The Louisiana populist., 1895-09-20


her own subjects, all varieties OF men.
The distinctive spirit Of early Rome
was patriotism. The ambition of her
heroes was to achieve honor in the
service of the state, and the greed of
personal wealth was accounted be-
meath their dinity.
The early laws established limits to
the occupancy Of the public domain.
Each citizen had his little home
stead plat, which was inalienable,
as Henry George says, land the gen.
eral domain was subject to common
use.n
As Rome became powerful and rich
there sprang up class OF greedy and
selfish aristocrats. who coveted both
the wealth and the power OF the re-
public.
The just laws were overborne and
became practically obsolete.
The great public 'corn lands"
were sliced UP and drawn into private
property.
The rich landlords absorbed the
small p-oprietors and drove them into
tenantry and bondage.
Then came the Gracchi and their
attempt to cut short the lust of
wealth. They were murdered by the
vulgar and shameless plunderers and
mOnopolists.
In the elimination OF her destiny,
Rome produced Caesar; but Caesar
lived for Caesar, not for Rome. 1.-The
mistress of the world could no longer
give birth to god-like men, but only
to active and powerful human swine.
America also introduced to each
other, as her own subjects, all vari-
eties of men.
The distinctive spirit of early
America was patriotism. The ambi-
tion OF her great men lin the early
days. was the public good.
Under the administration of the
laws lin the early days. the citizens
were secure in the occupancy of a
homestead plot. and the right to life.
liberty. and the pursuit OF happiness
were declared to be inalienable.
The right to life, liberty and the
pursuit OF happiness includes the right
to land and all the means of sustain
ing life.
As America became powerful and
rich there sprang up herd of glut-
tonous capitalists who coveted both
the wealth and the power of the re-
public.
All just laws were overborne with
the consent and connivance of those
who had been intrusted to administer
them, and became practically obso-
lete.
The great public domain was sliced
up by corrupt congresses, without
constitutional sanction, among cor
porations which corporations carried
on an aggressive warfare against the
people.
The rich landlords absorbed the
small proprietOrs and drove them
into bondage. SO that in 1895 fully so
per cent OF the people of America are
homeless. and the same proportion OF
the population owns only per cent
of the cOuntry's wealth.
The shameless and vulgar mono
polists have no regard for revival of
the early American conscience; they
use subsidized press to murder rep
utation; they deny seats in their con-
gress to men who were fairly elected,
and with the aid OF their own judges
they throw others into Jail on blanket
injunctions invented for the purpose
OF intimidating honest people.
In the elimination OF our destiny,
American produced one Cleveland;
but Cleveland lived for Cleveland, not
for America.
The mistress of the western world
can no longer give birth to god-like
men. but only to active and powerful
human swine.
The cure for it all Is direct legisla-
ton by the people and representation
to citizenship instead Of
cash.-COming Nation.
Why is 1t So.