The Florida star., 1909-07-09
FOURTH OF JULY GRAFTON
Confined from page q

has been by natural selection and the
survival Of the fittest from the begin
ming.
Having conquered and settled the
land, the national government surrend-
credit to its people, who, in 1893 adopted
the constitution upon which they were
admitted to the Union in 1S45.
Ihave touched lightly upon the courage
of our forefathers and their achieve
ments IN the conquest of the land they
have bequeathed to US, but desire
more especially to call to your attention
the lofty ideals they had of government
and to sound warning against per-
manent departure from the policy which
they adopted in their organic law. In
the oath Sec. of the 1st Art. of their
constitution they laid down that per
petuities and monopolies are contrary to
the genius of free state and ought not
to be allowed" In this, they but follow
ed in the footsteps of our great political
philosopher, Thos. Jefferson, who in his
old age said he desired to be remembered
for two things-the establishment of
the University of Virginia and the abo-
lition of the law Of primogeniture. Un-
der the law of primogeniture all of a
mans land descended to his eldest son
and in addition to this, great estates
were held together by willing them so
that they could not be sold, which was
called "entailing the estate" Bythese
means lands remained in the same fam
lies for generations without being di-
vided up and by this system of perpet-
uities and monopoly in land an aristoc-
raey of landlords was maintainedin Eng
land and other countries of Europe, sup
ported by an humble and servile tenant
ry.
The most radical reform of the French
reVolutionwas not political but economic.
We read with more or less loathing of
the destruction of the beautiful chateaux
and manor houses by the mobs which
the revolution had let loose, but the
truth is the object of this destruction
was a noble one. Locked up in such
manor houses, as the lords most prec-
ious possession, was the roll of his ten
;antry with the lands each was required
TO till and all the muniments of title of
I he estate. 1t was to destroy these
q Ocuments and the system they evil
d enced that the people applied the torch.
A a result of the revolution, the old
esi tates of the French nobility were di-
vid ed up in small holdings among the
peo pie who had lived upon them and to-
day the lands of France are owned and
cult waited by the common people in
small lots, agriculture and horticulture
have attained to the greatest perfection,
and ii ,e people are truly free. 1t was
becaus 9 of their horror of monopoly in
land tn at cur fathers of 20 years ago
present. led in their first constitution that
'perpet uities and monopolies were con-
trary to the genius of free state and
should no / be allowed"
At the close of the civil war a new
constitute N was adopted but it
was frame by the conservative citizens
who had al ways conducted the affairs of
the state AND it contained the old pro-
vision agains' 1t perpetuities and monOpo-
lies. Three years later the constitution
of 1868 was framed by different ele-
ment and this provision was left out.
Strange to say, in the constitution of
1885, supposed to bea return to ldland-
marks the provision was still omitted.
Perpetuities AMI mOnopolies in land are
now possible. 1'hey may soon gain the
stains of vested interests beyond the
reach of remedial legislation. By in
sidiOus and unperc. sived encroachments
a landed aristOcracy may yet draw its
supporr from toiling AID hopeless ten
antry. The epoch n which we live is
distinguished by cry for economic free
dom anG fair equality of opportunity
LOI OuIrNlNSS anu our CnlhlTen Just as
past generations have struggled for hu-
man freedom and political freedom. It
is to an insidious danger to our economic
freedom that Idesire to draw attention.
for dangers perceived in time are readily
The homestead laws of the United |
States by establishing the people upon
medium sized farms which they till and |
OVID themselves is the expression of the
deepest wisdom of our fathers. As men
die, their lands and fortunes are divided
among all their children and thus, how
ever extensive an estate a man NAV
acquire, its division at his death restores