The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-09-02

here because there was no one TO say
nay-because was as much st liberty
to do so as any other man. Besides,
now that 1 have cut down the wood,
and plowed and cropped the ground,
this farm is more mine than yours, or
any ybody's; and mean to keep il.
cay, so you all say. But do not see
how you have substantiated your claim.
When you came here you found tho
land producing trees, sugar naples,
perhaps; or may belt was covered with
prairie grass and wild straw berries.
Well, instead of these you made 1t yield
wheat, or maize, or tobacco. Now
want to understand how. by OK.
terminating one set of plants and max
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 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 it that
you have done? You have turned over
the soil to few inches in depth with
spade or plow; you have scattered
over this prepared surface few seeds;
and you have gathered the fruits which
the sun, rain and air helped the soil to
produce just tell me, if you please,
by what magic have these acts made You
sole owner of that vast mass OF matter,
having for its base the surface OF your
estate, and for it's 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?
have dispossesscd nobody. When I
crossed the Mississippi yonder. found
nothing but the silent woods II some
one else had settled here and made this
| clearing he would have had as good
right to the location as have. have
done nothing but what any other per-
son was at liberty to do had he come be-
fore me. While they were unreclaimed,
these lands belonged to all men-as
much to one as to another-aud they
are now mine simply because was tho
first to discover and improve them
"You say truly. when you say that
while they were unreclained these
lands belonged to all men, And it ID
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 q
case Suppose now that in the course
of your wanderings you come upon an
empty house, which in spite OF It's dilap-
idated state takes your fancy; suppose
that with the intention OF making It
your abode you expend much time and
trouble in repairing it-that you paint
and paper and whitewash, and Mt con.
siderable cost bring it into habitable
state. Suppose, further, that on some
fatal day stranger is announced, who
turns out to be the heir to whom this
house has been bequeathed, and that
this professed heir is prepared with all
the necessary proofs OF his identity;
what becomes of your improvements?
Do they give you valid title to tho
house? Do they quash the title OF the
original tlaimant?'
mo"
Neither then do your pioneering
, operations give you q valid title to thi.
land. Neither do they quash the TITLE
. of it's original claimants-the human
race. The world is Gods beqwest Il
mankind. All men are joint heirs Il
it; you among the number. And be
i, ! cause you have taken up your residenc!
:, !, on certain part of 1t, and have sub
dued, cultivated, beautifed that part
improved it as you say-you are not
therefore, warranted in appropriatint
it as entirely private property. A
), least if you do SO, You may at any mo
: ment be Justly expelled by the Lawful
y owner-Society." a
well, but surely you would not ejec
> me without making some recompens
for the great additional value l hav
). given to this tract, by reducing wha
~ was wilderness into fertile fields. Yo
9 would not turn me adrift and depriv
II me of all the benefits of those years Q
= !. toll it has cost me to bring this spot int
y it's present state. b
.Of course not; just as in the case
= the house, you would have an equitabl
= title to compensation from the propris
u tor for repairs and new fittings, 30 tn
community can not justly take posses
: sion Of this estate. without paying fo
= all that you have done to 1t. This extr
y worth which your labor has imparte
~ to it is fairly yours; and although 20
have, without leave, busted Yourself
bettering what belongs to the comm
~ nifty, vet no doubt the community wi
~ duly discharge your claim. But admit
~ ting this is quite a different thin
'e from recognizing your right to the Ian
: itself. It may be true that you are el
:. titled to compensation for the improv
'.' mcnts this inclosure has received
=, ,s your hands; and at the same time
=. ~ may be equally true that no act, forr
. " proceeding or ceremony can make tn
- - inclosure your private property"
y. [ro BE CONTINUED.
st THE great fortune OF the Duke
he Westminster, the richest OF the RI
nd men Of England, is purely the result
of appropriation. It no more springs fro