The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-03-24
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
Thomas Je6erson wrote On Land, Laber

Thomas JenOrson Wrote On Land LAb0r
and Taxation.
Editor of the Journal OF the
Knights Of Labor: Believing that
your readers will be interested in the
following letter, written by Thomas
Jefferson but four years before the
breaking out of that cyclone Of pop
ular vengeance known as the French
Revolution, have taken the pains
to copy it for your columns. Mr..
Jefferson ranks as one of the first
and ablest statesmen of history. He
wrote this letter from the very centre
of thought-from the threatening
crater OF political and social danger
and his statements are entitled to
great weight among thoughtful
readers.
JOHN DAVIS. NJ c.,
WASHINGTON, D. C.
FoSrA1sEsLEAu, France, 18th October, l7sS.
II set out yesterday morning to
take a view Of this place lFontaine-
bleau). For this purpose I shaped
my course toward the highest of the
mountains in sight, to the top of which
was about league. As soon as had
got clear of the town / fell in with
poor woman walking at the same rate
with myself and going the same course.
Wishing to know the condition of the
laboring poor I entered into CONVEX
sation with her, which / began by
inquiries for the path which would
lead me into the mountain, and hence
proceeded to inquiries into her voca-
ton, condition and circumstances.
She told me she was day-laborer,
at eight sous, Or fourpence sterling,
the day; that she had two children to
maintain and to pay rent of thirty
livres for her house (Which would
consume the hire of seventy-fve days.;
that often she could get no employ
ment, and, of course, was without
bread. AS we had walked together
nearly mile and she had SO far
served me as a guide, l gave her, on
parting, twenty four sous. She
burst into tears of gratitude, which /
could perceive was unfeigned because
| She was unable to utter word. She
hsd probably never before received
80 great an aid. This little attendriss-
e1aent with the solitude of my walk
led me into q train of reflections on
| that unequal division of property
which occasions the numberless in
| stances of wretchedness which / had
observed in this country, and is to be
observed all over Europe. The prop
| erty of this country is absolutely
concentrated in very few hands,
having revenues of from half
million guineas a year downward
These employ the flower of the
country as servants. They employ
also a great number of manufacturers
and tradesmen, and, lastly, the class
OF laboring husbandmen; but after
all these comes the most numerous
of all classes is, the poor who
cannot find work. I asked myself
what could be the reason that SO many
should be permitted to beg, who are
willing to work, in country where
there is very considerable portion
of uncultivated lands. These lands
are kept idle mostly for the sake Of
game. 1t would seem, then, that it
must be because of the enormous
wealth of the proprietors, which
places them above attention to the
increase of their revenues by permit
ting these lands to be labored. l am
conscious that an equal division of
property is impractical; but the con-
sequences of this enormousinequality
producing so much misery to the
bulk of mankind, legislators cannot
invent too many devices for subdivid-
ing property. only taking care to let
their subdivisions go hand in hand
with the natural affections of the hui
man mind. The descent of property
of every kind, therefore, to all the
children, or to all the brothers and
sisters or other relations, in equal
degree, is a polite measure, and
practical one Another means
of silently lessening the in
equality of property is to except
all from taxation below certain
point. and to tax the higher portions
of property in geometrical progress
sion as they rise. Wherever there
are in any country uncultivated lands
and unemployed poor, it is clear that
the laws of property have been SO far
extended as to violate natural right.
The earth is given as common stock
for man to labor on; if, for the en-
couragement OF industry, we allow it
to be appropriated, we must take
care that other employment be fur
nished to those excluded from the ap-
preparation. If we do not, the funda-
mental right of labor on earth returns
to the unemployed. 1t is too soon
yet in our country to say that every
man who cannot find employment,
but who can find uncultivated land,
shall be at liberty to cultivate it,
paying moderate rent; but it is
not too soon to provide
by every possible means that as
few as possible shall be without
little portion of land. The small
landholders are the most precious
part of state. The next object
which struck nay attention in my
walk was the deer, with which the
wood abounded; they were of the
kind. called sscerfs," and are certainly
of the same species with ours. They
are blacklist, indeed, under the belly,
and not white as ours, and they are
more of the chestnut-red; but these
are such small differences as would
he sure to hanpen in two races from