The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-03-10
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
A WOrkingman Compares the
Past with the Present.
Land Holders and House Owners Severely
Dealt Wlth-That Double .
Track.
Lrrom tae clevelana 1sader. Ath.lnstl J

abide. The right of a man, by common
consent of all other civilized beings, to
occupy and Use given spot OF eartn, Is
what created its value under the law.
The'hOme, then, is OF the first import
anee. All other things take their value
from the permanence and durability of
the home" No truer or more perth
nent words were ever uttered: Men
must have some spot on earth on which
to abide" Then how deplOrable must
be the disability that prevents 80 desir-
able an ownership. III this disability
sDrin gs from unavoidable impediments,
lt is sadly to be regretted; but II Is
caused by unjust seheming to achieve
finterest at the cost of others, it
calls for every honest mans severest re-
probation, and for speedy remedy. In
my first paper charged that workmen
are greatly oppressed by class legisla-
tiOn. This now emphatically reatirm..
and will point out one phase Of IL that
bears with crushing force ON every poor
tOiler in quest of a home. In 1858
ground in Cleveland could be bought
within a short distance OF the business
centeTs, where the main bulk OF work
men were employed, for from 81 to $40
foot. This placed the possession or
homestead within reach OF the poorest
labOrer who was sober and Industrious,
for it was not alone that ground was
cheap, but provisions, rents and almost
the entire range of housekeeping essen
tials could be got at reasonable rates.
Good board was but $1.75 to 81 per
week; a better dwelling could be rented
at So a month than can now De hao Tor
$40. l am almost afraid 10 say now
much lower were taxes, but think
shall be within bounds to put 1t at from
two to three hundred per cent. Yet
wages were very nearly as high as now.
My own were higher, and certainly all
classes Of labOrers were paid as much as
they are to-day. But what vast differ
ence In the cost of living. The butter
that then cost twelve cents pound Is
now held at thirty; meats that could be
bought for fr5m six to eight cents now
bring from sixteen to twenty; potatoes
and apples that were drug at twenty
five cents bushel now demand a dollar
OF more. Aud 80 with the chief bulk OF
all the workman had need to consume,
with but small reduction at this time in
anything he is compelled to buy. And
what of benefit has he gained for this
vastly enhanced cost Of livinRp Well,
there Is our higher civilization" we
hear so much about. But OF what value
is this except to the man rich enough to
enjoy itP Even the price Of seat to
theater, concert, or lecture ia double
what 1t was thirty years ago, and news
papers double in price also. To be sure,
there are couple of little parks that
cost a heap of money, but at least one Of
them is not of half so much benefit to
wOrkmen as 1t was when comprised in a
simple stretch of grass slope, where,
with his family, he could lOll at his
ease and snuff the sweet air from the
lake as the sun went down. Mind, /
raise no objection to whatever will
beautify the city; but when wOrkmen
cannot acquire little plat of land on
which to erect home, 1t seems doubt
full policy to tax him at large cost for
OrnamentatiOn that can give him but
small enjoyment. Ihen there are vast
numbers of palatial residences whose
handsome architecture and beautiful
surroundings are quite treat to look
at, especially to the labOrer who Is
doomed to herd in eramped up huts In
Rullies and along hill sides, amid oil
rehneries, and slaughter or
dwell in the foul air and grimy wretch
edness of shabby tenement houses. No
doubt this is very exhilarating and
must be a source OF great pride to a
humble CleYelander when trudging to
and from his daily toll. But when he
asks himself how it comes that amid all
this evidence of accumulated wealth, he
is called upon to pay 80 much more for
all he uses than he formerly did, and
yet has no higher wages to meet in
creased demand; especially, why the
price of land has been 80 enormously
enhanced as to be utterly out of his
reach; he Is constrained to the certainty
that it has not been brought about by
the Legitimate operations OF healthy
progress. liz he Is an intelligent man
who looks below the surface OF things,
he quickly learns that very nearly the
entire of these inflated values that pinch
his family 80 severely are the direct out
growth of monopoly greed upheld by
class Legislation. Leaving the rest aside
let us look into that of the high price
OF land. There are thousands of acres
lying idle within the city to-day, which
is held at such shamefully extOrtiOnate
price as practically places 1t out of the
reach of nine-tenths of the WOTkmen.
Three miles and more from the center
of business, lots are held at from $50 to
$50 foot. This would cause the cheap
est home man can well build to reach
the sum of from 81 800 to $500. Take
the interest on this large investment,
coupled to our heavy rate OF taxes
and street improvements, and how Is
an ordinary mechanic ever to pay
for 1t, unaided by chance speculation
OF outside acquisition OF money? EX-
peTience has painfully taught that at
least nine-tenths of such homes at
tempted to be secured, are sure to be
forced by never failing recurrence of
panic times, into the sheriff's desolating
hand before they can be paid for. The
sting of this state of affairs lies in the
indisputable fact that land has been
systematically forced to its present un-
Just value by speculative Vaccinations
through legislation especially designed
to aid monopoly against the mass OF the
people. While the wUrkman's little
home is appraised TO Its utmost taxable
value, the speculatOr, sitting down like
a grasping dog In the manger, with
not so much as the lift OF finger in
help of the public welfare, is permitted
to hold great tracts Of idle land In the
most valuable portions Of the city, with
no more of burden than the payment of
mere farm tax. Look moment at the
manifest injustice Of this. Here Is this
very idle and almost untaxed land, con
stantly swelling up In value from the
costly improvements, whose burden is
largely borne by workmen, permitted to
shiTk fair portion OF the payment borne
by all the rest. Even the homes Of work
men that have been secured at unspeak-
able cost and privation, help to swell
the value of these speeulators' posses