Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-02-20


There have been a 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 upon 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 So 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 in 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 to die. less than 2 per cent of the
people controlled the land and it is
said that about 1900 men controlled
the wealth of the world.
To-day we find in America millions
of acres of her fertile lands, bought by
the lives and efforts of her forefathers,
which should have been held sacred for
homes for their posterity, squandered
upon railroads and other corporations,
and millions more are owned and con-
trolled by domestic and foreign syndi-
Gates, while q large per cent. of our
homes are hopelessly mortgaged, and
ants.
This wholesale absorption of land
by aggregated capital must be checked,
or it will finally enslave the honest yeo-
Vi oui ANU
destroy our much loved republic.
1.-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 to 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
THE LAND QUESTION.
The hope of America does 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 so 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 If we
can find out what causes have brought
about the present unfortunate condi-
tons we have only to reverse these
causes and the old conditions will re-
turn. If / have come pretty straight
from Nashville to Memphis, and / don't
like Memphis and want to 60 back to
Nashville, but am not sure which road
to take, it will be pretty safe for me to
take the same road l came by-if can
find it. My first duty, therefore. is to
look for the road l came by. When l
have found this, will at least have the
general direction, and if there were
certain specially bad spots of road l
can try to avoid them on my way back.
Now, believe that the main differ
ence between this country now and
fifty years ago is that there was an
abundance of good public land-now
there is none that is of any account.
Then Uncle Sam could give every
man farm" as the saying went, but
to-day he has nothing but desert wastes
and mountain peaks to donate-land
that no one can use. There were land
ence of vast tracts of public land made
it impossible for them to Cypress the
people much, while to-day they hold
the farmer as in the hollow of their
hand. Then if a farmer wanted
farm of his own it cost him the merest
trtle. If the land speculator who re-
sided in the neighoorhood wanted more
than what he thought proper price
the farmer went straight to Uncle Sam.
who always suited him, and after the
speculator had seen this happen time
time or two he put down his price. But
now if one speculator charges too high
a price, the farmer can't go to Uncle
SAINTS no use. He must 90 to
whom Why, bless you. to another
Spectator, who will in all probability
ask him as much as the first And SO
it is that the working farmer is between
the devil and the deep sea.
But the farmer must make living,
and to do that he must agree to the |
terms of the land Speculation. He will |
either buy the use of the land by the |
year lin other words he will rent IT'D, or
he will buy it outright and give a VEN
doris lien to secure the purchase
money. In all probability he will have |
to pay out all his ready money as cash |
payment. This leaves him flat, and so |
he must 90 to the store and pay credit
nrices. he must be crampcd for worS |