The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-31

that personal equality before the law
is an acknowledged fact. Therefore,
with no heritage Of crown or crest
among us, we have to work out our
destiny, and as to those things that
may concern other peoples, we have
nothing longer to do.
Once more we take backward
glance over the field of strife for
equal political rights, and if we
take pains to understand we shall
find that ever since Thomas Paine
and Thomas Jefferson penned the
declaration that all men are equal
and have the right to govern them
selves; that ever since the fiery Hen
ry, on the floor of the House OF Bur
gesses in Old Virginia, amid Tory
cries of treason, with sublime cour-
age-example to us all-uttered the
declaration that has made his name
household word in America, there
has ever remained in the fundament-
al law of our country, and throughout
the length and breadth of our land,
the fullest recognition of the politie-
la equality Of the people; and this
spirit, thus enkindled, has ever main
tanned itself under the most adverse
conditions and trying circumstances;
and so it may be deemed established
that the political equality of indi-
viduals is an existing principle at
this day: contrary, indeed, to the
predictions Of Mill and other emf
nent economists Of earlier times.
| All these great memorials of ad-
vancement have been erected, but
not without years of toll and suffer
ing, and sacrifice of the best heart
and brain of the race in their build
ing.
Perhaps not sacrifice, after all, but
rather the perpetuatoin of the efforts
and deeds and lives of the bOldest.
bravest, and best in the ever-renew-
ing immortal life of collective man
kind; those who bore themselves in
cowardly fashion; shrank from the
encounter of their day and were
false to the spirit Of truth, sinking
into their graves unlamented and
passing out of history and memory
as leaves fall unnoticed from the
trees and are covered by the winters
SHOWS. For it has so happened that
the prescribed Of one period become
the patriots and sages of succeeding,
and for an illustration we have but
to remember the long list of our rev.
Olutionary fathers.
Why, then, you rightfully ask, if
all these things have. been accom-
plished in the past, if personal liber-
ty, personal equality before the law,
and political freedom have been Sc
cured, has not universal prosperity
come to us-why is there want and
restitution in the land and on &C
count of what does the grim spectre
of despair stalk abroad, and gloomy
predictions prevail whithersoever we
turn? The reason is deep down be-
tween other seeming reasons, which
are but of temporary and changing
character, and must be sought for
beneath the mere surface indica tions:
and after close analysis will be found
to be that there still remains undis-
posed Of one other great problem
that, together with those / have
mentioned, has ever been large dis
turbing element in social organiza-
ton; has been the least understood
of all of them and without the solu-
ton of which in some practical way,
will still continue to disturb our life.
and render all the progress made of
little practical value.
The march of events seems also to
have thrust it upon the passing gen.
Grafton in form never before pre-
sented. To name it is a matter of
difficulty, but it may be denominated
the question of the
PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THE
INDIVIDUAL.
Not property rights in the mere mat
ter of the title to specific thing or
class of things, but the right of the
individual in and to the fruits of civ
ilization itself, and a fair share of
the products Of his labor out of the
aggregate fruits of labor applied, in
connection with wealth or capital, to
the natural resources of the country.
This question has never before been
really presented to us SINCE our gov
eminent was established, for our
vast, untouched domain furnished
ample room for the unfortunate or
disconnected and the pressure of
population was unknown
Therefore in times of Temporary