Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1896-02-07
IS Flannels 80 per cent. of.
LAND TENANCY.

LAND TENANCY.
practice what you preach, . is the initiative
sentence to brief editorial in the Sioux Val
ley News Of Jan. 10. This little editorial ap-
pears to be oceasionea by some resolutions in
troduced at the Farmers Insurance meeting
recently, in regard to the insurance of rented
property and land-tenancy.
This subject Of land-tenancy is Of far reach
ing effect therefore the writer desires to con-
slider the subject little fuller than is possible
at brief business meeting.
and-tenancy Is one of those evils growing
out of the unchecked development of natural
conditions and ten6s to stunt progress and
thrift the esame as nOxious weeds will choke
the better vegetation. Thus il we shall expect
q healthy vegetation we must tend and culti-
vate the field and curb back the weeds, SO also
with the community If we desire to have it
progress and prosper, we must curb back OBJ
noxt0us conditions. To ascertain whether
land-tenancy is an evil condition we need on
ly lodk about US travelling through the country,
We need not enquire where the tenant is, the
detected aspect and desolate situation tells the
story. and the neighboring premises feel it, but
wemay enquire into some of Its effects on the
community.
Aifriend of the writer speaking Of the sub
jeot said: 1T you want men to stop renting
out their land you must make farming so
profitable and agreeable THAT men will not
went to leave it," Now thatis just what the
writer would like to do and what he even
thinks he is trying to dc. but the trouble is
with this here-pull together.
The man that rents out his land is just the
ltfellow who makes farming improbable and
disagreeable.4 We will take.a half dozen men
ina community in fairly prosperous condition.
they are trying to build up matters as best
they can with tolerable success. One fine day
two Of them get the town dtch, it keeps grow
ing on them and finally Pet says: IT must
move to town, my folks won't leave me at
peace, they want more congenial society,"
Paul says: 81 must move to town and get bet
ter schools for my children
Now here is q hole In the fence that will not
be mended. All of them had tried to build up .
kschosl Us gsod as their means would permit;
they had also assisted the young folks in work
lug up sociable entertainments and recreations
to break the dreariness of toll; they had even
talked Of getting up graded school to accom-
modate the elder of the children, but this break
of Pet and Paul was sumner to the proceed
ing. There came renters on the tive FARMS
but they were doggedly poor, when the little
neighborhoed wanted to, chip in together few
dimes for q picnic the two renters could not
afford to, when there WAS . church collection
the renters must be passed by, in short. when
the community would promote any progressive
undertaking at all the renters could not give
lift; it was like the wagon which had lost q
wheel and was trying to pull along on the three
<I,.,
the renters?
The returns Of the farm, which the owner
considered too precartOls to satisfy his wants,
must now not only suppent the renter but al
SO furnish On unproporttonal tribute to the
support OF the owner. Some things must be
and others undnly strained.
The renter could not a&Ord to hire help, SO
the most convenient at hand was to utalize the
assistance of the children, these were therefore
from attending school, they grew up
In ignorance and stupidity, and general de-
set in, morality declined for weeds
both tangible and spiritual spread over the
Exerting his wits and his physlc-
alstrength to the utmost the renter was not
able to fulfil all the cast obligations Of the
law suits followed the renter was
set adrift and a new one taken in only to re-
growing more and more sulleu all the time, he
'elt some hind Of crime was perpetrated
against him without being able to see clearly |
through its operation or seeing, he felt unable |
% alter the situation. He became an abomin- |
ltor of mankind and gradually dropped into |
criminal habits himself. Already our virgin |
state of Dakota and even our fair county of |
lincoln have experienced cases Of this very
deRtical kind, and very naturally, for crime
will breed criminals
1t will be argued that the tenancy OF land is |
lot recorded as q crime in our criminal code,
'et an offence against any Of the ten command
nents Is q crime against morality, and the ex-
ortion OF tribute from natural opportunities
xercised by one man upon another is an Of
ence against the ninth and the tenth COM
Land Is not q property produced by man;
and is the great resource which an all-good
superior Being has provided for the sustain
nee Of his creatures, man not the least among
hem Rent from land is therefore means by
Ihich one man is robbing another Of the fruits
his labor; and when he is SO situated that he
as no other use for land he forfeits his right
. hold it.
Yet in the great variety OF practical opera .
ions in life there will occur circumstances .
here it may become necessary for q person =
} temporarily leave his land, If therefore. we
ad a legal stipulation that would provide q
ertain reasonable time-for instance years
ithin which the land owner must return to :
is land on penalty Of losing it. you would see :
ow quick our small landlords would take pos
,ssion of their land. For the big ones the
maha Platform makes ample provisions
heneyer our people may feel ready to enforce
You will thus see Mr.. Editor that the writer :
not entirely in accord with Henry George :
9on this land rent question, at least he does