The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-09-17

"a France a76fie are lie, ffberry; ana
happiness recognized as inalicnablo
rights, and protected b. law, and OF all
tho nations of the earth the soil Of
France is the most equally distributed
among the people. Having territory
Of 1000 square miles less than Texas,
she has 9,DU,O'lo Of landowners living
On their lands, and more farmers who own
the lands they cultivate than there are
II all the United States. The wretchcd
condition Of tie mass Of the people Of
tho old world is tie direct result Of
land monopoly, Or the possession OF tho
majority Of the lands ~ few, who
hold them tn rem. for the largest
amount the necessities Of the people
Will bear, and the result is, all over
crown oppressed and monopoly cursed
Europe, manhood is rapidly disappear
ing and the human animal taking its
place.
Already our Government has donated.
without equivalent or consideration, as
much OF the peoples land as the whole
territory Of Great Br tain and Ireland.
Germany, Belgium, and Denmark.
This vast territory is being purchased
by foreign capitalists, in blocks Of MILL
ions OF acres each, to he held and used
es the lands of Ireland, England. and
India are now held. Through the
monopoly and enslavement OF orr ex-
change agencies our farmers in the
older States arc being frozen out
and vast tracts OF our best cultivated
and most productive lands are passing
into the hands OF England's pirate
lords, dukes, and barons. Already
nearly half of the American farmers
are land renters, and the relative num-
Der OF land renters is annually increas-
ing upon the number Of land owners.
It i the pirate policy OF the robber
millionaires Of both hemispheres to en-
slave the soil, that they may the more
easily enslave labor and rob il Of the
fruits Of its toll.
Nov, what is intended by the propo-
sition under consideration Ii to eman-
cipate the soil of America by the exer-
else Of the power and right Of eminent
domain.
II the Government has the power un-
der the right of eminent domain TO take
ten or more acres Of Farmer Jones'
land for railroad purposes and put .
maximum price upon it, when such
taking is necessary to the public good,
OF to take the entire Of Farmer Smiths
land for public park, then it has the
power, and should exercise it, to save
the republic from the fate Of its ancient
sisters, and posterity from the blight
and scourge which is dehumanizing tho
populace 81 the world. There being
no rights in wrongs, vested or other
wise, and the right of eminent domain
being recognized as sovereign by all
civilized nations, no just or valid claim
can be set up by tho various railroad
corporations against such control and
disposition Of their free-granted lands
q shall promote the highest interests
Of the masses Of the present and future
generations, and serve to perpetuate
the free institutions Of the republic.
The emancipation Of the soil from the
slavery Of speculation and monopoly Is
Of more importance to the American
people than was the emancipation Of
the Southern slaves, for while the lat
ter involved tho life, liberty, and hap
piness Of . minority race, the former
involves the freedom and prosperity d
III races and majority Of the people.