The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-06-29
THE DOCTRINE OF MALTHUS.
Does Population Tend to Outrun
SubslstenceP


SubslstenceP
Editor HERALD:-Bis Potter of
New York. late convert 10 the doc
trine of Imperialism, recently made
the extraordinary statement that the
Indian famine was really the result
of the good government of England.
II Is explanation was, that formerly
the native tribes fought each Other
and so kept down the population,
but now that there is peace, the
population increases faster than the
means of subsistence,
This blasphemuus doctrine, that
beneficent Creator has placed mil
lions of His children on the earth
without making provision for their
sustenance, was formulated near the
close of the last century, by an En-
glish clergyman named Nautilus.
Up to quite recent years the Nal
thusian doctrine was commonly ac-
cepted. The assertion was heard on
ali sides, that hard times were the
result of too many people in the
world; that we needed a big war to
kill some of them off to make room
for the balance. But this degrading
dochine was utterly disproved by
Henry George in his immortal work,
"Progress and Poverty"
The majority Of thinking men now
recognize that poverty is not caused
by over-population, the niggardli-
ness of nature or the improvidence
of the Heavenly Father, but by
false economic system, causing a
tremendous disparity in the distrlbu
ZION of wealth. Political parties
have sprung up 10 give expression to
this ali pervaulug belief, and able
minds are seeking the solution of
the social problem along these lines
England contains $50 persons to
the square mile. At this late the
world might sustain 20 times It's pre-
sent population. Yet only 20 per
cent of the ara BILE land of England Is
cultivated. Japan, although only
nalf as large as Texas, contains A.
100000 people. And there only one
fifth of the land is cultivated. At that
rate Texas could support 42O 100000
That one state could give IL acre
farm TO every family In the Union.
The average farm in Belgium is three
acres. With acres to the family,
the United States could maintain
the worlds population. The Chi
nese gardeners on the Pacific coast
take hundreds of dollars worth of
produce from a fraction OF an acre.
A Wisconsin man sells $4,000 all
| nually from his 40 acre farm. "A Kala-
mazoo man makes over 81 900 an acre
raising celery. Six hundred dollars
per acre is the common return on the
mop lands of the Puyallup Valley.
The Pingree Potato Patch Commit
tees In Detroit and Philadelphia fur
nished destitute people plats OF
ground, on which, without any for
mer experience, they raised $240 per
acre on poor land and in a poor crop
year. Lord Lauderdale asserts that
one acre will suppe TT four persons.
At that late, Flance, Germany and
England would support the human
race. Prince Krapotkin asserts that,
with intensive cultivation, 20 square
yards OF soil can be made to sustain
a man. This would be 242 10 the
acre, or $4,000 to the square mile.
Middle Tennessee could support the
present population Of the earth and
nave waste places to spare. A field
ten miles square would furnish COM
Portable standing room for all the
people on earth, while an orator like
Bry an, standing on slight emf
nence, could be seen and with a
trumpet could be heard, by all the
inhabitants of the planet, standing
\ crowded, within radius of tour
miles,.
|, With these facts before u, it is idle
to declare with Bishop Potter,
, that the earth Is overpo pulated
Servile sycophants, in holy robes,
preach: "Servante, obey thy mast
ers - adroitly mIsinterpret the obser-
walton of Christ: tine poor We have
always with you," to 1.-The poor We
shall always have with you" 10 ease
, the conscience OF their Master
!. Dives.
; When any man may lay claim to
more land IMAM be can use, the earth
Is ov-rpopulaGed when there are
men who cannot comply with the
Landowners terms. With the public
appropriation of ground rent, three
fnurths of the land would support AS
many people as could tind shelter
on the other fourth. Henry Geoi 9s
!. has taught Us that the coutingehvy
of the OverpopulatIOu of the earth Il
too remote Tor present-day specula-
ton.
In this year of so-cslled famine
India's exports have not greatly
diminished. Lack of bread Is MOI
the cause OF the famine. 1t is lacE
= of the means to buy bread. Tn,
bread is there, but ia a short croI
year; the Ian ilord, the money-lend
er and the taX-gatherer take all
leaving the fyOt who produced il ali
TO s;arve or exc out his existence by
the aid Of charity. CAIUs.