The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-11-16
The Cause and Cure of Poverty.

Every one can clearly recognize that
the origin of all production, all wealth,
is in the application of human labor to
nature. 1t is equally clear that the
birthright of every human being is the
free and unObstructed use of and ac-
cess to nature on an equality with
every human being. Nature always
res, jnds to labor, not niggardly, but
lavlshly, and the return of labor should
and does always exceed the necessities
and yields a surplus. In Offering her
ineXhaustible materials and forces to
man, nature makes but one condition
labor.
When men, therefore, are enabled to
acquire the things which we call
wealth without labor, it must neces-
sarily follow that they are taking it
from those who do labor, for there is
no other source of wealth except the
application of labor to nature. In this
light we can also clearly comprehend
the justice of the saying which divides
men into working men, beggar men
and thieves.
An unjust, inequitable system of
taxation may to some extent produce
similar results by taking from one
class and giving to another or by en-
cOuraging dishonesty and evasion of
dues, but these, on the whole, cannot
account for that great and significant
division of mankind into the very rich
and the very poor which to-day consti-
tutes the greatest problem we. are
called on to deal with. Neither those
that get more than their just pro-
duct, nor those that get less, are
conscious of time and manner of the
distribution, else it would not be so
difficult to arouse public conscience
against this gigantic wrong. The
habit which custom and laws have
confirmed of regarding land as justly
subject to private ownership, and no
less as wealth and capital ObScureS
the truth, for it is just here where the
true source of all the injustice, of the
deep poverty and the excessive riches
lies hidden. Land is the prime neces-
sity of man: without its existence is
impossible . All see things man pro-
duces to satisfy his wants he draws
from the earth; his own substance is
of the earth and to it he finally returns.
The only title to private property is
that it be attained by human labor
ing can claim exclusive title to the
earth, or any part of it, for it existed
before man came.
But how, it will be asked are we TO
avoid conflict where all have equal
rights, and how, without private own
ership of land, can we give security OF
possession to the producer and security
| for improvements?
To make this quite clear it is neces-
sary to bear firmly in mind, and not
lose sight of the fact, that all natural
opportunities, The earth and the vital
forces of nature, are not and could
not become property: but that, on the
contrary, all those things which are
produced by the application of labor
thereto, are essentially the private
property of him who performs the
labor, as against all Others.
The one is for the use Of the race as
| it passes in constant renewal over the
earth in its pilgrimage from cradle tt
grave: the other is property of the in
dividual only, for it bears the impress
of his labor. =,
| And it must also be borne in mind
and firmly grasped, that land value:
arise, not from him that occupies anC