The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-12-08
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y y " tIllaHt IN Non tQnlprlnli.
That our public domain is the herr
tage of the people, and should be re-
served for actual settlers. would seem
TO be a seif-evident proposition. God
intended this fruitful earth for homes
for his children, rather than for specu-
lative purposes in the hands Of q
wealthy few. 4 man can scarcely be
a patriot IL the highest type until he
owns home nnincnmbered by mori-
gage or debt. Any system # legissa-
ton, therefore, which enables a few
individuals 10 monopolize land while
multitGdes remain homeless, is rad
cally wrong. and should be changed.
Nonresident aliens now own more
than Is ,0C0, 600 acres Of the hest land
in this country, and are holding il for
speculative purposes, thus prafting
By our toll and industry while avoid.
| ing the responsibilities of citizenship
and the burdens Of maintaining our
government. One syndicatouwns 500,
0o0 acres iii Florida another 500
900 acres in Mississippi; another S.
100000 acres in Texas and another
4, 500 900 acres iii New Mexico. In
order TO obtain these lands men per-
jured themselves, snEorned witnesses,
bribed Congressman. and resorted TO
/ the most shameful fraud, craftiness
land dishonesty. While these wealthy
| Foreigners own these vast bodies Of
land. thousands Of our own worthy
and deserving citizens are homeless
wanderers or tenants nf European
landlords. When a new strip Of ter.
ritory is opened for settlement there is
a tremendous rush on the part Of land
less people, who have 50 long suffered
the unqualified heart longing for q
home. These millions Of acres Of the
best land ever kissed by the sunlight
of heaven would afford homes for all
our people but for this monopoly Of it
by foreign aggregations OF wealth.
j, Land monopoly is II great wrong
and injustice to the people, whether
tile monopolizers are Of home or for
eign birth The practical effect upon
u the producing classes is the same
they have to share theS fruits Of Their
honest toll with the favored landlords,
| believe that the ownership of land
even BY our own citizens, should BIZ
limited within the bounds of reason
and the good of the people. A wrong
committed By foreigner does not be
come a virtue when committed BY an
American citizen.
Congress has given-to railroads 191,'
40 ,335 acres Of the public land. This
lis half as lal &c as the Republic Of Mex
leo. twice the size of Japan. almost
equal to the combined areas of France
i aud Germany, as large as Ohio, Vir
ginia, Pennsylvania, New York. Hi
, nois and Georgia all put together. and
five times as large as all New Eng
land. Prior to 1860 the Democrats
j had given away 30,470, 800 acres q
!, the public domain and since that time
the Republicans have continued thu
same policy and have surpassed then
by far in the extravaganza Of theil
grants.
In Texas the Democratic party ha.
given to railroads and other corpora
tons 46,578, 960 scres of land, while
SO, 900 OF her farmers are tenants, un
able to own the soil they till. Thil
reckless squandering of our publ,
, domain virtually confiscates the patri
j mony Of unborn generations. Thi
policy is a disgrace to our government
aud should be speedily reversed befor'
we become a nation Of landlords ant
tenants. All unearned grants Of land
! should be reclaimed and no more o
/ the public domain should be thu
granted to any corporation.