The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-07-09
THE RIGHT OF EMINENT
DON. IN.
Under this Right the Government
should Reclaim al Land Grants
ami toa!ra! Al. Agencies OF
Transportation for the
Public t.ni.

II Is trueism. CT Il principle ofrom-
mon law Is oil a. civilization. that
no government docs or can Weld III
absolutely ID any purchaser. it, orig
indl ownership 10 the soil. but in Ill
grants ard sales II right IL property
remains in the government. or in
the aggregate body of the people II
their sovereign capacity. TO resume
such control and possession. a. tile
law making authority may deem
best 10 promote the public good and
general welfare.
Ii the proper authorities propose
TO open Il street. or charter IL rail
road. or TO open a park, or require
land for any other reasonable pur-
pose, and the owner OF ihc lands in
the route or space desired. refuse
to sell. or ask an exhorbitant price
the state. under its tight and power
or eminent domain. has the power OF
control. and the acknowledged
right to take possession of sucl
lands. paying therefore such just an,
reasonable compensation as it. and
not the owner may determine.
The constitution Of the Unite,
States limits tic exercise of thi:
power and right TO cases where thu
public good demands ii. the neces
sity Of which to be determined by
law.
The constitution of the state o.
Illinois provides that rac exercise
OF the power and right OF eminent
domain shall never be so construct
ed or abridged as 10 prevent the
taking by the general assembly 81
the property and franchise OF iHcor-
porated companies already organ
lied Tor those that may be hereafter
organized.1 and subjecsing them Il
the public necessity. the same rs Of
individuals
We are taught that life. libert.
and happiness are inalicnaLle rights
and We know that the principal
means to these ends. are land labor
and exchange. Whenever any OF
these means are mcnopolized by the
few, the masses are in bondage tC
the extent Of the monopoly.
The land is the source of nj
wealth.
Labor develops it.
The agencies Of exchange distrib
ute 1t. and togather, they c9nstitat,
the foundation Of life. liberty an,
human happiness to those who arr
permitted TO enjoy them as freely rs
they were bestowed upon man b,
his Creator for the benefit of all Hi.
creatures
In the palmy days OF the ancien,
republic. when the land was free te
the husbandman. and the brOnz,
medium OF exchange was limited
only by the needs Of labor and eX
change, it was indeed an honor to b,
a Roman citizen. But when the ex
change medium became cnsiaved by
Shylock, and its volume and ma
terial converted into IN engine @
robbery by which the lands Of til,
millions became the estate OF tn.
few: the masses became serfs an,
vassals, the sun Of civilization sunk
in the night Of barbarism. and TO,
day the crowned heads and noble
families of England and continental
Europe. trace their lineage ant
royal blood back To- the chief Of til,
brigand bands and pirate crews
which the dark ages and robbel
system OF that period developed
In France alone arr life liberty and
happines recognized rs iGalienable
rights. and protected 10y law. and OF
I'LL the nations OF the earth. the soil
Of France is the most equally dis
tributed ;'n ong the people. Having
IL territory OF 81 600 square miles less
than Texas, she has 100000 of land
owners living on their lands. and
more farmers who own the lands
they cultivate than there are in all
the United States. The wretchcd
condition OF the mass OF the people
Of the old would is the direct result
OF land monopoly, or the possession
Of the majority OF tie lands by il
few. who hold them 10 rent fioni the
largest amount the necessities OF
the people will bear, and the result
+, all over crown oppressed and
monopoiy-cursed Europe. manhood
is rapidly disappearing and the
human animal taking ii place.
Already our government has do
mated without equivalent or consid-
GRAFTON. Us much OF the peoples land
Us the whole territory Of Great Brit
ain and Ireland, Germany, Belgium
and Denmark. This vast territory
is being purchased hy foreign cap
italists, in blocks 81 millions Of acres
each, to be held and u-,s! lis the
lands OF Ireland. England and India
arc now held. Through the mono
poly ana enslaveinent Of our ex-
change agencies orr farmers in the
older states ure beip. frozen ont.
and vast tracts Of onr best ei.!!i-
waited and most productive lands
are passing into the hands u Eng
lands pirate lords, dukes and
barons. Already nearly half Of the
American farn.ege are land renters.
and the relative number =, land
renters is annually increasing upon
the number OF land owncra. II i
the pirate policy Of the roJber
milliGnairrs OF both hemispheges to
enslave soil that they may the more
easily enslave labor af,. roi ii OF
the fruits Of it, toll.
Now what Is intended by the
proposition Under consideration. is
to emancipate the .5i. ot America
by the exercise Of the power aad
right Of eminent domain.
Ii the government has the power
under the right Of em;neist domain
to take ten or more acres OF Farmer
Jones' land for railroad purposes.
ai.l put maximum price upon It,
when such iakiag is necessary To
the public good, .r 10 take the entire
o. Farmer Smiths iann ter a public
park, then it has the power, and
should exercise it. to save the pablic
from the fate ri lis ancient sisters.
and PROSPERITY from lie blight and
sconrgc which is dehumanizlns the
populace Of the old world. There
being no rights IA wrougs,vasted or
otherwise, and the right Of eminent
domain being recognized lis
sovereign by all civilized
nations. no lust or valid claim