, 1890-03-13

opposed to theft. Those who worked
would not permit those who did not
to steal the result of their labor In
other words, sclf-preservatlOn would
he the dominant idea, and these
men would instantly look upon the
idlcrs ~ the enemies of their so
cicty. Such community would he
solf-suppoItlng. Let women of the
same clnss bc put by themselves.
! Keen the sexes absolutely apart.
| Those who ARE beyond the power of
reformation should not have the
liberty to reproduce themselves.
Those who can not bc reached by
kindness-by justice-those who
hunder no circumstances are willing
to do their share, should he sepa-
rated They should dwell apart,
and dying, should leave no heirs.
"What shall he done with the
slayers of their follow-men-with
Imllrderers? shall the nation take
life? The tendency of the extreme
penalty IL to prevent conviction. In
the presence of death Il l. easy for u
Jury to find n doubt. Technlcali-
ties become important, and ahsurdl-
ties, touched with mercy, have the
appearance for II moment of being
natural and logical. Honest and
conscientious men dread final and
irrcvocablc step. IL the penalty
were imprisonment for life, the Jury
would feel that If any mistake were
made It could be rectiiled; but where
the penalty is death II mistake
Is fatal. A conscientious man
takes into consideration the
defects of human nuture-thc I'M
certainty of testimony, and the
countless shadows that dim and
darken the understanding, and rc-
fuse to find verdict that, III wrong,
can not be righted. The death
penalty, inflicted 10y the government,
X perpetual excuse for mobs.
The greatest danger in republic is
q mob, and as long as states iniilct
the penalty of death mubs will fol-
low the example. If the state does
not consider life sacred, the mob,
with ready rope, will strangle the
suspected. AS long as nations meet
on the fields of war.-as long us they
sustain the relations of savages to
each Other-as long as they put the
laurel and the oak ON the brovs of
those who kill-just so long Will
citizens resort to violence, and the
Quarrels of individuals be settled by
dagger and revolver.
TO CHANGE MANS CONDITION.
"If we are to change the conduct
of men, we must change their con.
ditions. Extreme poverty and
crime 20 hand in hand. Destltu-
tion multlplies temptations and de
stroys the finer feelings. The bodies
and souls Of men are apt to be clad
in like garments. Ii the body Is
covered with rags, the soul Is gcn-
orally In the same condition. Self
respect IL gone-the man looks
down--he has neither hope nor
, courage. He becomes sinister-he
envies the prosperous, hates the for
tunate and despises himself. As
long as children are raised In the
tenement and gutter, the prisons
will be full. The gulf between the
; rich and poor VIII grow
wider and wider. One will
depend on cunning, the other on
force. IL is great ques-
ton whether those who live In lux
ury can afford to allow others to ex-
ist In want. The value of property
, depends not on the prosperity OF
he few, but ON the prosperity of II
very large majority. 1t would be
well, as IL seems 20 me- for the legis-
latuTc to fiN the amount of land that
private citizen may own. The
amount to he thus held will depend
upon many local circumstances, To
he decided by each state for itself
Let me suppose that the amount OF
q land that may be held by farmer
for cultivation has been fixed at 100
acres-and suppose that n has sew
eral thousand acres, u wishes to
buy l60 acres or less of this land for
: the purpose of making himself u
home. a refuses to sell. Now,
believe that the law should be 50
that II can invoke this right of
eminent domain and file his petition
: have the case brought before II
; Jury or before commissioners, who
shall hear the evidence and determ-
inc the value, and on pay.
ment of the amount the land
shall belong to B. would extend
the same law to lots and houses In
cities and yillago---thc object being
to ill our country with the owners
Of homes, 50 that every child shai
have "a iircsde, every father and
mother u roof provided they have
tie intelligence, the energy and the
industry to acquire the necessary
means. Tcnements and flats and
rented land are, In my Judgment
the enemies of civilization. They
p make the rich richer, and the poor
poorer. They put IL few In palaces,
but they put many In prisons.
"l would 20 II step further than
this. | would exempt homes of a
certain value, not only from levy
and sale, but from every kind oil
taxation, state and national, SO
that these poor people would feel
that they Were in partnership with
nature; that some Of the land was
absolutely theirs, and that no one
could drive them from their home !
40 that mothers could feel secure. u
the home increased in value, and
exceeded the limit. then taxes could
bc paid on the excess; and II the
home was sold, | would have the
money exempt for n certain time IN
order that the family should have
the privilege of buying another
home. The home, after all, Is the
unit of civilization, of good govern
mcnt; and To secure homes for n
greater majority Of our citlHcns
would be to lay the foundation OF
our government deeper and broader
land stroupsr than that pf utly nm