The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-08-26
FREE LANDS.
Truth may be 0vershadowed for a
short While
But is Invarlable Cleared Tn and
Prevails.
Problem of Private Property In Land.

I
as TO whether ownership shall CEASE |
would like to make few comments.
Truth, like the sun in the heavens. is ever
present in the universe Of humanity; bat
The revolutions OF time or the shadows of
passing events, like the clouds in the frma.
ment may obscure for while, or conceal
Tor 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.
tons 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 arqu.
meuts 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 50 |
desirable result be brought about with least |
detnment TO tine 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.
1t now only remains that statesmen advance
toward those truths by adopting such
measures OF reform, of change and of nd.
justment as II is the office OF statesmen TO
determine. That the night to own, to buy
or TO sell land is theoretically erroneous is
proved by this simple test; II man has
sufficient money he can buy ten millions of
acres as well as he ran buy one; aud II ten,
why not twenty, fifty, one hundred million
as well2 There is no reason In the world
except want Of disposition and means.
That the disposition is not lacking is evil
denoed by the fact that competition In ali
other branches OF business is daily pro-
ducng desire amongst capitalists to invest
their wealth in land. The recent purchase
| in Texas OF four counties by foreign cap
| italists, the purchase, by Hamilton Disson.
OF Philadelphia, of tour millions of acres i'm
Florida the purchase by syndicate of
seven millions OF Texas Panhandle land
and numerous other instances could be
cited to show that not ouly is the DISPOSE.
ton not wanting, but that 1t is actually
maniiesting ITSELF and to the detriment of
the public good, as further on will under
take to SHOW. That the means are not
wanting is also evidenced by the fact of the
|
fact that, as yet our wealthiest men have
not exerted themselves in this direction. If
Mr.. Diss0n can buy four million acres what
is TO prevent
Mr. GOULD BUYING TIN MILLION ACRES?
And, II perchance circumstances guide In
this direction his enterprise and his dollars,
and he does possess himself OF this amount
OF land, no will be the absolute lord of an
area equal TO the whole territory of Bel.
GUM. II is idle 10 say thai, while such
action is possible, II will not be accom-.
plished. What is possible circumstances
may render probable, and the age of mira
cles having passed from the field Of I'm.
perial Rome, may 10 its revolutions through
| the cycles OF ages, find again a theatre OF
operation in Republican America, and the
most democratic OF all republics may find
that IL, by its laws or its negligences, has
placed II In the power Of plebeians by birth
and by vocation, TO lord IL over the self.
STYLED soyreigns Of the land Of Washington.
have, in recent work, endeavored 10
show the evil results that inilct us because
OF this matter; also, In the same work,
have attempted 10 ill vacuum, which, as
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 land is not subject to pur
chase and sale. In this communication
must limit myself TO the assertion that nc
man, however intelligent, is authorized L
pass Judgment in this matter until he hal
thoroughly investigated the data, eithe
, from financial sources, or which are accessi
7 BILE in the work before referred to; certainly
, those who exercise their ingenuity and thei
wisdom on such threadOare issues as "Stat
0 / I'D AL
Trade and Protection" cannot ASSUME
J SUCH an amount Of data only by intuition
on subjects that, escaping their view, hay
+ yet sufficient importance to attract tn
? scrutiny OF q Mlli, or the denunCation of
. Spencer. Taking 1t for granted then tina
r those who are not posted IN this matter
s will, for the time being, conCrde what W
= claim; viz: that private ownership of Ian
G is detrimental TO the interest OF n commit
g nifty or nation, we wish 10 point out as COT
e cisely as we can how and to what exter
Q the farmers OF Texas are interested In thi
}, matter. Eighteen years ago, when ia
l. only railroad In the state was the HoustO
l & Texas Central and which ut the time
( refer to, ended at Millican, IL vas frtel
e prophesied, and was the universal opinion
n that when that road reached Dallas grel
}, gain would eusue to the farmers. Whe
perity not ensuing, the reason assigue
d was, want Of competition in transport
a ton. Since that time railroads hay
a crossed and re-crossed the state In almo
II every pireutiUn, but, answer me fairly, /
Of how mucn is the condition OF our farmer
l. improved In that time? Railroad men hay
" made money, merchants have made none
g, cattle men have made money, men wi
le happened 20 own land have made none
as fruit stand dealers have made money, do
a. tors and lawyers have made some, but, as
rule, not more than they should, and vii
Or the llrsl-class especially certainly no mo
n than they deserved; but tell me you wi
IS; pillow and reap, you who SOW and harve,
r. by how mucu are you ahesd2 How nut
to money have you In bank How maj
OF you own your farms olear2 And "
IS tenants, you who have labOred and sweat
IS through the toll OF these past twenty yeal
Ii how much are you worth clear to-da
al You had, in most cases, passed from ca
ie. plows to the finest that can be made
steel. You have thrown away the Sick
ty and have taken up the reaper, Self bindG
DIS engines and threshers may be seen In eve
,e- field, but answer, / repeat, how ma
pleasant, yine.em powered cottages, hI
70, many orchards, how many lated oalS
'ly have YOU to eat, how many books Ia
10. YOU to read, how many dollars have you
hand? If you answer at all, and II y
answer honestly, the answer will be IL
mt with the exception OF the olesses we ha
at. mentioned, with the exception Of I
an lucky Spectators and a few whose far
have enhanced In value by their situate
that the vast majority still continue as
fore-"working Tor living
vo IL Is not necessary Tor me to 30 into
tails-eyery one who will spend
en DAY OR TWO WITH THE FARNEss
cir will acknowledge. II he does not alrea
nd know, that this is the case, What we
a. concerned with here is the reason for /
'n, state Of affairs. That reason, broa'
os5' stated, is this; private ownership OF ia
'n,, has forced you all to live so far from tn
~ who manufacture plows, wagons engiu
w. carpets beds, ana all the other necessii
,nS that you buy, and has forced yon no
,eS from those who want your corn, wheat Q
,Sa cotton, that you have exhausted what NJ
w, gin of profits your crors ostensioly ailor'
iins in procuring the first for your own use,
Wv In getting the others TO those who ueet