Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-13
ALIEN LAND MoEoPOLIzA41oN AGAIN

The st. Louis Globe Democrat, which
evidently is i'll informed as to the facts,
declares that there JIG nothing to worry
about In the purchase of estates in this
country by rich Englshmen. 1t goes SO
far as to designate those who hold other
wise contemptuously, and to declare that
they set up men of straw for the mere
pleasure OF knocking them down. 1t then
proceeds to indulge in a great deal Of
forced wi. about people who live in a
nightmare OF fear over the encroachments
of landlordism. This is a trivial way of
treating subject worthy of serious de-
bate. The ST. Louis journal is i'll advised
if it does not know that the disposition of
population TO centralize in cities is grow
ing one, and that he well serves his
country who exerts himself to counteract
this tendency. Machinery is daily making
the capacity Of q general workman of less
importance, and the specialists in the me-
chanic arts are taking the place of the old.
time workers. The demand of the country
is, hence, for the diffusion of labor, and
the employment of men in those vocations
where greatest independence OF citizenship
will result. There is no following that at
all compares with agriculture in its con.
tribution to the material strength of a
nation and the independence of the indi-
vidual. Whatever therefore tends to limit
this and throw it into the hands of the
few to the exclusion of the many, is detri-
mental to the nation, for it narrows the
production Of homes in which the nation
must find its greatest strength.
Until within fifty years the English
merchants, as msss, have not
been large money-makers. They are
now possessed of means, and OF an ambi-
tion, which should possess all men, to own
land. Unable to obtain it at home in the
desired large tracts, they come to America
to secure estates that are forbidden them
land. Now we prefer that such estates
should be in the hands of American citi-
zens, and that mere preference, in our
view, is an argument to which no sufficient
reply can be made. The reasons for it are
found in praiseworthy patriotism, and
the fears that low grade aristecracy will
result from the possession of vast tracts of
land by aliens are not i'll founded. There is
an aristocrscy indeed which we prefer, and
it is well described by our contemporary,
an aristocrscy that is being constantly
recruited from the working people," That
these may have the largest opportunities
to that end, we would hold the soil of the
country at their command. That kind OF
an aristocracy is subject to constant muta-
tions, and it contains its corrective within
itself, for our people are indeed in con.
slant state Of fux among themselves, SO
far as wealth is concerned, and we are OF
those who believe it is well that this should
be. But the introduction OF the alien
landlord here will tend to check this mani
fessation, and for that very reason we op-
pose him. We are not of those who be.
lieve that the country is, or is to be, in
great danger because of the vast wealth oi
the few. In-the very nature of things
the aggregation of vast capital in
the hands of enterprising men
in America must not only be the
rule, but il is well that it is SO.
The great enterprises of the nation could
nei Ee carried on but for massed capital,