The Colfax chronicle., 1890-10-11
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
lANpLoRplsM in CONGRESS-

LANpLoRDlsM IN CONGRESS-
To Prohibit Aliens From Owning LANDS :.
the United states.
Representative Oats Of Alabama, from
tho Judiciary Committee, recently To-
ported to the House of Representatives.
a bill to prohibit aliens from acquiring
title or owning lands within the uniteo
States. The bill is accompanied oy
report which sets forth with becoming
alarm tho fact that certain noblemen OF
Europe, principally Englishmen, have
acquired and now own about twenty -one
million acres of land within tho United
States, while various untitled foreigners
own large tracts. though the exsctex-
tent of their holdings Is not known to
the committee. The report says that
this alien nonresident ownership Will,
in course OF time, lead to q system OF
landlordism incompatible with the best
interests and free institutions OF the
United States Mr.. Scnlly, the untitled
Englishman, who owns ninety Thousand
acres in Illinois and considerable tracts
further west and receives from them
rent of 500. 600 yearly, which he spends
the report states. in Europe. Is cited as
an illustration of the evil effects of alien
landlordism, and the bill proposes to pre-
vent any more foreigners from acquir-
ing title to lands in the United States,
and to compel those who now own lands
here to become naturalixed or sell out
The report goes on to state that, ac-
cording to the tenth census, there were
$50, 600 tenant farmers in the United
States, a number larger than can be
found in any other country in tho world,
and by implication it suggests that this
number is likely to increase. 1t says:
With the natural increase in popula-
tion and the 500, 600 foreigners who flock
to our shores annually and by compcti-
tion are reducing the wages OF labor,
making the battle of life harder to win,
how few years hcnce to provide homes
for our poor people is a problem for the
American statesmen to solve. The
multiplication of the owners of the soil
is corresponding enlargement of the
number of patriots. and every landowner
in this country should owe allegiance to
the United States.
The bill seems to aim chiefly at the
promotion of patriotism by the artificial
increase of the number Of ''patriotsi'
but we fail to see what possible check 1t
offers to an increase in the number Of
tenant farmers, or what solution of the
problem of providing homes for the
people under conditions that constantly
tend to the monopolisation Of the land
needed for such homes What difference
does it make to the tenant whether the
man who receives his rent is anobleman
or commoner? What effect can the
landlords citizenship have on the ten
ant. Suppose that Mr.. Scully were to
mnye to Chicago and become natural.
lied. He will only have to spend q
! few weeks in America each year to
enable him to obtain his papers. and
after that he might go back to England
and live there jnst as comfortably as he
does now. avoiding any obligations he
may now owe to that government He
still could continue to rack-rent his
Illinois peasants and live in luxury
abroad on the proceeds of their labor,
|, just as hundreds of native born Ameri
cans are now living luxuriously in
Europe on the proceeds of taxation thai
they levy on the men who do business
| in the city of-New York.
we are glad that Congressman Oates
is studying the question, and that the
| Judiciary committee of the House is dis
posed to give it some attention. Theil
efforts, hewever, will not amount to any
thing SO long as they fail to compre
hend the fact that landlordism is thu
evil to be attacked. and that it Il on
evil, whether the landlord be native
or foreigner. 1t would be matter o.
trifiing Importance whether Mr.. Scully
| was citizen OF the United States or I
subject of the Queen. II tho State Of iii
nois took annually for public purposes
| the rental value of the lands that ht
claims to own in that State. So long
however, as Mr.. Scully is able to.holi
them and appropriate the tax thnsleviei
I to his own use, his wretched tenants
will continue to be the victims OF the
evil denounced by the Judiciary. commit
tee, and for which it fails to suggest any
adequate remedy.
OUR NEW ASSESSOR.
4