The Labor enquirer., 1883-07-21
is the root of all our

try England is the root Of all our
Land, on principle, is on the same
footing with air and water. have a
right to that certain quantity of air
which / inhale and use in my lungs; as
soon as exhale it, it becomes public
property. Soswith land. It is therefore
not wrong and in order to understand
the socialists claim it is important to
mark the difference-it is not wrong, we
say, that. a farmer who possesses 160
acres of land, or a man who has got a
house and lot in the city, claim not to
be disturbed ), they have a right to oc-
cupy and use their respective parcels as
long as they need them. But it is wrong
that person who ten years ago bought
a piece Of land for a trife. to-day may
become a rich man, because the sur
rounding property has been improved,
though he may have suffered his partic-
ular parcel to lie waste. This is, indeed,
nothing but a shameful fleeing of the
community. I'LL
1t is wrong that a man who to-day
buys parcel of land, to morrow may be
a millionaire, because the rich mines or
petroleum wells are found on the prop
erty-treasures of which no human soul
dreamed when the owner entered into
possession.
1t is Wrong-a grievous wrong-that
a man who owns block of houses in a
populous city can pass luxurious life
thousands of miles away, without doing
a days work, simply because the law
gives him the power of forcing from his
tenants the value of that property every
ten years. saas-. @4%5
The same thinkers, who admit these
wrongs do not know any way ofrighting
them. So Herbert Spencer says: There
are so many difficulties in the way of
making land common property that 1 do
not see any means of overcoming them.
Had we to deal with the parties who
originally robbed the human race of it's
heritage, we might make short work of
them" Yet it is just as easy to abolish
the present ownership in land as it was
to abolish slavery we even contend
that it can be accomplished with less
evil consequences. Suppose in year
from now a majority of the people of
this country should decree: The fee
to all real estate in these United States
is hereby declared to be and remain in
the said United States. All titles in fee
in private persons are hereby abolished"
What would be the consequence? Not
a single person need be ousted from the
premises he occupied and used The
owners would simply be turned into
tenants OF the state, merely the name of
payment to the commonwealth would be
changed from taxes" into rents" Un-
doubtedly the change in other respects
would be tremendous Land as private
wealth. and source of it, would disap-
pear like mist before the morning sun.
The occupant could no more sell it, no
more mortgage 1t, no more derive in
comes from it IN the shape of rents
Land would lose its speculative, but
retain its intrinsic value. Land held for
speculative purposes would certainly be
dropped. But occupants in good faith
could use it as they do now; and when
they could not use it any more, and had
to quit possession, they would be entitled
to compensation for the improvements
they might have made. 1t will thus be
seen that the realization of the socialistic
programme will not violate equitable
interests.
But how are you going to compensate
the owners of the land for its present
value, for the money which they have
paid for it?" our opponents will here
ask u.s.
We certainly admit that if, as we
fervently hope, this great change will be
effected peaceably, the present owners
will be indemnified for whatever i'm
provements they have made, or that, at
least, if it is to be effected by force, those
that support the reform will be compen-
sated. But what then? Cannot the
same nation that spent 100000 to
if necessary, 100000 to liberate the
great majority of it's citizens especially
when it will receive the consideration
for the debt, the land itself, into its own
hands? And it must not be forgotten
that when the industrial state is fully
established, as it must be after the land
has become public property, all profit
and all interest will cease that conse-
quently no money will further be paid
in discharge of debts to domestic citizens
but only means of living and enjoyment.
But" say our opponents, you will
never entice the farmers into offering
you their lands on such terms" We
reply: Wait little; walt until farmers
have been reduced to the position of
tenants, as in England and Ireland
and that will come before long. But we
hope to have majority of them within
our ranks long before that.-Circular
Two or three letters have been re-