The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-06-23
THE ANTIDOTE FOR POVERTY.

to all real estate and to allow every
body to have the use of land as a COM
monalty. That is an old doctrine 1t
can be traced back for more than two
thousand years. 1t was not a new
doctrine when the agrarians Of Rome
clamored for its enforcement. It has
never been remedy for poverty and
never will be. But, naturally enough,
there are many thriftless persons who
like the doctrine and would take kind
ly to any scheme which proposed to
give them something for nothing. In
every community there is an element
which is waiting for something to turn
up. 1t hates the prosperous classes
because these are a constant rebuke
to its own want of thrift and provi-
dence. Any scheme which would take
from them what they have gained and
divide it among those who have moth
ing, and never will have anything, is
very attractive to the latter.
There is no remedy in this for pov-
erty. The improvident class is not
made provident by dividing the gains
of the rich with the poor. Every man
in the country who has health, indus
try and temperance can raise himself
beyond the condition of actual pov-
erty. 1t is not the business of organ
lied society to do it for him. 1t is his
individual business. If he fail through
his lack Of industry, through intem-
perance or any form of dissipation,
it is not the business of society to
make good his inheritance. He has
lost it by Incidence, dissipation, lack
of thrift. All that society undertakes
to do is to keep him from actual star
vation. 1t provides almshouses and
other places of refuge for the poor and
the unfortunate. 1t does not look to
any great extent into the reasons for
his failure to provide for himself.
Drunkards, the shiftless, lazy, improv-
ident, with few who are Overtaken
by disease and who therefore have
been unfortunate, are provided with
shelter and food. But they are not
provided with land or homesteads, and
never will be, as the result of any Or
ganized society.
So far from finding any adequate
remedy for poverty in the theories of
George and McGlynn, they provide no
means for more than temporary relief,
if, indeed, they go to that extent. The
stimulus to thrift, prudence, industry,
the outstanding of means, are in the
direction of acquisition. The patient
laborer of to-day is looking forward
to the time when he will own his own
homestead He counts every dollar.
He will not give himself up to licenses
of any sort. He cannot afford to be
idle single day when work is offered
to him. The very spring of his action
and his hope is in this desire to have
something which is exclusively his
own.
There will never be defeasance Of
the title to land in this age except
such as is brought about by death.
People cannot, of course, occupy it
any longer than they live. There may
be some reforms in the laws of descent
and distribution; but it is not con-
ceivable that there will ever be any
such revolution of society as will turn
back all landed estates into one COM
monalty. The arabic land of the
world is only partially occupied Pop
ulation in some great centers is far
too great for the immediate area. That
is, it cannot live by mere cultivation
of land. That is true Of such a pop
ulation as has been concentrated III
London. This massing of population
cannot be helped. The tendency is as
old as civilization. Long before the
era of railroads and steamships the
population of cities ran up into the
millions. Such populations did not
live by agriculture alone. They
carried on trades of all kinds. Every
great city is hive of varied indus
tries. Railroads and steamships are
additional means of concentration.
There is no known limit to the growth
of the modern city.
So far from working any defeasanee
in the titles to land honestly acquired,
beyond what death is constantly do
ing, the best remedy for poverty is
the acquisition of land. There are
thousands of workingmen and wo-
men to-day who are patiently toiling
forGust this result. The greater number
will succeed in some way. A part will
acquire small homesteads in cities;
another part will have suburban hold
ings. Others will have farms more or
less extensive. Some will strike out
for cheap lands far from cities and
towns. Not one of these will ever