Hutchinson gazette., 1897-08-19


only words to the subject. Doubtless
the most important reform is that
which relates tothe moral and physical
nature of man, for the perfection of
of man is the creation. The law of
service and fellowship as promulgated
by the Nazarine must ever take the
first place in the mind the world
until the universal brotherhood of man
is fully established and wars and
standing armies, and poverty, and all
their kindred ills are forever banished
from the earth.
But we shall assume that our cores
pondent referred to the sociAl-eeonomic
reforms, If we consider that phase Of
the question, we shall again be con-
fronted with the war question, which
imposes upon the world the most bur-
densome tax and keeps alive predju-
dice, which in. turn has a directly de-
terent influence upon all commercial
and industrial life But these reforms
can come only come through the evo-
luton of the people to higher moral
ground, and the education of the
masses to loftier view of the dignity
and responsibilities of life, and time
and persistant effort only may accom-
plish this.
Seeking, then, reform within the
reach of the people of the present time,
and which is distinctly fundamental in
its nature, we meet first the land ques-
ton. 1t is not difficult to comprehend
that question, if we state it in this way:
What becomes of fish if he is kept out
of water? Any five year old will tell
you that death to the fish is inevitable.
The fish Is water animal, and cannot
sustain life out of it's native element
Yet the fish is no more water animal
than man is land ANIMAL and if man
is persistently kept from the land he
must die, as does the speclsled beauty,
lying gasping, for breath, upon
the bank of his native stream. I'm
der the laws relating to land, system
which feudal times initiated and estab-
lished, the millions are shut out from
the land, which was created through
countless ages of time that man might
live upon it. We see the result in the
poverty and wretchedness which
abound IN the midst of plenty; in the
struggle for bare subsistence which
countless numbers of our fellows are
engaged in; in the sickness and desc
lation which comes daily to hundreds
of thousands Of others
Once in a while we are given an OBJ
ject lesson which shows what restor-
alton to the land brings to these
wretched people, as in the case of the
Pingrec gardens in many of the larger
cities. Starving men and women, Civ
en- the privilege of drawing from the
great supply house of nature, hav pg
applied themselves with vigor and
earnestuess and have won from the gen
erous soil comfort and content. But
even here the diverse side of the pic
ture has been presenttd with brutal
clearness. Hard-hearted landlords
have refused the use of land for garden
purposes, save at such rates of rental
as to be prohibtive, thereby literally
driving their fellow men off the earth. "
Here, then, must oe the first reform
Man must IN some way be restored to
his own. Until that is done, whether
we have gold or silver, paper or copper
for medium of exchange, is only
slightly material, for the men monopo-
lizc the gold and silver mines, the coal
and IRON supply, the gas and petroleum
reservoirs, the forests of timber, the
railroad rights of way, the street fran
chises for tramways, water and gas
all these are in their last analysis land
monopoiies, and these monopolists will
control and compel tribute from the
people; these few will get all the mon
ey, whether it be gold or silver, paper
or copper-it will be simply a matter
Hence we are of the opinion that the
land question leads all others in its di-
rect relations to the veal or woe of the
people of all nations; that all other
reforms must wait upon the answer to
this great question.