The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-13
/. HOMES FOR ALL.

The home Is the unit Of the nation.
The more homes the broader the founda-
tion Of the nation and the more secure.
Everything that Is possible should be
done to keep this from being a nation of
tenants. The men who cultivate the earth
should own It. Something has already
been done In our country In that direction,
and probably In every state there Is a
homestead exemption. This exemption
has thus far done no harm to the creditor
class. When we imprisoned people for
debt, debts were, as insecure, to say the
least, as now. BY the homestead laws a
homo of q certain value or of certain ex-
tent Is exempt from forced levy or sale,
and these laws have done great good.
Undoubtedly they have trebled the homes
of the nation.
wish to 60 q step farther. want, II
possible to get the people out Of the tene-
ments, out Of the cutters of degradation,
to homes where there can be privacy, where
these people can feel that they are In part
nership with nature; that they have an In
terest In good governments. With the
means we now have OF transportation there
is no necessity for poor people being kud-
died In fostering masses in tho vile, filthy
and loathsome parts Of cities, where pow
erty breeds rags and the rags breed dis
eases. would exempt homestead OF a
reasonable value, say Of thelvalue OF S2, 000
or SO, 900, not only from sale under execu-
tion, but from sale for taxes OF every de-
scription. These homes should be abso-
lutely exempt. They should belong TO the
family, SO that every mother should feel
that the roof above her head was hers; that
her house was her castle, and that In Its
possession she could not be disturbed, even
by the nation. Under certain conditions
would allow the sale Of this homestead
and exempt the proceeds Of the sale for q
certain time, during which they might be
invested In another home, and all this
could be done to make nation OF house
holders, nation of landowners, n nation
of home builders. / would invoke the
same power to preserve these homes, and
Co acquire these homes, that l would I'M
woke for acquiring lands for building rail-
ways Every state should fix the amount
of land that could be owned by an individ-
ual, not liable 10 be taken from him for
the purpose Of giving homo TO another,
and when any man owned more acres than
the law allowed, and another should nsk
to purchase them, and he should refuse, l
would have tho law so TINT tho person
wishing to purchase could file his petition
In court. The court would appoint coin-
missioners, or Jury would bo called, TO
determine the value OF the land the peti-
tioner wished for q home, and, upon tho
amount being paid, found by such COM
mission or jury, the land should vest abb
solutely In the petitioner.
This right Of eminent domain should be
used not only for tho benefit of the person
wishing homo, but for the benefit Of all
the people. Nothing is more important to
America than that the babes OF America
should be born around tho lresides OF
homes.
There Is another question In which
take great interest and H. ought, In my
Judgment, TO be answered by the intelli-
gonce and kindness Of our century.
We all know that for many, many ages
men have been slaves, and we all know
that during all these years women have
20 some extent, been the slaves OF slaves.
IL Is OF tho utmost Importance TO the hu-
man race that women, that mothers
should be free. without doubt the contract
OF marriage Is the most important and the
most sacred that human beings can make.
Marriage is tho most important OF oil in
stitutions. OF course tho ceremony OF
marriage Is not the real marriage. tits
only evidence OF the mutual flames that
burn within. There can DO no real mar
rage without mutual love. So L believe
In the ceremony Of marriage; that IL
should be public; that records should be
kept. Besides the ceremony says TO oil
the world that those who marry are In love
with each other.
Then arises tho question Of divorce.
Millions Of people Imagine that tho mar
ricd are joined together by some supernat-
ural power, and that they should remain
togethey. or at least married. during Life.