East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-07-21
THE EARTH FOR THE PEOPLE.


THE EARTH FOR THE PEOPLE
That the earth and its resources
are Intended for the use and benefit
of the~masses Of humanity and not
for the favored few. is the honest be-
lief of every thoughtful man. Greed
drives men Of influence and power to
monopollze the earth wherever they
can and to corral its resources for
personal gain, but in their heart OF
hearts they know it is wrong.
Land monopoly is one of the burn
ing issues of the new world, as well as
of the old world and sooner or later
we must meet the issue face to face.
Here in Oregon its blight is felt as
poignantly as anywhere else in the
United States and before we are
aware the question will be up for set
tlement. How are we going to set
tie it?
Judge Stephen A. Lowell Of this
city, in his Fourth Of July address at
Wallowa lake, touched upon the sub
ject eloquently and suggested possible
means of settlement. He said in
part on this subject:
The next great problem which this
republic must meet and solve is the
land question. 1t vitality presents
itself to the people of Oregon in the
vast military wagon road grants which
cross the state like trails of poison
Gus serpents, in the ill-gotten domain
Of the timber barons, and in the rail-
road lands upon which the companies
refuse to keep faith with the govern
ment in their contracts OF sale.
The problem presents two elements
allen ownership of lands and ex-
cessive ownership of lands, and to
both 1t is time public attention was
directed If we are to escape the
thraldom Of landlordism which curses
the old world.
There Is no objection to the accu-
mutation of wealth represented by
chattels, so long as legally acquired
and honorably used, but the earth,
water. air, forests and natural depos-
its of coal and oil which are essential
to the comfort and happiness of the
race should never be monopolized or
permitted to become objects of ex-
ploitationa In each of these every
man is in justice entitled to such part
as he may need for'his home and the
concomitants of a home. and for
these purposes the time has arrived
when the government must exert and
exercise a trustee in all these things
Our inherited ideas of the sacred
ness of property cause us to look
askance at every proposition which
looks toward the limitation of any
character OF acquisition heretofore
bearing the sanction Of the law, but
the time apparently has arrived when
we must make a choice between So
ciallsm on the one hand and limita-
tion Of land holdings on the other,
and when speak of land in this con-
nection l mean not only the earth, but
the water, trees and fuel deposits
thereon.
1t is neither necessary nor desira-
BILE to enter upon any campaign of
confiscation, but the state certainly
has power under the law Of eminent
domain to take over for the use of
the people the idle lands of monopo-
lists, paying a reasonable price there
for in the same manner as has long
been. the custom Of public service
to condemn private
for their use.
The constitution of the United
States and of the state of Oregon
provide in substance that no
person shall be deprived OF his prop
erty without due process OF law, and
that private property shall not be
taken for public use without just
compensation, but under those pro-
visions the right of condemnation and
the submission of values to a jury
has always been recognized when
has ben required by the pub
lie, or even by corporations Of quasi
public nature. There certainly can
be no higher public service than that
the state shall assure homes to gen.
erations yet to come; that 1t shall
hold itself as a buffer against en-
o.oo oLgvc, IopdIordiam