The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-01-09

ever Is too big 2 word to use lightly
in committing the state to a policy Of
such magnitude, and we are too weak
~ human to be justified in cumber-
ing the eternal future with our dead
hand of waste. would not even now
as once did wish to bind the state
forever TO policy of leasing Let
the lands not be sold for twenty-five
or fly years, nor then without a
vote of the people, let them be leased
for such period with provisions for
fair and impartial revaluations at rea.
sonable intervals of say FIVE or ten
years. and leave the future unfettered
by the past, to settle ami determine
policies of its own. And here l take
occasion to insist that the state is
both legally and morally enti led to
make its new appraisements. for it is
the presence of the public and not the
act of the individual that creates val
ues in land. Leave the lessees on
he lands and take away the railways
and schools. the bridges. the neigh
bors. the towns and the markets and
make certain they would never re-
turn and what value would the school
ltAA .aF ttltA AAAaAhs A1Wl itaNE hAl AAAANN
ihings with the promise of their in
crease and take away the lessees and
their improvements. the lands would
rent tomorrow at competitive bids at
fifty per cent more than we are get
ting today Or leaving them vacant
for a thousand years until our popu-
l9tion should become as dense as In
dia they would then If thrown on the
market yield rem strictly proportion
ate 20 the density of tho population
Thus far | have spoken OF this ques-
tion purely as one Of public anance
To the social aspect which ia4 no less
important ] must now refer
Against he leasing system and
state retention Of The lands but seven
arguments worth consideration or ref
utation have been advanced so far
as J am aware. These / wish to quote
fully and fairly ana endeavor to sat-
isfy you that there is fallacy in
each
The first is that. "a system Of gov
ernmeNt teAantry is repugnant to a
Republican form of government. A
second as II has been worded is that:
Ownership of the land is necessary
to the best citizenship that a tenant
cannot feel the same patriotism, the
same interest In good government
the same interest in the administra-
ton of the state and the defense Of
his country and his home; in fact,
that The highes standard of free and
independent citizenship demands that
a man be the owner and proprietor
and ruler Of his own home and fire
side"
These two arguments can be consid-
cred and answered together In the
first place. | will agree that the theo-
Ireiically ideal condition Of citizen
iship will involve the ownership of his
home by every citizen of tbs country
ard Of the world, but such a condition
does not and probably never will ex-
list any place in the world The only
imaginable system that would be an
Improvement on that would be one in
which every man in the world could
be a landlord having a tenant under
him who would pay sufficient rent 10
keep himself Che landlord and fam
lily in luxury without the necessity
for labor on he landlords part
7 deny that "A system of govern
ment tenautry IS repugnant to a Re
publican form Of government" 1t is
merely an unaccustomed thing and
like every new Thing must make IT.
wav agains nrciu lice passion anf
self interest. The theory of taxing all
citizens ans property for the main
tainance OF public school system
was once a dangerous thing TO advo
cate end was fought as bitterly as any
iuroya ion ever made
Is this the true American system
The system compatible with a Repub
lican form Of governments Who viii
point out the peculiar merits and ad
lvantages which render this compatible
> wi md the state system reuugnan
! TO a Republican form Of government
In the face of such conditions wh'
! viii deny that the private system o
) landlords ard tenants IS absolutel.
: upon us and strengthening its gril
) wi rapidly increasing actiyitY2
{ assert without fear Of contradiction
that no where DO len accumulat
more rapidly in the hands Of the fey
and no where are private leasing am
rack renting found IN more nsighn
form than whore years civilization
and indus'ria progress have had thei
+ freest play and wealth has most aC