The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-03
Uncle sam IS Landowner.

PhlIadelphl2 Ledger ana AEAhaash -
It gives the various land systems prac-
ticed BY the government 50 concisely
that We take pleasure in reproducing il
II might lie mentioned BY way Of infor-
nation TO some-indeed We had an IN
quiry BY mail on the point few days
since-that land lying adjacent 70 the
farm Of any one who had never taken
advantage of the homestead act, can he
entered By him or her to the extent Of
40 acres:
The distinctive features of our land
policy. as il exists to-day, are two: hrst,
the Government desires to tansfer the
public lands to private owners, who VIII
develop their resources; and, second, TO
foster small holdings, to be owned abso-
lutely, in fee. The United States has
never desired 20 remain land owner.
The reason usually given IS that the
Government realizes more from taxa
tion on improved values than it could
hy retaining the land for an advance, or
by becoming a landlord and managing
its own estates; but it would be difficult
to demonstrate this, and If the contrary
were shown, the Government would not
now change its policy. Indeed, a very
large proportion Of our landless citizens
have come to regard the public domain
as the heritage If the people. They
coneede the legal title to be in the Gov
ernment. but the lands are sspublic
lands" held in trust for settlement. Any
attempt to lock them up or reserve them
for any- purpose, is considered an fn-
fringement of the sovereign preroga-
tives os the settler This feeling is so
strong, that when it becomes necessary
for the President to reserve by Execu-
tive order any portion of the public
domain from settlement, as for the tenn
porary use of a homeless Indian tribe,
the act costs the Administration much
popularity in the West.
II NAV be considered settled that no
policy Withdrawing or Withholding per-
manently from entry any large portion
of the public lands will ever be adopted
in the United States. In consequence
of the rapid development OF the coun-
try, the lands have become mueh more
valuable than they were when TINS pol
lev was inaugurated. by putting up
alternate sections at auctioni the treF-
ernment could have realized an immense
revenue: vet the tendency has peeh TO
charge the settler less, rather than more,
for the land he is permitted 10 enter
Under the homestead law, when Detter
than any other represents the spirit OF
our present land policy, the settler IN
most of the States and Territories wnefe
entries can be made pays to the Uov,
ernment eighteen dollars ohi9 ioA
acres of land. -1..
after the "Northwest Territory" and
Louisiana" became the property OF tne
nation, the lands were offered at puolc
auction and freely sold to all buyers;
This system, and that OF the hoyal
grants and charters which preceeded II,
both favored the formation OF large
estates, and, consequently, tostered the
growth of landed aristocraey. ohaer
this policy title to the lands OF tne
South passed from the Government 70
nriyate hands, and there was nothing TO
prevent the establishment of great plan
tationx. which have exercised an obvious
influence upon the history and pollty o.
that section of the country. -
Afterward, and while lands were SUI
, nurchasable in the South, different
policy was adopted to meet the wants O
the Northwest. In 1871 the Pre-emp
tion act was passed giving to the actua
settler preferred right to purchase, a
3 a nominal price, the land upon, whlcl
: be had located to the extent OF 100 acre
u onlv. Rut the prosperity of the North
9 west was still retarded by the fact thai
s from time to time, large tracts OF iand
q being .soffered" by the Government wer
y hought up and held by non-reslden
Ie canifalists out of the reach OF the pr!
/ omntor: nor was the settler always adj
rs 10 snare the $1.25 or $3.50 an acre r.
sc ouired by the pre-emption act. A1t'
to many wears of laborious effort Congrei
"a was induced, in 1862, to pas the 'flom
ID stead law" This act granted farm /,
or 16O acres to every citisen who mlgl
n, choose to establish home upon u
ne nnbIic domain; and what was perhal
e. of equal importance, although very l.
u, tle had been said about it, the pfactl
l. of "offering !" lands was wholly aba
er doned. Under this policy, for twen
lg- wears it has been impractieable iof
ers single individual to obtain title fro
nd the iovernment to any very large tra
rd of land in the Northwest. Settlers m
nd obtain patents and afterward sell,
he course: but buyers desiring to sect
hs large tracts of land for speculation,
nls tensive farming or stockralslng, ha
Ice found it extremely dlfhcult TO 40
vas Orr national land policy, therefore
len its full development, has accomPilsl
og' these two objects: 1t has disposed
IN vast acres Of land in short time, a
MY it has prevented, in large degree tnou
PR not entirely, the formation in the Nof
yer west of large landed estates, Planfatl'
~ or manors.
ate The 6rst titles obtained to lands
'om America we're royal grants or chart
x usually proprietary, and all OF lmme
lhe extent. Naturally the sub-grants M
him hv those holding such princely prol
SIN, ties were not small. Sometimes an
ao,,al to several counties was conye
hy single deed. Nearly all No
America was covered by these gra
From such a beginning it must b
seemed likely that the country wo
Of become one of great landed estates
ort, ,,ecially when the land system OF
will rrnother country is considered. But
,uld rpl;ng spirits among our ancestor
r on .be time OF the Revolution entertal
ther . strong antipathy to everything sa
dus inc Of aristocracy, and the evils OF
for 4asled estates were then much dlscn
t of = Fn0land. It was concluded tn
| or nation - Of small proprietors, hol'
osed their lands in fee, would be more
any nernus than nation of tenants Pa,
and rent for terms of years or Tor ~ Ill
,uth- holding by any other tenure. p
,wes, ;ection of the doctrine OF primo-i
off jnre was 4 bold attempt to proven
ltton nernetuation sssIr in families Of large est
rices and the American doctrines OF ID
s. by tance substituted therefor, which
erino troll the descent and distributlo
give iands make it extremely ditllcu
ewes keep any large estate intact ior
as, to than three generations In the
uiey, spirit the land department, as We
COM sIraady shown, has gradually dI
tured into 4 method of disposing Of the
down lie lands tending to prevent SUI
tates from being created. The pr
mt, of itv of the vigorous States OF the \
o any west We settled under this policy ap
The n prose its wisdom, and, 50 far
it fair individual citizen IS concerned,
ibutes certainly been successful
great -.os-
lamb. Lambs I'VE Like Fairnessr
z 49,.