The Labor enquirer., 1886-04-03


people, and the surplus of our farms be-
come aids to the worlds medium of ex-
change. - as~ g.. B.
Those who come from foreign coun-
tries have held out to them the assurance
that every man may. here, have home,
his liberty. and be protected in the pur-
suit of happiness. 1t is little enough to
ask of thosetwho journey here to partake
Of the benefits of our country, that when
they receive its blessings, they become
amenable to its laws,-citizens of the
country, so that in the hour of her dan
ger they may be called upon to protect
tue benefcent advantages they enjoy.
Every naturalized citizen ofthe' United
States has as full right to enjoy the
land and every feature of our govern
ment, as he who was born upon the soil
But those mercenary ingrates who, aetu-
ated by greed of power, or who, ,ostracised
by society, are driven from their hom es,
and come here for the purpose of taking
advantage of the ample benefits we have
to give, and yet never embrace the prin-
ciples or laws of the government, are not
entitled to consideration, and should
not be permitted to take unto themselves
that which belongs to the people.
Should not our efforts be directed
rather to the depopulating of our cities
and over-crowded communities, and the
moving of our surplus population west,
ward to homes on the public land, where
thev may become self sustaining citizens
and an element of security and wealth ?
It is not rash estimate to say that nearly
one-third of our public land is now held
by persons who are not citizens of the
United States, and, under many Of our
land laws, need not be, to perfect their
title. One thought of %ex-President
James Buchanan must commend itself
to the American people as embodying
sentiments peculiarly and righteously
our own. In his veto mess ge of the
homestead act in 1850, he said: 1--WE
ought ever to maintain the most perfect
equality between native and naturalized
citizens. They are equal and ought al
ways to remain equal before the laws.
Our laws welcome foreigners to our
shores, and their rights will ever be re-
spected. While these are the sentiments
on which have acted through life, it is
not, in my opinion, expedient to pro-
claim to all the nations of the earth that
whoever shall arrive in this country from
foreign shores, shall receive a farm of
100 acres, at a cost of 25 or 20 cents per
acre"
This is one of the features of ownership
of land that demands legislative atten-
ton. The prime evil, however, lies
deeper than this, and in my opinion the
question can never be satisfactorily set
tied, or the people of this country enjoy
the privileges guaranteed by ite for and
purpose, until laws are passed restricting,
governing and controlling the acquisi-
ton of land. This proposition l believe
to be neither visionary nor chimerical,
nor opposed to anv principle of law,
reason or Justice. We must keep in view
the main proposition which is attested
by the history of all nations in which
land has been parcelled among the peo.
pie, that the possession, occupation and
use of the soil bv those citizens of
country who take from the earth its
bounties and distribute them throughout
the land, guarantees happiness to the
people and prosperity to the nation. On
the other hand, it is equally true that a
system of laws which permits acquisi-
ton of vast territories of land by private
individuals or by corporations, must in
evitably destroy not only the prosperity
of the common people but their liberty
and happiness as we'll. 1t is we'll
known fact, speaking from an agricul-
tural stand point, that vast tracts of
land held in one estate, if cultivated at
all, are seldom made to yield just re-
turn. The benefits tina might accrue
from t. e soil are thus subiugated to the
selfish and avaricious interests of the
few, who. unwilling to work themselves,
deny to others the rights that should
appertaiE to willing labor.
In June, 1888, accor ding to the last es-
Inmates from the land Office there were
unsurveyed public lands to the amount
of 92S, ,426,577 acres in the various states
and territories, and the government
owned 243, $3.50, $50 acres of surveyed and
unsold lands in the public land states
and territories otner than the five south
ern states, and, in those states, l0,957,-
9S3 acres of surveyed and unsold land.
This land, or the proportion of it that is
tillable and productive, will, in the pro-
gress of agricultural improvement, be of
inestimable value; but under the pres
ent system it is fast being taken up by
those sYndicates of foreign and domestic
capitalists, who exclude from it the &C
tual settlers who might make gardens
where now are arid wastes, and the last
land offico report shows that scarcely an
acre of tillable land remains not neces-
sary to irrigation. Even on our own
plains, within days ride from the city
of Denver, these vast concerns have
taken for their own gain and use i'm
mense tracts of the public domain for