The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-12-20
ALIEN OWNERSHIP OF LAND.

Is, that alien ownership of land should
be prohibited. Perhaps we have not
seen the Importance of this demand as
we think we have of some others. The
subject is worth our most serious and
earnest consideration. We do not pro-
pose here and now to enter into an ex-
haustive discussion of the question,
but simply to call your attention to a
report made to the 51st Congress by
the Judiciary Committee, which had
been instructed to investigate and re
port to that body the extent of alien
ownership of land in this country. In
this report, No. 1888, first session of
the 51st Congress, we find the follow
ing:
Your committee have ascertained,
with reasonable certainty, that certain
noblemen-principally Englishmen-
have acquired and now own in the
aggregate about 81, ZOO, 900 acres of
land within the United States"
Now, mark you, these are English
mO6Iemem and they have acquired the
land and it is in large bodies.
The report says further:
1--WE have not sufficient information
to state the quantity owned by untitled
aliens, o Is this SO important, as it is
generally held in smaller bodies. This
alien nonresident ownership will, in
the course of time, lead to a system of
landlOrdism incompatible with the best
interests and free institutions of the
United States. The foundation of such
a system is being laid broadly in the
Western States and Territories. A
considerable number of immigrants
annually arriving in this country are
to become tenants and herdsmen on
the vast possessions of these foreign
lords, under contracts made and en-
tered into before they sail for
shores.
The avarice and enterprise of Euro
pean capitalists have caused them to
invest in American railroads and land
bonds, covering perhaps hundred
million acres, the great part of which,
under foreclosure sale, will m )st likely
before many years, become the prop
erty of these foreign bondholders, in
addition to their present princely pos
sessions. 1t is thus manifest that if
the present large alien ownership is an
evil, of which we have no doubt, the
probabilities of the near future will
still imperatively demand legis
latiOn for its prevention. This aggres-
sive foreign capital is not confined to
lands it has purchased, but, overlap
ping it's boundaries, has caused hun
dreds of miles of public domain to be
fencedup for the grazing of vast herds
of cattle and set at defiance the rights
of the honest but humble settler"
The committee cites one instance in
which a Mr. Scully, a subject of the
Queen and residing in England, owns
80, 900 acres of land in Illinois, tenanted
by ignorant foreigners from whom he
receives 5000, 900 per annum and ex-
ponds it in England. Another instance.
The Scheuleys estate in Pennsylvania,
from which they draw annual rentals
of not less than 800, 600, and says:
mo other nation in the world allows
subjects Of other governments to &C
quire such possessions within its juris-
dic tion." We present these extracts
from this report to show that those
who are in power now know full well
what is going on; they see the danger
and cannot shirk it. This report was
made by Mr.. Oates, of Alabama, and
he closes it with these words which are
as true as gospel.
with the natural increase in popu-
lation and the 500, 900 foreigners who
flock to our shores annually, and by
competition, are reducing the wages of
labor, makes the battle of life harder
to win. HOW, a few years hence, to
proUide homes for oar poor people IS o.
problem for the American statesmen to
SotUe. The multiplication Of the OaOners
o. the soil is q corresponding enlarge
me"t Of the number Of patriots, and
e0ery landlord IN this country should
o10e allegiance to the United States"
NOW we wish our people to see and
W know n a the party now in power
sSeS ana knows and fully comprehends
Cne meaning of this and other demands
we MAKE, and we wish the people to
AcSP an eye on them and see if they
VIII snow themselves patriots enough
10 grapple with these Questions and
formulate them into laws The Ameri-
can farmer and mechanic is not Going
" "aII patiently until after the next
congressional election and then vote
oIUno present mcumbent, unless he
PrGves himself worthy, and he can
1nIy III this by earnest, persistent,
nOhesG work Tor needed reform.