The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-06-19
scious orders of being that iouyigh

ecious ORDERS OF being that f1ouris
around us. They live in easy perfec
tion, and die without distemper or an
guish. Why should aot a man ge
through the world as well and rs han
PLY as a rain crow, bass or q ,eaver
That men are happier and better 70
possessing property, for having some
thing of their own for getting as a re
ward of their toll possession that the,
may enjoy, can no more be doubted
than that rain refreshes the fields ant
sunshine makes glad the world. Tha
property Is also the beginning of tha
cruel strife which has converted the
world into slaughter house and ulti.
mately made every human being 50
selfish that he can hardly any longer
by the utmost strain of his powers, pre-
fer another to himself, can as little be
doubted as denied. Is it not possible
that the doctrine of limitations applied
to property might rob it of It's power to
curse and promote it's power to bless
1t is not property moderated and lin
ited. but only the want of it, or the law
less excess Of it, that curses the world.
1t Is the too-much or the two-little that
blasts the hopes of men. There is a
vast area of intermediate possessions.
between the extremes of poverty and
wealth, that is almost an unmixed
blessing.
We may note also that it is In this in
termediate and wholesome region, be-
tween the extremes of want and sur
felt, that the genius of the world and all
OF its saving forces are born and econo-
mized. We are accustomed to say that
genius has its birthplace in poverty.
This opinion prevails because in-some
conspicuous instances the children of
the humble poor rise to the godlike
stature. That any one so born should
rise at all is thing so remarkable as
to attract the attention of the world
and to favor the opinion that only the
children OF poverty can be great. In a
Few instances the children of the rich
are born great also. But the rule is
that the greatness and power of human
life proceed from the intermediate con-
iition in which there is neither abject
poverty nor abounding riches. In this
there is an emphatic suggestion of the
principle of Limitation applied to prop.
erty; and here the debate properly be-
gins. II society could agree that prop
erty shall freely exist, that every man
shall have for his part all that he earns
by his labor and skill, and no more,
men indeed would not be equal in their
possessions. but poverty on the one
hand would cease, and the glut of
riches on the other hand would disap-
pear. Those who have nothing-and |
starve-would rise into the vast and |
healthy body of society composed of
those who have something and live. |
Those who have too much-and surfeit
be drawn back from excess,
and would be absorbed in the great
body from which in an evil day they
we're permitted to escape.
What follows? It follows as the
hight the day that somewhere between
he right to own the valley OF the Mis-
'issippi or the whole United States a
inc OF limitatica must be laid, over
which no powe. known among men
nay be allowed 10 pass. To pass this
Inc Is to prerare the antecedents of
he inevitable <rsiavement of mankind.
is thus perfsIly clear that a restric-
ion on land ownership is a necessity
4 the situatica which has supervened
n human society. The principle of
nlimited ownership cannot be longer
omitted II civil and industrial liberty
to be maintained as a part of the
Ights OF man. 1t is already absurd to
reak of uSlimited land ownership, or
attemri to defend it. / doubt
neither uIy man in his senses here in :
ne high light of the last decaae of a :
reat century will dare to champion the :
lpposeS right of an individual or of a
body to own the five states
our treat northwestern group, or to ,
wn one of them, or quarter of one OF ,
lem. II there be such, he and diff
r toto coelo and forever.