Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-12
WANT NO LANDLORDS HERE
English Noblemen May be Excluded
From Acquiring Property.
Bill Reported to Prevent Aliens From
Holding Lands.
Congress Has the Jurisdiction to Act
in the Matter.

WASHINGTON, June 9.-Representatiye
Oats, from the judiciary committee today
reported to the house a bill to prohibit
aliens from acquiring title to or owning
lands within the United States An elab-
crate report accompanied the bill. In it
the committee says the power of the gov
eminent to totally exclude aliens from
coming within its jurisdiction. has been
done in the case of the Chinese, no one
questions. This sovereign power certain
ly includes the lesser one of defining what
property rights they may exercise after
they are admitted and during the contin-
uance of their alien condition.
Your committee ascertained, says the
report. with reasonable certainty, that GER
tain noblemen of Europe, principally
Englishmen, have acquired and now own,
in the aggregate, about 2I,OOO,000 acres
of land within the United States. We
have not sufficient information to state the
quantity owned by untitled aliens, nor is
it so important, as it is generally held in
smaller bodies This alien nonresident
ownership will, in the course of time, lead
to system of landlordism incompatible
with the best interests and free
institutions of the United States The
foundation of such a system is being laid
broadly Ill the western states and terri
tories. The avarice and enterprise of the
European capitalists, the report continues,
have caused them to invest many millions
in American railroad and land bonds,
covering, perhaps, 100000 acres, the
greater part Of which, under foreclosure
sales, will most likely, before many years,
become the property of these foreign bond
holders in addition to their present prince
y possessions This aggressive
foreign capital is not confined to
the land it has purchased but, overlapping
its boundaries, has caused hundreds of
miles of the public domain to be
fenced up for the grazing ground of vast
herds of cattle, and set at defiance the
rights of the honest but humble settler
The bill proposes to place these aliens
under the disabilities of the civil law as to
all future attempts to acquire lands In
this country. In other words, the report
says, the bill is ii declaration against alb
absentee land-lordism. 1t declares all
foreign-born persons who have not been
naturalized, to be incapable of taking
title to lands anywhere within the United
States except lease and hold for exceeding
five years. 1t has no retroactive but
prospective operation. 1t also contains a
PROVISION WHICH Will COMPEL allen ldlu
owners to cease to be such or to become
citizens of the United States within ten
years. The bill, the report says, would
prevent any more abuses like that of Mr..
Scully who resides in England, and is a
subject of the queen, but who owns 10000
acres in Illinois, occupied by tenants mostly
ignorant foreigners, from whom he re
ceives as rent 100000 yearly to expend
in Europe The Scaeuley estate of about
1000 acres within the city limits of Pitts
burg and Allegheny, from the rents of
which the Scheuley's, who are subjects Of
the British queen, draw annually not less
than 100000, is another instance of alien
landlordism in America The tenth census
shows that the United States had
$4,000 tenant farmers, the largest num-
Der possessed by any nation in
the world In conclusion, the report says:
with the natural increase in population
and foreigners who flock to our shores an
nually and by competition, are reducing
the wages of labor, making battle for our
people, is a problem for American states
men to solve. The multiplication of the
owners of the soil is a corresponding en-
largement of number of patriots and
every land owner in the world should owe
allegiance to his country.