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 Contra! al Agencies of
Transportation for the
Public (,Na!.


II il u trueisn. or; principle Of com-
mon law as oil IL civilization. THAT
no government does pr can Weld up
absolutely To any purchaser. il dig
inal ownership to the soil. but Iii all
grants ard sales IL right of property
remains III the government. or iii
the aggregate boly Of tile people in
their sovereign capacity. to resume
such control and possession. ;s the
law making authority may deem
best to promote tic 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 nur-
pose, and the owner OF the lands in
the route or space desired. refuse
to sell. or ask an cNhorbitaht price.
the state. under it tight and power
Of eminent domain. has the power Of
control. and the acknowledged
right to take possession Of such
lands. paying therefore such just and
reasonable compensation as it. and
not the owner may determine.
! The constitution of the United
| States limits tit exercise OF this
power and right to cases where the
public good demands ii. the neces-
sity Of which TO be determined by
| law.
The constitution OF the state OF
Illinois provides that the exercise
of the power and right OF eminent
domain shall never be 50 construct
ell or abridged a. TO prevent the
taking by the general assembly of
the property and franchise OF incor
porated companies already organ
lied Tor those that may be hereafter
organized.) and subjecsing them to
the public necessity. the same as Of
individuals"
We are taught that life. liberty
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 monopolized by the
few, the masses are in bondage to
the extent Of the monopoly.
The land is the source of all
wealth.
Labor develops it.
The agencies OF exchange distrib-
ute it. and togather. they constitute
the foundation of life. liberty and
human happiness to those who are
permitted to enjoy them as freely rs
they were bestowed upon man by
his Creator for the benefit Of all His
creatures
4 In the palmy days OF the ancient
republic, when the land was free TO
the husbandman. and the bronze
medium Of exchange was limited
only by the needs Of labor and ex-
change, it was indeed IN honor to be
Roman citizen. But when the ex.
change medium became ensiaved by
Shylock, and its volume and ma.
terial converted into IN engine oil
robbery by which the lands OF the
millions became the estate Of til.
few: the masses became serfs and
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 and
royal blood back To the chief OF the
brigand bands and pirate crews
which the dark ages and robbeI
system OF that period developed
In France alone :ire life. liberty and
happincs recognized - inalienablc
rights, and protected by lax, and OF
all the nations Of the earth. the soil
. Of France is the most equally dis
tributcd among The people. Hayin.
Il territory OF 81 900 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 wretehed
condition OF the mass OF the people
OF the old world is the direct result
Of land monopoly, ~ tie possession
, Of the majority Of the lan,is by Il
few, who hold them 10 rent fioni the
largest amount the necessities Of
the people w;ll bear, and the result
Is, all over crown oppressed and
, monopoiy-cursed Europe, manhood
is rapidly disappearing and tho
human animal taking its place.
Already our government has do
mated without equivalent or consid-
. GRAFTON, ns much or the peoples land
as the whole territory Of Great Brit
ain and Ireland, Germany, Belgium
land Denmark. This vast territory
is being purchased by Foreign cap
italists, in blocks Of millions IF acres
each, to be held and u--e: us the
lands of Ireland. England ani inii;
arc now held. Through the mono
poly and nnslaycin.nt I'll our cN-
change agencies air farmers in the
Older states are bcib2 frozen out.
and vast tracts Of onr best ea.ti-
waited and most productive lands
are passing into the hands q. Eng
lands pirate lords, dukes and
barors. Already nearly half Of the
American farntegs are land renters
and the relative number =. l.t.ia
renters is annually increasing upon
the number OF land owners IL j.
the pirate policy Of the robbei
miilionaircs OF both hemisphegcs to
enslaye soil that they may the moro
easily enslave labor ard Job ii 81
the fruits Of its toll.
VI AOW NIdL II futtHucd bA Tile
proposition under consideration. is
to emancipate the sci. Of America.
by the exercise o. the powes AID
right OF eminent domain.
\ Ii the government has the power
under the right of eminent domain
to take ten or more acres OF Farmer
Jones land for railroad purposes.
aud put maximum price upon IT.
when such takiag is necessary Il
the public good, OF ID take the entire
i o. Farmer Smiths iaau for public
park, then it has the power, land
should exercise it, to save the public
from the fate of its ancient sisters
and PROSPERITY from i'ae blight and
scourge which is dehumanizlng the
populace OF the old world. There
being no rights IN wrongs.v wasted OF
otherwise, and the right Of eminent
domain being recognized rs