The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-10-21
RESTRICTING LAND OWNERSHIP

Who can deny that there is a bedrock of
right underlying the growing popular con-
viction that land ownership should be legally
restricted?
In Ireland vast areas of agricultural lands,
owned by absent landlords, are arbitrarily
withheld from use. while all round them the
wretched inhabitants, to whom their cult
Walton would afford comfortable support,
are living in squalid poverty and dying by
thousands OF actual want or of dis
ease induced thereby. In England
the condition OF the unfortunate poor is but
one degree better than that of their unhappy
Irish neighbOrs, while throughout the island
magnificent landed estates, from whose cul-
tiyation the poor might derive an abundant
maintenance are withheld by their lordly
owners from the use of man, and dedicated
to the luxurious support of beasts OF the
chase. In other foreign countries as well as
these the evils of excessive land-ownership
are already felt in all their deadly reality.
On this continent that extreme point has
not been reached. Here a refuge for the
poor has always been open on our Western
domain But OF this only fragment now
remains, and the signs are unmistakable that
the cruel conditions prevalent in other
countries are gradually closing in on us.
Whole regions, almost incredible i'm extent
of the richest soil, of most perfect topogra-
ply and climate, of incalculable future
value. in our Western States and Territories
are now owned by great railroad corpora
tons, almost as powerful as the Government,
and more despotc than monarchies. Only
last week one vast body, embracing three
million acres or the richest agricultural
lands in Texas, was purchased by COM
Pany OF foreign landlords, combined as
syndicate, form of organization
not less tyranical, and even
more avoricious than corporations.
Other similar acquisitions of equal or greater
magnitude will rapidly follow and while
time will be required for the engrossment of
the whole of our free domain, none can deny
tina: both the speed and the manner OF its
absorption are justly alarming.
Who can not foresee that all lands So ac-
quired and held, SO long as the profits from
their natural rise in market value exceed
what they might yield in net rents, will be
withheld from circulation? And who can
foretell how soon We shall experience the
actual evil OF land monopoly?
For the present the retreat still open to
our public lands, our ready facilities of mi
grafton. our still numerous opportunities of
profitable industry, with other conditions
favorable to individual independence, afford
ample security against oppression; but this
security will be rapidly eroded, less by lapse
of time than by encroachments OF the evil.
The juncture is not one of instant peril, but
it is one of import. 1t is time to sound the
warning. These vast titles, once vested, are
as permanent the lands they
hold. There exists neither method
nor power of compulsory Investment.
These vast regions OF lands, once in the
grip of legal ownership, are gone, and there
is no remedy The evil land monopoly,
once legally implanted, can be extirPated
only by revolution.
The juncture, therefore, Is one, not only
of ominous import, but also of grave respon-
sibilty. The duty of the hour is the adop-
ton of public policy prudent, wise and
resolute, which will graprle, now with this
terrible evil and prevent its entertainment
in American soil. The evil is impending
the duty is clear; the power is unquestioned.
The form and substance of the requisite
policy are questions of craftsmanship. The
present and growing public conviction is
that the strongest safeguard will be found in
the stern restriction OF land-ownership. But
be the policy what it may, successfully
founded, ii would stand among the nOblest
bulwarks of American liberty.
Get five of your neighbors to take Sentinel