The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-24
,Oint in the Journal nearly a year

said on this point in the journal nearly a year
ago. sSRE VIZ u :,,,.....
nation must depend upon the organic structure
OF those with which such relations are to be sus-
tanned. If the social and political conditions OF
the people composing nations were identical
there could be no just reason for statutory die
crimlnation of one toward the other. But II,
somewhere in the organic structure, natural
rights have been disturbed AMI violated, the ma
lions having avoided such disturbance in their
structure in adjusting their relations can only
aVoid the effect of such violence on their own
people by arbitrary provision against IL.
On l. the same principle there could be no Occa-
sion for criminal law were there no enoroaoh-
ments on natural rights The principle In volved
is not different, whether these encroachments
prevail In organic structure among individ-
uais. In the one case they are provided against
by statutory law for individual violations In
course. The political and social systems of Eu-
rope Tor the most part are abnormal This nation
mas SAID so plainly in its organic structure, by
lhstltuting totally different system"
AS already stated, the CHIEF cornerstones OF
our civilization, the landed and electoral svs-
| tens, are totally different from those Of Euro
pean countries. 1t Is not necessary to array
statistical facts showing the wisdom of our sys-
TENS compared with others. 1t is worth while,
England's system as being better than our own,
Dy quoting the words of the greatest living
statesman of England, Mr.. Gladstone; "The
Judgment Of the mass of English people on the
leading political and social questions of the past
NIFTY years has been far more just than that Of the
most highly educated classes" 1t was not ne
cessary for Mr.. Gladstone to add thai tine tr0u-
bles OF England to-day grow out of the fact that
the Judgment of the masses Of English people
policies and modifying the English systems to
any large extent But his convictions about the
losses to England on this account are fully
emphasized by his last great efforts in bringing
the ruling classes to adopt better policy
land system. ~
have said that this tariff question reaches
down to our civilization, that It involved either
the existence Of our free institutions or our in
dustry, and that the paltry dollar in trade,
though Important, was an incident Of the real
question. The electoral and landed SYSTEMS of
England lie at the foundation of improVerlsh-
ment and sqlalOr of her labors and wage
workers Look at the facts. 1t is true that tho
reform bill of 1867 made pretence at liberal
suffrage, but more than two-tnirds OF
the adult male population are
and in Ireland only one man out of eight has the
privileges of an electOr. The results of this are
ton. The civil list enjoyed by the sovereign.
including other revenues, amounts annually TO
208l 200; that of the Prince of Wales to $685.
04O, and OF the other members OF the royal fam.
lily to $1,026,O90, making in ali $362O,32O.
The lands held by primogeniture, and IN large
estates, are owned as follows:
Number of persons holding less than an
Number holding from one to 500 acres. .25S,S30
Number holding over 1000 acres. ....... 10,027
Total land owners. ..................-..9 72, 1886
This is for England and Wales, which
contains population OF 22,712,266.
The law of entail prevents land owners from
selling or dividing their estates, and there is
universal tendency of landed proprietors TO en-
large their boundaries. The only portion of the
British islands where subdivisions of the lands
are going on, as in France, is the Channel
Islands, and their prosperity is universal.+ Just
| as THE estates have grown large, have the agrL
cultural population decreased in numbers In
1851 the agricultural population was 2,OS4, $50,
| and in 1871 had decreased TO ,447500. ,a.t
These political and civil conditions are just so
many steps at enslavement aud, as II result, we
la nj q " n n a.
plorable condition. The men. women and
children in the factories work long hours and
earn llttle and their life is OF the hardest aud
most cheerless Nearly all medical men arc OF
the opinion that the population of Lancashire
and Yorkshire exhibits signs of physical degen-
Grafton. The number of children physically un-
fit for work on the completion Of the thirteenth
year is increasing" More thants million able
bodied men, women and children are wholly or
partially dependent upon the paTOchial authori-
ties for their support.
Briefly, these are a few of the beauties which
free traders would have this country adopt,
OF course they do not think that
such would follow the adoption Of
free-trade policy. But they don't pretend to eK-
plain how we could compete with country
which has euslayed its workers by the relics Of
and which pays but few shillings per week.
and at the same time maintain free education
wage workers from degeDerating physically.
Yes, Professor W. G.. Sumner, in the March num-
Der OF the North American Review did explain
that very thing. That very-learned theoHst
| said. quit the pursuits in which we cannot com.
petei II that had been the policy.
which Alexander Hamilten inaugprsted at
| the organization of the government.
! there would indeed have been few pursuits
| and little industry worth considering now.
The conditions which induce the wage-workera
| OF Europe TO take so to 80 per cent. less
| week than is paid in America would be required
| to obtain here in order to compete under FREQ
| trade. So much labor enters into the cost Of
production, and no one will have the temerity
| TO assert that pronts in TINS country are 90 TO
| $50 per cent Such conditions cannot be made
| to obtain in America. Our free-landed and cleo
toral systems will forever forbid them. Free
trade might, indeed for a season, drive
the workers out OF the factories into tho
fields of agriculture. But this would cut off the
home market for 80 to SO per cent. of our
products, and. as approximate free trade did
once before, arouse the people to their true con-
aition, and free ballot would quickly reiegato
the theorists to private life, and correct the
error, the very thing forbidden by the electoral
system OF England
Humanity Is about the same everywhere and
we had a splendid illustration OF what IL will do
when it has the power, during the period OF
American slavery. the same III kind If not In
degree, as that mentioned In Europe. 1t was
not color that made wages low, and forbade land
holding and education among the
American slaves They did not have
the ballot to protect themselves with,
nor right to acquire land, So far they were
concerned it was the substance of the political
anu landed system which now prevail in Eng.
land, that degraded ana impoverished them. Is
this not sof See now, for the proof of this, what
the condition OF the freedmen Is. With his natu-
raj rights restored he is acquiring lands, home,
education competence ana Independence.
1t was with degree of pleasure that many
persons witnessed the gyrattons OF certain free
traders in the last Indiana Legislature, during
the debate on convict labor Said one OF these
free-trade members of the HOUSE, respecting the
| low contract system in convict labor: =
1.-THE detriment comes TO the labOrIng classes
because of the lOw-prieed convict labor products
thrown upon the market, in order TO meet which
the free laborer must reduce his price. AS soon
az the brand of Cain is put upon prison
prducts it reduces the price, and eau
possibly have no other effect The object of the
hill ia to enhance the value of convict labor pro-
ductions"
Another free-trader In the State Senate Ia
speech on the pending bill said:
Not one senator hut knows the complaints
against the system of Wet contract labor have
become SO loud and persistent that the Legisa-