes, and crimes; and if you want a In
ple's reform, you must inaugurate :. ue
y letting the land to labor as its w.,
nral heritage; and then with plenty wh
come an era of peace and good will er
'arth toward men.
ns ,rce M n,;ya,o 'anu. any
az law. Am