Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-11-12
LAND OWNERSHIP.

LAND OWNERSHIP.
The advance sheets of book 10 APP
pear, entitled MIR. Herbert spencer on
the Land Question" have come TO hand.
IL Is OF more than passing Importance,
for this great student of sociology, as
the result of deeper and more mature re-
iection, has changed base on the land
question. Mr.. Speneer's original posi-
tion was that land could not become in
dividual property aud must remain the
property Of the community, and that
this, in fact, Is the current legal doctrine,
since the state assumes the power 10 APP
propriate any land il desires on making
compensation for il. This doctrine he
still adheres to as an abstract right. tie
held that although present landowners
had given for their estates equivalents
OF money honestly earned, investing
under the belief that the purchases were
strictly legitimate, vet while this was
true IL was dilemma into which they
had got themselves BY disobedience of
fundamental law, and they must get out
OF il with as little injury 10 themselves ss
circumstances permit. 1t is obvious
enough 20 the merest tyro in thinking
that no one was originally authorized 10
give deeds IT land aud that the globe
was the common possession of the race
occupying IL up 20 the time that the
ownership OF land In severalty was
acQuiesced In. While this may be true
ia the abstract. on the concrete side the
question arises whether the human race
i not profoundly advantaged by con-
ceding individual titles TO the soil.
Those familiar with the evolution OF
land possessions know that IL has passed
through tribal ownership, village COM
munity ownership, government owner
ship, fcudsl possession up 10 the present
form In highly civilized nations Of
ownership of the soil BY the actual till
er. The nearer the soil has been
possessed unhampered I'm freedom of in
heritance, purchase and sale, the higher
the type of agriculture and the civiliza-
ton surrounding Il. Without actual title
in the soil, improvements upon u are
discouraged. Fences, buildings, drains,
fertility and far-reaching plans OF i'm
prOyements are all discouraged, with
the result that it, power Of wealth pro-
duction is kept az the minimum and all
that depends upon IL. as all else does, in
languishing condition.
The nations highest good has hereto
fore been served by individual owner
ship of land, aud we believe always will.
our nation has been giving away farms,
and to-day in New England they can be
possessed for small fraction Of the cost
Of improvements upon them. Yet three
fitths OF the population of the nation
have found their interest better served
bv engaging In other industries than by
the possession OF land on the terms just
mentioned. DispoSsession Of the soil st
the present time, IL is practically self
evident. would still further discourage
rural tastes and disposition 10 accept
country life. But We are wandering
away from Mr.. spencer. He SAYS: at
i clear that IL / had thought that the
change. though equitable, would entail
A loss on the community, | should not
have held that the community ought TO
bring this loss upon itself. but should
have held that though, as matter Of
abstract equity, il might properly re-
take possession of the land, il would De
impolitic TO DO this II the burden of
compensation would outweigh the bene-
NJ OF PoS-t>>lou. bUl va taNc Nca's' VIZ
thinking over the matter, il has become
clear 10 me that the burden Of taxation
would outweigh the benefit ofpossession,
if the compensation were anything like
equitable in amount. Hence | have
come 20 the conclusion that the change
OF tenure from private 10 public would
be impOlitic Respecting my original
view in Social Statistics, | have said ::
Moreover, | did not clearly see what
would be implied By the giving of com
pensation for all that value which the
labor of ages has given 20 the land.
The dOctrinaires who taught the
original views of Spencer, and who still
are zealously parading them under the
guise Of the single tax system, have lost
= valuable leader whose support con-
tributed 10 the strength of their posi-
ton. Their course will be run out and
the craze subside in due time.