The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
EMERsoN,s VIEWS ON LAND.
The Sage of Concord Anticipated Her
bert Spencer and Henry George


Boston Transcript.
1t is the habit to attack Henry George
views on the land question as though ne
was the first writer of note to formulate
them. Their ethical soundness was loIlS
ago perceived and declared by distinguishes
thinkers. Few, however, are aware that be-
fore Spencer wrote his famous ninth CHAP
ter of Social States. THE Right 70
lecture on THE Conservative" delivered IN
Masonic Temple Dec. 8, 1S41, affirmed the
same truth The distinction OF henry
George is that, recognizing the central
truth and discerning the close connection
of land monopoly with enforced poverty
and social degeneracy. ne discovered what
he believed to be the remedy in the single
tax. These are Emerson's words:
THE youth. of course, is an lnnovator Dy
the fact of his birth. There he stands'
newly born on the planet, UNIVERSAL peg
gar with all the reason of things, one
would say, his side. In his first con-
sideration how to feed, clothe and warm
himself he is met by warnings On every
hand sthat this thing and that thing nave
owners, and he must go elsewhere. Ihen
is my part? Have the goodness, gentlemen
of this world, to show me my wood lot,
where 1 may fell my wood my field where
to plant my. corn, my pleasant ground
Touch any Wood. or field or house lot,
on your peril cry all the gentlemen OF TINS
ours, for us, and we will give you piece of
bread.
- And what is that peril"
" Knives and muSkets. If we meet you III
the act; Imprisonment, if we find you after
ward
And by what authority, kind gentle
men,?
BY our law
:" And your LAWS it just?
" AS just for you as it was for us we
wrought for others under this law, and got
our lands So
Not quite just, but necessary. More
over it is juster than it was when we
were born; we have made it milder and
more equal
u Will have none of your law, returns
the youth; it encumbers me. / cannot UNI
derstand. or so much as spare time to read
that needless library of your laws. Nature
has sufficiently provided me with rewards
and sharp penalties. to bind me not to trans
gress. Like the Persian noble of old. ask;
that I may neither command nor cDey
1 do not wish to enter into your complex
social system. l shall serve those whom |
love, and shun those whom l love not, ana
what more can all your laws render me!
" With equal earnestness and good faith,
replies to this plaintiff an upholder of the
establishment, man of many virtues;
" Your opposition is featherbralned ana
overtime. Young man, / have no skill to
talk with you. but look at me; have risen
early and sat late. and toiled honestly, and
painfully, for very many years. never
dreamed about methods; / laid my bones
to, and drudged for the good | possess; 1t
was not got by fraud. nor by luck, but by
work and you must show me a warrant
like these stubborn facts in your own f1del-
ity and labor, before l suffer you, on the
faith of few fine words, to ride into my
estate, and claim to scatter 1t as your
own.
Now you touch the heart of the mat
ter replies the reformer. TO that fidelity
and labor 1 pay homage. am unworthy to
arraign your manner of living, until l too
have been tried. But l should be more I'M
worthy if 1 did not tell you why l cannot
walk in your steps [ find this vast net
work. which you call property, extended
over the whole planet. | cannot occupy the
bleakest crag of the White Hills. or the
ration steps up to me to show me that 1t is
his. Now, though 1 am very peaceabe, and
on my private account could well enough
die. since it appears there was some mis-
take in my creation. and that | have been
missent to this earth, where all the seats
were already taken; yet feel called upon
in behalf of rational nature, which repre-
! sent to declare to you my opinion. that, II
the earth is yours SO also is 1T mine. All
your aggregate existences are less TO me
fact that is my own; as l am born to the
earth, so the earth is given to me, what
want of it to till and to plant; nor could L,
without pusillanimity, omit to claim so
much l must not only have a name to live,
/ must live. My genius leads me to build a
different manner of life from any of yours.
/ cannot then spare you the whole Torld.
| l love you better. l must tell you the truth
practically, and take that which you call
yours. 1t is Gods world and mine; yours
as much as you want, mine as much as l
| want. Besides, | know your ways j know
| the symptoms of the disease TO the end
| of your power you will serve this lie which
| cheats you. Your want is gulf which the
possession of the broad earth would not fll.
Yonder sun in heaven you would pluck
down from shining on the universe, and
make him a property and privacy, If you
| could; and the moon and the north star you
| would quickly have occasion for in your
| closet and bed chamber. What you do not
! want for use, you crave for ornament, and
! what your convenience could spare, your
| pride cannot.