Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-29
PROPERTY


Words and phrases framed to sound
we'll, will sometimes affect public opin-
ion far beyond what they deserve on
the ground OF the real sense in them.
Such is the case with the current phrase
quoted in the caption Of this article.
Col. Theodore Roosevelt is supposed
to have originated the phrase, although
/ Col w. ]. Bryan is accustomed to use
II as often and as effectively as the
ex-president. Together they have CIV
en- 1t wide currency. until at last 1t Is
In daily use by thousands who do not
stop to ask IL the words convey val
liable idea, or any definite idea at all,
What do the words mean? 1t can not
be that there is such thing as
right" belonging to property; for
rights belong to persons, not to tnlnss-
There is the right of property belong
4 ing to every person, but the right OF
property is one of our human rights,
and, hence, 1t can not be considered as
the rival of any other human right
What seems to be meant by the makers
and users of this phrase is that wnerCi
ever and whenever the right OF life or
the right OF liberty conflicts with the
right of property the latter must yielo
invariably to the former But such an
assumption is not sound and no judg-
ment in the world accepts any such prin-
ciple. 1t Is often necessary to take away
the right of liberty as a punishment
for the invasion of the right or prop
erty, as for example when we punish
larceny or highway robbery with I'M
Iprisonment. In the protection OF prop
erty governments have been constrain-
ed to take human life, as for example
when rnobs have been fired on who were
undertaking to destroy public property.
1t can not be said, therefore, that any
human right can always take rank above
all other human rights. The three great
human rights of the right of life, the
right of liberty, and the right OF prop
erty are each supreme In It's own
sphere; Each is sacred, and must De
held inviolable. II civilization is TO pc
preserved and promoted.
1t is to be regretted that this catch
ey'' phrase, as used by Colonel Roose-
welt, Colonel Bryan, and others, mas
tended to impair respect for the right
of property. leading many into the de-
fusion that it is such an inferior right
as Is scarcely ahove-.the level OF a
wrong. There is prevalent tendency IN
our day to deny the right Of private
property and this phrase has fallen IN
lharmoniously with that tendency. But
that tendency is unreasonable, unscrlp-
turaL and pernicious. 1t Is time 10 as
sert anew, and with emphasis, that the
right of property is sacred. 1t is trust
from God, and no onesh has ngnt 70
interfere with Gods trustee unless it can
be shown that the trustee is abusing
/ the trust committed to him by vloiat-
ing the law of the God who created III;
and even in that case there are some
forms of abuse of the trust which no
human authority Is qualified to cor
rect. r hf9
some imagine that IL God has en-
trusted a man with little property, the
mans right to the property must be re-
spected, but that the sacredness Oh
the right to property idimipishes as the
property increases, so that when the
nossessions of a man become quite large
the right to them may be disregarded
Inv whomsoever has the power TO take
his goods There is no worse form OF
socialism than this and in the end IL
bears as heavily upon the poor as upon
the rich. 1t amounts TO prohibition or
AN Industrious honest, and frugal man
accommodating anything above life's pare
necessities by his industry. honesty ana
frugality 1t puts premium on iule-
mess and thriftlessness.
i Already governments have gone Tar TO-
wards socialism, and the time has come
to check the tendency rather than TO en-
courage 1T measure of socialism is
necessarily involved in all government
but that element must be held within
bounds. or else the rights OF life loer-
Nv and property willeb taken away
from the individual and absorbed into
that indefinite and irresponsible person
called the state. Paternalism is an ever
/ present peril in government. IL is very
EASY for the governing power to- IAN
i into the notion that theisgoverned Aneep
| the guardianship Of their rulers In all
matters. For example, IT Is believed
that the welfare of thegstate Is so de-
pendent upon popular enlightenment that
| a certain portion of the property OF all
the people may be taken from them by
the state TO establish 4frec schools in
which all the children and youth OF the
land may be taught. Most parents avS.l
themselves of the free schools thus es-
Il tablished: but (. few do not. Thereupon
LIT is proposed that the civil thorities.
on account OF the few unworthy pa
i rents. who care little for the education
of their offspring. shall come forward
and put all the parents of the state IN
der system of compulsion with refer
ence to sending their children TO school,
The civil authorities choose the teach
ers. and they may select an improper
person: but under this system of com
/ pulsory education the parents may not
refuse to send their children to such
teacher without mourning the condemn
alton and penalties. of the law. The
| same civil authorities select the school
books. and. although the, books chosen