St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-28
Who Do Not Own the Lands
and Houses About Which
They Work.
Four Per Cent Of the Popula-
ton Of New York Own the
City Site.
Fopty-Seven Thousand Chica-
goans Who Look for Work
in Vain.
The Question Put as TO Why
These Conditions Exist in
Free America.


Like multitude of others, have
come to regard your paper as one desir-
ing to further the cause of every true
reform and secure the adoption of such
principles and policies in our govern
ment as will insure to the masses OF the
people the greatest general benefits, land
this prompts me to address you on a
subject which needs the attention of
every thinking man, and upon which l
desire to be personally enlightened.
From one or two significant immediate
causes and from gradual leading up to
it in common conditions this appears to
be fast becoming an era of political
reasoning-a most pleasing symptom
and it is a safe assumption that the
masses of men know more OF the ways
of our government and of political econo-
my now than at any previous time in
the natiOA'S history. The question OF
free trade is made conspicuous and
mucn discussed, and the growing tend
ency to reflection on these matters can
scarcely lead to any other ultimatHm
than the adoption of perfectly free and
unhampered system of exchange. For
some time have failed to see the con-
slstency or the justice of permitting any
individuals, through the agency of the
government, TO interfere with the right
of all people to exchange goods when
they wish to do so, 10 matter under
what pretense the interference may be
made. Perfect freedom to trade comes
of natural law which no government
has right to prevent or abort.
The theory of protection is one Of the
prettiest and most deceiving conceptions
of mems minds, and that it should have
such general support is, after all, but
half strange. Yet one has but to eX-
anime it little critically to discover
that its fundamental purpose, that of
protecting" certain induStries-while
others cannot possibly be prOtected-iS
a gross injustice land, while was once
a protectiOnist, its foremost champions
now fail to dislodge my firm belief in
the falIacy of the idea. If we desire to
remain prOtectionists, we must not
study protection too closely. A peculiar
phase of the question is presented, how
ever, when men say of free trade"
it is alright enough in principle but not
applicable in our CASE" and many are
saying this.
What senseless twaddle is it for en-
lightened people to indulge, that
principle, pure and simple, is pretty but
not made to be applied. All principles
are practicable in themselves. They
must be from their very nature, and
from the causes which lead to their ere
alton. A theory is not necessarily
principle, at least not until it is proven
so, but principle is as incontrovert-
a BILE and as positive in it's existence as
man himself. A stone falls to earth
when released at any altitude,
and none for moment will
doubt the existence of the
law which impels its descent. because
it is directly operative upon things ma
terial and is therefore principle or
natural law beyond our control and
direction. Those principles involving
the relations of men to one another are
none the less absolute IN their exist
ence, but through the very object of
their existence are so controlled by man
artifcially substituted for. Ii an ac-
knowledged principle is not immediate
ly applicable it may not lack single
essential of natural law, but
it's inapplicability is evidence posi-
tive of the existence of some greater
error. some more serious stumbling
block i'm its way than the mere theory
that has been substituted for it. To
discover that we cannot employ law
does not, or at least should not, convince
us, either that we were wrong in pre-
Stunning that the law existed. OF that the
time of need of its enforcement had ar
rived. Its object may be surrounded by
obstacles not at all relative either to the
principle which we are trying TO utilize
or to its substitute. Protection is one
of those numerous theoretical substi-
tutes, pretty in outline and favored with
name which tends toinspire confidence
but it is none the less perverSiOn and
an error. There are few people who are
willing to say that the abolition of pro-
tectiye tariffs is not supported by the
most potent laws of political economy
and the soundest of argument, but maD-
tain that it is impractieable by reason of
some special arrangement or Interior
ence OF condition. Fancy the deliberate
presumption of people who would
calmly set aside laws and principles
given in the creation to assist in mans
self-gOvernment and prefer to substitute
that which they know to be mere
theory of their own conjuring.
While as yet no lnSurmOuntable OBJ |
Stacles have arisen to obstruct the adOp- |
ton of Tree trade, l think that the pretty |
general recognition of other and more |
conditions than the mere |
with exchange is conducive |
to belief in the existence of those OBJ |
stacles. ] do not think myself that free |
trade can be accepted as certain pana |
cea for all our social ailments, and it is |
the other and what seem to
me more serious phases of our condition
that [ write you for enlightenment. You
MT oonciJar If worth xvnilQ N piUn
me an elaborate and satisfying reply.
or perhaps you can refer me to the
writings of some one who has already
treated the subject, but please do not
answer me i'm a one-line heading, for L
am anxious to learn the causes of and
the remedy for some of the startling
conditions which l discover.
First find the percentage of per-
SONS who own the land upon which they
live to be amazingly small, and this on
a great continent where the entire pop
ulation could occupy the one state of
Texas, with more room to each in
dividual. if it were appOrtioned, than
the people of the British Isles would
have under equal apportiOnment. In
the city of New York, per cent of the
population own the entire city site.
Now, people say to me, "Oh, we'll,
IIldb uluSb ulW ayO w UtuC VI |
centers," or tell me
that ''people do not have
houses of their own because they are not
and economical" / see no
reason why this should necessarily be
more true of ''crowded centers" than
elsewhere. and. in fact, know it is not
true, for my attention was first drawn
to it during a residence i'm new. sparsely
settled North Dakota, where the farme-
may step to his door aud, looking about
him in any direction, see quarter sec
ton after quarter section of beautiful
land between him and his nearest
neighbor unused, unoccupied, untouched
Plenty Of people would like, and
more than that really need what could
be produced on that land. Plenty of
people would go fairly wild with joy at
the opportunity of occupying that land
and utilizing it. But, no. it belongs to
r. r. Bonds, of New York, or Adam
Close. banker, of Philadelphia, or Sir D.
Shilling Pounds, of London. To be sure
these gentlemen may never have even
Il a. 1