The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-10-11

that liberty. [Applause.l If man
has the inalicnanable right to pursue
happiness then he cannot De justly
deprived of that right by laws inter
posed in the way of its pursuit.
LAWS AS THEY EXIST.
do such laws exist? If SO, how
came they into existence? In Great
Britain, whence we have derived
most Of our laws of property, the
policy is to build upe great estates.
Hence by the laws of that country
the oldest son inherits the landed
estate Of his ancestor to the
exclusion of all the other chill
dren. The result of all this is that
the landed property Of England and
Ireland is in few hands. The Duke
Of Devonshire own ,30O,O0O acres of
land and derives as a revenue more
than $J0O,0O0. \ few dukes and
earls own nearly all the landed pro-
perty of Great Britain. In this coun-
try we have abolished primogeniture,
by which the eldest son inherited all
the landed estate of his ancestor.
But here vast estates are being rapid
ly accumulated in few hands aud this
was especially true during the war
and since the war of the rebellion.
Since 1860 rich class has sprung up.
SO that in 1890, according to the sta
tistics: | per cent of the people of
this land own as much wealth as the
other 80 per cent. Great commo-
ton and cries of shame!1
In 1890 there were little more than
100000 families in the United
States, and 1000 of them owned sew
en-tenths of the wealth of the coun-
try. Think of it! One person own
ing more of the wealth of this free
land than 1000 others. In New
York five persons have an aggree-
gate wealth of more than $500, 900
900, and derive revenue each of
them, amounting to more than $500
900 runually. How many hundred
million Of dollars are held 10y wealthy
corporations, coal OIL combinations,
and other trusts am not able to state.
In each Of the cities of New. Y ork and
Chicago last winter there were more
than 100, 900 men and women seek
ing employment and unable to find it
[applause1, and many of them must
have perished but for charity's aid
These coudititns another winter
found to be no better.
A LAND OF WEALTH.
The richest corporations and per
sons on the face of the earth are in
United States. How have they ac-
cumulated these vast fortunes?
Surely not by their OWE industry and
thrift [great acclaim, but by the aid
Of statutes providing for the creation
of privileged monopolies rgreat de-
monstration and the transmission of
property by descent or in accordance
with wills. 1t is only by virtue of
statutory law that man is permit.
cd to make a disposition of his prop
erty by will, and it is only By statu-
tory law that one person is permitted
to inherit property from another, and
it is by virtue of statutory that the
great corporate monopoies have Deen
built up Great applauses. No
man has natural right to dispose of
property after death I''Hear. hear
and great applause1, nor has one per
son naturaI:: right to inherit property
from another. There is no founda-
ton in nature or nation law who son
should have the right to exclude from
given tract Of land his fellow crea-
lures because his father had done it
before him ''Gcod, and applause !.
nor why the occupier of a lot or of a
piece of velry, when lying on his
deathbed, no longer able to possess
it should be able to tell the rest O,
mankind which one should enjo; il
after him. IApplause.l Under The
Illinois law the owner of real estate i>
nermitted to lease it for an indefinite
period and property by the owner i,
Chicago every day for ninet,-n,rt