The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-08-30
FREE LANDS.
truth may be Uvershadowed for n
short while,
But Is Invarlable Cleared Up and
Prevails.
Problem of Private Property In Land.


DALLAS, Aug. 25.-[Editors HERALD]-
Referring TO your editorial of last Sunday
as 10 "whether ownership shall cease" l
would like to make few comments.
Truth, like the sun in the heavens, is ever
present in the universe of humanity; but
the revolutions OF time or the shadows OF
passing events, like the cloudsin the firma-
ment, may obscure for while, or conceal
for a season the brightness OF the one or the
beauty of the other. Having explored all
the secrets of heaven, having exploded all
the traditions of the past, progress in
America, in the evening of the nineteenth
century, finds itself brought face to face
with the same material and earthly ques.
tions that twenty-three hundred years ago
was the vital point at issue in republican
Rome-the problem of private property in
land!
TO those who have followed the argu-
ments of John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer
and Henry George, it will be apparent that
the vital question to determine now is not
shall the land be free; but how shall this so
desirable result be brought about with least
detriment to the interest OF the money
making, and with greatest benefit to the
working portion OF society. Philosophy
has in this particular performed her mis-
sion; the abstract truth has been declared;
it now only remains that statesmen advance
toward those truths by adopting such
measures of reform, of change and of ad-
iustment as it is the Office of statesmen to
determine. That the hight to own, to buy
or to sell land is theoretically erroneous is
proved by this simple test; if man has
sufficient money he can buy ten millions of
acres as well as he can buy one; and if ten,
why not twenty, fifty, one hundred million
as well? There is no reason in the world
except want of disposition and means.
That the disposition is notlackipg is evil
denced by the fact thai competition in all
other branches of business is daily pro-
ducing desire amongst capitalists to invest
their wealth in land. The recent purchase
i'm Texas OF four counties by foreign cap
| italsts; the purchase, by Hamilton Disson,
of Philadelphia, of four millions of acres in
Florida; the purchase by a syndicate of
seven millions of Texas Panhandle land,
and numerous other instances could be
cited to show that not only Is the DISPOSE
ton not wanting, but that it is actually
nanifesting itself, and to the detriment OF
the public good, as further on l will under
take to show. That the means are not
wanting is also evidenced by the fact of the
purchases recorded, and by the further
| fact that, as vet, our wealthiest men have
not exerted themselves in this direction. II
Mr.. Disson can buy four million acres what
is to prevent
MR. GOULD BUYING TEN MILLION ACRES?
And, if perchance circumstances guide in
this direction his enterprise and his dollars,
and he does possess himself of this amount
of land, he will be the absolute lord of an
| area equal to the whole territory of Bel
GUM. 1t is idle to say thai, while such
action is possible, it will not be accom-
plished. What is possible circumstances
may render probable. and the age of mira
cles having passed from the Held OF I'm
perial Rome, may in its revolutions through
the cycles OF ages, find again theatre OF
operation in Republican America, and the
most democratic of all republics may find
that it, by lis laws or its negligences, has
placed it in the power of plebeans by birth
and by vocation, to lord it over The self.
STYLED sovreigns of the land of Washington.
! l have, in a recent WORK, sndeavored to
show The evil results that intict us because
of this matter; also, in the same work,
have attempted to fill vacuum, which, a.
far as know, no one before me has laid
much stress upon-that is, the results In
the particulars Of competence an happiness
that follow because of free LAND in such
countries where lanJ is not subject to pur,
chase and sale. In this communication
must limit myself 10 the assertion that no
man, however intelliget t. is authorized to
pass Judgment in this matter until he has
thoroughly investigated the data, either
from financial sources, or which are accessi
HE in the work before referred To-; certainly
those who exercise their ingenuity and theil
wisdom on sucu threadbsre issues as State
Rights" and GENERALIZATION Free
Trsden and Protection, cannot assume
M nf "a ~
on subjects that, escaping their view, have
vet sufficient importance to attract the
scrutiny of a Mill, OF the denunciation Of Q
Spencer. Taking it for granted then that
those who are not posted in this matter
will, for the time being, concede what W
claim; viz: that private ownership Of land
il detrimental to the interest Of q commu
nifty or nation. we wish to point out as con
cisely as we can how and to what extent
the farmers OF Texas are interested in thii
matter. Eighteen years ago, when tn,
} only railroad in the state was the Houston
! a Texas Central, and which at the time
refer 70. ended NJ Millican " was freel,
prophesied, and was the universal opinion
that when that road reached Dallas grea
gain would ensue TO the farmers. Whei
} this grand result had been achieved, pros
, perity not ensuing, the reason assigned
J was, want Of competition in transports
: ton, Since that time railroads hav
. crossed and re-crossed the state in almos
every pirectiOn, but, answer me fairly, b.
how mucn is the condition of our farmer
, improved In that time? Railroad men bav
, made money, merchants have made money
cattle men have made money, men WIKI
happened 10 own land have made money
fruit stand dealers have made money, doc
: tors and lawyers have made some, but, as
rule, not more than they should. and will
the first-class especially, certainly no NOR
than they deserved; but tell me you VIII,
pillow and reap, you who SOW and harvest
by how mucn are you ahesdI How mucl
money have you In bank2 How man,
! of YOU own your farms clear And yoI
3 tenants. you who have labored and sweate'
through the toll Of these past twenty years
E how much are you worth clear to-day
You had, in most cases, passed from cas-
plovs 20 the finest that can be made 0
steel. You have thrown away the sickl
and have taken up the reaper, Seli binder
. engines and threebers may be seen In ever,
2 field, but answer. repeat, how man
!, pleasant, yine-embovered cottages. hos
Z many orchards, how many lated calve
E have You 10 eat, how many books hsv
] You 20 read, how many dollars have You Il
{ baDd7 IL you answer ct all, and II yol
aDswer honestly. the answer viii be tina
: with the exception Of the clesses We hav
2 mentioned, with the exception Of fe'
e lucky spectators, and few whose farm
2 have enhanced in value By their situation
: that the vast msjority still continue ss b
: f0re-"working tor living"
IL IL not necessary for me 70 20 into dc
tails-eyery one who viii spend
DAY on Two WIZ 1HE FAEMEn
! will acknowledge. II he does not slresd
. know, that this IL the case Whist We ar
concerned with here IL the reason for hi
] stat. Of afsirs That reason, broad
stated, IL this: private ownership OF Ian
bee $500 ~ 1T 20 i've 20 Tar from thos
a~H rir-- % rr-e. rugine.
lf c--s -
80 80 Il
/ irtiu a. l.. , ir lyIn. west ~
cotton. that you nsvs snhausted ghst ma
gin Of rroffs your crors 0stensihly af1rde
i'm urocurine the frsf for your orn Use. 40
-. -. -. 10 --n.la-