Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-02-02

TCheers.1 1 take it for granted that all Lib
erals would be willing to complete the pro-
gramme of Mr.. Golden and Mr.. Bright, and
that they would be willing to have what is
called free trade in land. Hear, hear.
They would do away entirely with, or very
considerably limit, the right of making set
Elements. They would do away with the
system of primogeniture in cases of intesta-
cy Thear, hear1, and they would cheaper the
transfer of land Cheers. I confess for
my own part that when we have done even
ali this there will still be a good deal more to
do. 1 do not believe that the problem will
be solved merely by cheapening and facilita-
ting the transfer of land. If that is all we
do, the land will remain, do not say in the
hands of the same people as now, but at all
events in the hands of the same class of peo-
pie. The rich will always win in competi-
ton with the poor, and the fact that the cost
of land has been cheapened will only make
it better investment for the rich Are we
satisfied to go on without endeavoring to find
solution to this question? L'No."] What
are the present circumstances? 1 suppose
that almost universally throughout England
and Scotland farming has become ruinous
occupation. The capital of tenants has been
very much reduced or it has disappeared al
together. They are unable to stock their
farms properly, and they unable to find
the money to pay the labore1s TO work them
I noticed the other day that in the last fifteen
years the number of persons employed on
the land has diminished by 100000; and, of
course, under these circumstances produc-
| ton tends to fall off and the laborers crowd
into the towns to enter into competition with
you, to lower the rate of wages. and to hud-
die population together until anything like
decent and healthful dwellings become i'm
possible. [Cheers.
What is to be the hremedy for this state of
things! Mr.. James Lowther and his friends
propose that YOU should have recourse once
more to protection. They suggested short
time ago that you might settle everything by
IS. duty corn. But observe that when
Mr.. Lowther last addressed public meeting
he stated that he had come to the conclusion
that IS. would, perhaps, hardly be enough.
He thought it might occasionally be raised to
1Os., and then, in a parenthesis, he went on
to say, cor even sometimes To-" Laughter. |
It is a very curious thing that protection has
this tendency to enlarge its demand. 1t is
like quack medicine, the failure of which is
always attributed to the insuficiency of the
Dose Laughter. The farmers will be very
foolish indeed if they follow Mr.. Lowther
after this will O. the wisp If they study
history at all they will find that the condi-
ton of the farmer was never so hopeless and
that the state of the laborer was never SO alb
ject as when corn was kept up at high value
by a prohibitive or protective duty, when it
was 64s. OF even rose to 120s. a quarter.
Hear, hear. Even in that time the evidence
given before repeated committees of the
House of Commons shows that the state of
agriculture was deplorable. The food of the
people was taxed to raise the rents of the
landlord. None of the plumber found it's
way into the farmers pockets [cheers and
laughter1 and I will tell them that unless
they can secure absolute permanence of oc-
cupation, artificial alteration in the
price of wheat will help them one atom.