The Colfax chronicle., 1890-05-03
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
EVAN JONES' MESSAGE.

From the Memphis Single Tax Asso-
citation column ia the Weekiy appeal.
published at Memphis, Tenn. we ex-
tract the following:
There have been good many Presi-
dents messages lately. but none more
important has been issued than that
which Evan Jones, President of the
Farmers and Laborers' Union of Amer
lea, read at the St Louis convention,
From this message, as published in the
Weekly Ioiier. the official organ of the
Union. we extract the following:
There is perhaps no question that
demands more serious attention at this
time than the present condition of our
land. From its many resources flow all
the wealth Of our nation. and npon its
proper and just distribution depend the
prosperity, contentment and happiness
OF the yeomanry. . class upon whom
all nations most largely depend for
strength and support.
During the greatest prosperity Of
Rome about s. per cent. Of her popula-
ton owned titles in land. 1t was then
that she was founded upon rock and
was mistress of the world. But iu the
course of her history. through the
monopolization of her lands by the few.
through unjust legislation. the homes
were wrenched from the hands of the
masses. And when the dark death ford
was reached. upon which civilization
was 10 die. less than per cent. of the
people controlled the land. and it is
said that about 1000 men controlled
the wealth of the world.
To-day we find in America millions
ct acres OF her fertile lands. bought BY
the lives aud efforts of her forefathers,
which should have been held sacred for
homes for their l'osterity. squandered
upon railroads and other corporations,
and millions moro are owned and con-
trolled by domestic and foreign syndi-
Gates, while large per cent OF our
homes are hopelessly mortgaged. and
about 80 per cent of our sons are ten
ants.
"Ihis wholesale absorption of land
by aggregated capital must be checked.
or it will finally enslave the honest yeo-
manry of our country and inevitably
destroy our much-loved republic
"The hope of America depends upon
the ownership of the land being vested
in those who till the soil.
"Give The people homes, theirs to
improve. theirs 10 cultivate, theirs to
beautify and theirs to enjoy. and our
grand republic will stand as the acme
of modern civilization and national
greatness
1t is worthy of remark that the Union
at last addresses itself to the solution of
I THE LAND QUESTION.
The hope of America docs depend. as
Evan Jones has said. upon the owner
ship of the land being vested in those
who till the soil This happy condition
was once ours. 1t is go no longer. The
question of questions is this: Why has
the ownership of the land been slipping
away from the working farmer. and
how may be it restored to him? II we
can find out what causes have brought
about the present unfortunate condi-
tions we have only to reverse these
causes and the old conditions will re-
turn. II l have come pretty straight
from Nashville to Memphis. and don't
like Memphis and want to go back to
but am not sure which road
10 take. It will be pretty safe for me to
take the same road l came hy--if can
find it My first duty. therefore. Is to
look for the road l came by. When
have found this, l will at least have the
general direction, and if there were
specially bad spots of road
can try to avoid them on my way back.
Now. ! believe that the main differ
once between this country now and
ifty years ago is that there was an
of good public land-now
there is none that is of any account.
Then "Uncle Sam could give every
man a FARM as the saying went but |
Io-day ae has nothing but desert wastes
and mountain peaks to donate-land |
hat no one can use. There were land
'peculators then as now. but the pres
,nce Of vast tracts of public land made |
{ impossible for them to oppress the |
people much. while to-day they hold
he farmer as in the hollow of their |
land. Then if farmer wanted a
arm OF his own it cost him the merest
rife. If The land speculator who re-
ided in the neighborhood wanted more
han what he thought proper price