The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-01-21
LAID And LIBKRTY.

a4Q 50 On 90 AuuAAsuLA@ LAaA0s ~ 3
water, etc, in their free use and en-
joyment are the natural and inalien-
able rights Of all mankind
No man has a right to any more land
than is necessary for his personal use
any more than be has for air, water,
etc. for personal use. Any one who
seizss upon more Of the soil than he
can personally use is a usurPeT, If there
is any one else who needs and would
employ it. The rights Of one individ-
uaI end where those Of another begin.
These are the meets and bounds Of all
proprietOrship. When the word land
is used it includes all that land con
tains-minerals as well as all other re-
sourees-but especially, standing room
and a home.
The English mobiles forced from
King John the Magma Charta, which
stipulated that no one should be ''de-
prived Of his freehold, or estate" ex-
eept By the legal judgment Of his
peers. They understood it. II you
want to ensiave a man make him aten-
ant Of the soil. If you want him to be
free, let him be the owner Of the soil.
They had their retainers, tenants and
serfs, but they were looking out for
the mobiles, and by the law OF entail
and non forfeiture of estates they have
perpetuated them to the present day.
Large landed estates are a menace
to popular government Small prop
erty holdings are the bulwsrk Of a re-
publican form Of government. a
famous Kansan once said: "No one
will fight for a boarding house" 1t is
not, perhaps, generally remembered
that julius Caesar, when he was 8
member OF the Roman senate, and in
the days OF the republic, introduced q
bill for division Of the public lands
in severaIty among the poor Of the
nation-a homestead law. The par
tricians defeated it, having covetOus
eyes on these lands themselves, and
which they ultimately grabbed. Any
person acquainted with Roman history
can tell you the rest. It was long, but
the time came when the vUlgus (the
common peopIe) would no longer fight
for Rome. 1t had become boarding
house.
The old Greeks understood this
principle. They had q story in theil
mythologies, fables calculated to teach
truth, about Antaeus, a giant who
was the son Of Neptune and Terrs
Cland and water), who dwelt in the
Lybian desert where land was plenty
and free), whom no one could over
come. For when once brown to thu
ground, be at once received new
strength from his contact with mother
earth and rising renewed OverCame
his assailant. Hercules, the crafty god
Of strength, knowing this secret, lifted
him of the ground and strangled him
in mid air. Those capable Of under
standing biblical parallels need nc
eomentary upon this pagan hUmily on
the land question.
Do not think for a moment that old
Hercules is either dead or sleeping
The wrestling match is on in the Uni
ted States to-day. There are 500 trusts
in this country in spite Of the anti
trust law. The king Of all trusts is the
money trust, sometimes called the
money power. All capital, wealth and
money has come out Of the sOil-it is
land in the sense OF this discussion
1t is Of the earth, earthly. Right to
these things end where the rights OF
others begin
A man has 6 right 20 what he has
provided, that he has obtained it with.
out wrong to his fellow and employs il
with detriment to none. 1t is his tC
properly use aud safely and wisely en-
plOy, not more. When great wealth
infringes upon the rights Of others
and, especially, when it threatens the
liberties Of q people, it should be re
strained and lessened in the amount
Of its accumulation. The purpose OF
all law and all just government is tc
protect the weak against the strong.
Wealth is often curse to nations as
well as individuals. The inhabitants
Of q poor country are never conquered
instance Arabia, Switzerland, Wales
and Scotland. The inhabitants OF q
rich country are of5en conquered and
enslaved, instance the history OF the
ages. LandIordism and tenantry causes
the death Of patriotism and the foreign
foe finds conquest easy
The most insidious means OF domes
tic conquest is the form Of law. Kent
in his law commentary says: HWhen
the spirit OF patriotism departs, and
truth and justice are disregarded, men
are often enslsvsd through forms OF
law" This is the weapon OF al mo-
nOpOly Of land and its resources, al
the present time. The great common
people are ~heId up and strangIed."
Mark Hanna, when finally vioto-