Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-09-17

reform effected so that in due time
none need be without a home; done,
too, without injury or injustice to any
mans person or property. In this way
the labor question can be settled, by
allowing each laborer to settle his
own question for himself, by gradu-
ally and finally giving him an oppor-
tunity to employ himself upon his own
ground. He is then master of the sit
uation and can accept employment
from others-or refuse it. With him
then, there is no labor question"
1t is true that free lands available
for settlement in the Uuited States
are now practically exhausted, but the
individual right of man to the soil re-
mains. Government has no rights
save those delegatedto it by the cit
izen, as expressly stated in our ma
tional and state constitutions. No
man has delegated his right to the
soil; it is inherent in each individual
citizen, inalienable, imprescriptible,
and indestruc tible. That right must
be asserted and maintained. The Pu-
yallup Indian on his reservation and
the "homesteader" on his 'claim"
have been prosperous and happy in
the past, not because government has
done anything for them, but simply
because it has taken its heavy hand
from off their heads and allowed them
to keep the gift God has given to all.
Government gave them no land. 1t
had none to give.
Mans right remains. Let him as
sert it, carefully, prudently, with pro-
per regard to the acquired rights of
present possessors and yet with suffi-
cient firmness to obtain his own.
Secure to every man his natural
right to apply labor to land without
the payment of tribute to any man or
community: and all will be we'll. If
men do not wish to apply labor to
land they cannot then tax those who
do. Land used for public or business
purposes, involving the public, may
properly enough lie taxed by the pub.
lie. Two rights" here plainly appear
The individual right of man and the
public right of society. Let us freely
admit them both, adopt as our maxim
PUBLIC THINGS TO THE PUBLIC, PR
vATE AFFAIES TO THE INDIVIDUAL,
and press forward to their unqualified
endorsement in statute law.
tachment for debt. but free from taxation
also.-Robert G. Ingersoll.
The following constitutional amend
ment is offered as means of securing
both these rights gradually and with
due regard for present titles. Any
state can adopt it, and enforce its
provisions. Properly it is matter
for the state and not the national
government to consider.
Proposed Constitutional Amend.
ment.
SECTION !. Real Estate, or land and
all usual improvements, to the value
of sum not exceeding--dollars
held, used and occupied in good faith
as homestead, by any usual and pri-
yate family, the head of which family
shall be citizen of the United States
and of the state of--,is hereby ex'
empted from all taxation of every
kind and character in this state, pro.
vided, that all lands and natural op.
portunities used, or needed for public
use or business, as certain limited
areas in towns and cities, or elsewhere
valuable for business purposes, al
mines, forests, waterfalls, or other
naturalopportunities not available for
cultivation or as dwelling places; and
all lands held by individuals in ex-
cess of exemption in the sum Of
dollars, be and the same are hereby
expressly exempted from the proyis-
ions of this article.
SECTION ,. The rightof every family
described in section one OF this article
to the exclusive possession of a home
stead. held used and occupied as de-
scribed in said section one, and val
ued at sum not exceeding dollars
shall not be abridged or denied by rea-
son of any contract, agreement, mort
gage, or other instrument or promise
whatsoever, verbal or written, made
or executed by the legal possessers of
said homestead after this article shall
have been adopted in proper form by
the people of this state. Provided,
that homesteads valued at a sum not
exceeding said sum of--dollars, may
be transferred at any time by the oc-
cupant giving peaceable possession,
personal occupancy and use being held
a necessary condition of exemption.
SECTION 3. The legislature shall
enact such laws as may be necessary
to carry into effect the due intenta nd