St. Landry democrat., 1886-03-06
The Exhaustion of the Public
Domain.

| DohsHaAEHs
We think the facts stated in an ar.
ticie in the January 1850 number OF
the North American Review, entitled
"l-andlordism III America, demands
the grave. and careful consideration OF
all who have bellved in the possibilities
OF Il better government OH this cont
nent than any yet attained in Europe.
1t Will be matter OF almost startling
surprise to most people, and to many
who are much better informed than the
average, that out of 2J560, 900 acres "oi
arabic public lands, winch could be cUl-
tIvated without irrigation or other aIti-
hcial appilancts,' possessed by the gov
trhment in 1879, not more than 5,QO0,0it
acres remain.
But this rapid absorption of the land
! would not be so serious /; rnatter--in
fact, would be Il subject OF congratulate
tIon-had the fertile regions SO rapidly
taken up PASSED into the hands of in
du>trl"us farmers III plots of 100 acres,
as the government originally intended.
! Unfortunately, til is is not the case.
| 1t seems almost that the gospel of
greed has taken fatal possession of the
people OF this country. The tricks, sub
ltriu2e, and II uds 10y which laws i'll
tended t" be OrEtficent have been
"itsted from their Iulpose-for in
siaiIc', the timber culture, prt-cmptlon,
ana IT., strt laMs-:Ind made to play into
ne hands OF an INSCRIPTIONS, ~ptcula
| 'i"r He laXIty OF public atlmlulstia-
,."h, Tie ca'elcsS and unsc!upuInuS leg
l>'a;loli, 10y which territory large enough
for an empire has been made over to II
'tsp"islble corporations, fnln, IL chap
ter III American history which will no!
shed " halo of glory upon our insti'u
ti"tls III future ages !; and all the more
Vii ILLS dalken the page, since W. had
The exampte of Rome. England and
Germany To warn, and that OF France
{" Instruct US To the danger of the an-
s"fptl"n of small holdings by land mo-
h"pollSts aud the creation of IL class of
tenant farmers, and tho value To the na-
ton ut Il rural population of actual OWL
ers of small farms.
The author Of the article shows from
The census hat five years ago "the total
HInit's'r "f persons engaged in agricnl
tnI'' was 7.610 .493, OF which only 1854
$40 are registered IN the nominal own
els ut their hnidingS.' The rest are
ttilahtS paying rent to landlords, or
agricultural lahnrers.' 1t is we'll knuWu
That the next census will show Il large |
increase in the number of tenant farm
els. Contrast this with the status of
France, which, with IA population of 49, ,
100000 less than that of the United |
States, has 100000 rural proprietorS
holding less than 90 acres apiece and |
working their holdings with their own
hands. and 100000 proprietorS of hold
ingS of more t an 80 acres apiece. An
array of most impnrtan, facts hes DIES
these to which we have directed t>pe
clal attention are presented but the
most un-American feature of the entire
business is the obtaining through indi-
rect methods of large tracts of lands by
foreigners who do not reside in the
and some of whom do not even
pay taxes here, these lauds being let
out to tenants with all the pleasant fra.
lures of landlordism iu England and
Ireland.
One notable instance is cited-that of
ln "Irshman who has earned an un-
pleasant notoriety "a a landlord in his
'wn country This man owns over
70. 900 acres of land 10000 acres being in
'n'. county, and derives over 100000
ash rental from the estate, which s
sent 10 him to spend in England, where
he resides. The tenants are required in
heir leases to pay the taxes on the pro-
Ier,y occupied Ivy them.
We cannot give space to further com
neuts upon the important and timely
publication OF these facts and figures,
which show, however surprising the !
statement may be, that America pos
esses now the largest class of tenant
armers OF any existing NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I
ific American. ;