The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-08-13
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT..
LANDLoRDIsM IN CONGRESS.

SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT. !
LANDLORDlSM IN CONGRESS. |
To Prohibit Aliens From Owning Lands In |
the United States. :
Representative Oats OF Alabama, from
the Judiciary Committee, recently re-
ported to the House of Representatives
bill to prohibit aliens from acquiring
title or owning lands within the United
States. The bill is accompanied by a
report which sets forth with becoming
alarm the fact that certain noblemen of
Europe, principally Englishmen, have
acquired and now own about twenty-o ne
million acres of land within the United
States, while various untitled foreigners
own large tracts, though the exact ex-
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 a system Of
landlordism incompatible with the best
interests and free institutions of the
United States. Mr.. Scully, the untitled
Englishman, who owns ninety thousand
acres in Illinois and considerable tracts
further west and receives from them a.
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 blu 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 naturalized or sell out.
The report goes on to state that, ac-
cording to the tenth census, there were
$40, 900 tenant farmers in the United
States, number larger than can be
found in any other country in the world,
and by implication it suggests that this
number is likely to increase. 1t says:
| With the natural increase in popula-
ton and the 500, 900 foreigners who flock
to our shores annually and by COMPETE
ton are reducing the wages of labor,
making the battle of life harder to win,
how few years hence 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 patriots"
but we fail to see what possible check it
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 monopolization of the land
needed forsuch homes What difference
does it make to the tenant whether the
man who receives his rentis anobleman
or commoner?.. What effect can the
landlords citizenship have on the ten
ant, Suppose that Mr.. Scully were te
nova to Chicago and become natural
lied. lie will only have to spend {
few weeks in America each year t.
enable him to obtain his papers, ant
after that he might go back to England
and live there inst as comfortably as HI
does now, avoiding any obligations hi
may now owe to that government HI
still could continue to rack-rent hi
Illinois peasants and live in luxur.
abroad on the, proceeds of their labor
just as hundreds Of native born Ameri
cans are now living luxuriously i,
Europe on the proceeds of taxation tina
they levy on the men who do bushes
in the city of New York.
We are glad that Congressman Gate
. is studying the Question, and that tn
Judiciary committee of the House is dis
posed to give it some attention; Thei
efforts, however, will not amount to an
thing SO long as they fail to- compre
bend the fact that landlordism is tn
evil to be attacked, and that it is a
evil, whether the landlord be.a natiy
or foreigner. ltwould be q matter {
trifing Importance whether Mr. Scgll
was a citizen Of the United States OR
, subject Of the Queen, if the State q. Ill
, nois took annually for public purpose
: the rental. value. of the lands that b
claims to own in that State. So 1onf
however, as Mr.. Scully is able to-hol
+ them and appropriate thetax thus levie
, to his own use, his wretched tenant
will continue to be the victims of tn
evil denounced by the Judiciary commi
tee, and for which it fails to suggest an
= adequate remedy.