The Colfax chronicle., 1891-10-31
lhefttssads4 tnsre svasa ps,ous 80 say
nay = Abecause wh3as i1stcA- It 1ibertS

and plowed md cropped the ground,
this farm is more mine than yours, or
any body 5; and / mean toslscep A.''
"Ay,, so you all say. Butt do not see
how you have substantiated your claim
When you came here you found the
land producing trees,-sugar naples,
perhaps; or may be it was covered with
prairie grass and wild Strawberries.
Well, instead of these you made it yield
wheat, or maize, or tobacco Now
want to understand how, by ex-
terminating one set of plants and maxi
ing the soil bear another set in their
place, you have constituted yourself
lord of this soil for all succeeding time.
"Oh, those natural products which
destroyed were of little or no use;
whereas l caused the earth to bring
forth things good for food-things that
help to give life and happiness ~ -
"Still, you have not shown why such
a. process makes the portion of earth you
have SO modified yours What is il that
You have done? You have turned over
the soil to few inches in depth with q
spade or a. plow; vow have scattered
over this prepared surfacesa few seeds;
and you have gathered the fruits which
the, sun, rain apdair helped the soil to
produce. just tell me- you please,
by what magic have these acts made you
sole owner of that vast mass of matter,
having for its bases the surface of your
estate, and for its apex the center OF
the globe, all of which, it appears, you
would monopolize to yourself and your
descendants forever"
"Well. if it isn't mine, whose is It? l
have dispossessed nobody. When /
crossed the Mississippi yonder. found
nothing but the silent woods II some
one else had settled here and made this
clearing hG would have had rs good
right to the location as have. l have
done nothing but what any other per-
son was at liberty to do had he come bo-
FORE me- While they we're uireelained,
these lands belonged to all men-aa
much to one as to another-and they
are now mine simply because ] was the
first to discover and improve them"
"You say truly. when you say that
while they were unreclaiined these
lands belonged to all men, And it is
my duty to tell you that they belong to
all men still; and that your improve
ments.' as you call them can not vitiate
the claim of all men, You may plow
and harrow, and sow. and reap; you
may turn over the soil as often as you
like; but all your manipulations will
fail to make that soil yours, which was
not yours to begin with, Let me put a
case. Suppose now that in the course
Of your wanderings you como upon an
empty house, which in spite of its dilap-
dated state takes your fancy; suppose
that with the intention of makingit
your abode you cxpend much time and
trouble in repairing it-that you paint |
and paper and whitewash, and at con-
siderable cost bring it into a habitable |
state. Suppose, further, that on some !
Iatal day a stranger Is announced, who |
turns out to be the heir to whom tbs |
house has been bequeathed, and that |
his professed heir is prepared with all |
he necessary proofs of his identity; |
what becomes OF your improvements? |
Do they give you valid title to the
house? Do they quash the title of the
original claimant?"
"No."
Neither then do your pioneering /
operations give you valid title to this /
and. Neither do they quash the title
IT its original claimants-the human
ace. The world is Gods bequest to
mankind. All men are joint heirs to
t; you among the number And be-
ause you have taken up your residence
N certain part of it. and have SUBJ
Iued, cultivated, beautified that.part-
it as you say-you are not,
therefore,, warranted in: appropriating
as entirely private property. At
east If you do so, you may at any mo
nent be justly expelled by the lawful
'wner-Society."
''Well, but surely you would not eject
ne without making some recompense
or the great additional value have
iven to this tract by reducing what
vas wilderness into fertile fieldS You
vould not turn me adrift and deprive
,e Of all the benefits of those yeds Of
oil II has cost me to bring this spot into
IS present State?s To-
"Of course not; just as in the case Of
he house, you would have an equitable
tile to compensation from the proprie-
n forEepsirs end1ew fttipeA pfhe
omAdhify tdh pot ustl3 tdE< pfs,es-
lon efthis estate. = without payidP P4or
II that you have done to it. This extra
'orth which your labor has impaired
at is fairly yours; and although you
n without leave, busted yorrself in
e'tering what belongs to- thescemmn-
ity, yet no doubt the community will
aly discharge youf claim. But admit
ng this is quite a different thing
ON recoghf3fhg Ydnr right TO thesland
self. 1t may be true that you are en-
tied to compensation for the improve
lents this inclosure has received at r
Dur hands; and at the same time it s|
ay be equally frue thstAo' astsfIrm. "a
roceeding or ceremony can make this
lclosure your private property" e
lTo BE coyrINUED.1 s< Ei