Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-03-28
THE SOCIALIST WAY.

Socialism will abolish rent by max.
ing public property of all land, but
the question is often asked, "Now dc
you socialists propose to get in posses
sion of the land as it is now privately
owned"'
Friend "Wild Vest asks in sub
stance this question and then reserves
the right of questioning to himself as
he asks an answer without any ques-
tions.
Now, this is impossible as the people
will make all laws under socialism,
and for any man to say just how his
neighbors would vote on such a ques-
tion or any question, he could not do
it.
Under the present capitalistic sys-
tenn of government supported by mis-
representatives, we know they have so
voted as to make the majority of our
citizens renters, with the number of
home-owners ever decreasing, while
the number of renters are as constant
ly increasing,
See Census report of 1890 when it
reported 10, 800, 152 homes in the U. s.
with g. 628, 735 rented. In 1900 it shows
t6, 006, 437 homes, and 8, 266. TAT rented.
That you may get it, so as not to be
mistaken, in 1890 there were 4, 369, 527
homes owned free, and in 1900 there
were 4, 739. 914 homes owned free after
increasing the number in the United
States 3, 316, 1856. In 1890 about one
third of the homes were owned Free
Ten years later less than one fourth
were owned free. Since 1910 home
ownership shows greater proportion
al decrease for there were no Okla
homa Indian lands to be given to set
tiers. can give you the names of
forty-fve individuals and firms that
own 90, $40, 748 acres of land in this
nation, to say nothing of one man,
Henry Miller, of this country, who
owns and controls fourteen million
| four hundred thousand acres, or 49,
500 square miles-equal in area to four
states of the United States
The above facts rolled around in the
heads of honest men who happen, bv
chance, to be in the democratic or re-
publican parties, will cause many
more to exclaim as "Wild West" has,
''Let no man own more than 160 acres
of land. -
"Wild West" am compelled to ask
few questions, but will answer them
as best l can SO as to comply with
your request of "Uncle Tom "and
others" If l get into trouble and need
help | will expect you to deal with me
as brother struggling for higher
and better life here and now for ALL.
We now have as private property the
land which God created and should be
held as public property with guaran
teed right to the living and the un-
born to as much as they can USE.
What makes the title good of the 100
acres you drew? 1t is only the will of
the people misrepresentation in Con-
gress. What makes the title good of
the above foreign landlords The will
of our misrepresentation again. Let
us suppose that on the first day of May
an election is ordered to vote on the
following: Resolved that private
ownership of land is wrong and should
be abolished and public ownership es
tablished in lieu thereof. This is
printed on the ballots and the people |
take it to their homes where the |
wives, mothers aud children read and |
talk it over They will then cast the
first intelligent vote since this nation
was born. Suppose that three -fourths
of them vote yes. that is, for public
ownership. ask would your private
title be as good as when the people
had nothing to do with making it,
As,uredly not. Then private titles
exist today by the (supposed) consent
of the mass of mankinn who pay rent
or give up half of their lives for the
of staying on the earth.
You are now ready to say, 81 knew
Brannan wanted to confiscate our
lands" but Brannan only proposes to
let the people say, and | am only
speck as compared to the great ocean
Of humanity in our country.
Roosevelt is out now in favor of the
and so is Bryan, only
Roosevelt wants certain restrictions
which would kill it. In other words
he is in favor of the people making
their own laws, provided they are not
allowed to have anything to do with
it.
This is one way of getting public
ownership of anything. Another is by
purchase. You ask who is to pay the
landlord fol what he has invested? l
ask in return, who is to pay the elev
en- million families who own an aver
age of 81 to the family, or the eight
million families who are forced to
give up half of their lives as rent and
lave been forced into poverty, etc?
You may be uneasy about the land I
ord, but am uneasy about the rent
ng slave of the landlord and our child
.en and our descendants.
But let us suppose the majority of
he citizens vote to purchase the land,
We could take the amount spent for
var and purchase land with it. At
he present rate of increased war ex-
)enses, together..with amount paid as :
ent annually, it would not be great y
many years until our people would
lave homes. The government now =
las some lands which it might begin q
for settlers, and continue Y
purchasing until all who want to work I
night have government land to go on. !
When this is so, who would go on y
he landlords lands and give up half 7
# his life as rent Certainly none but .
hose who are subjects for an insane :,
sylum, and the government would =
are for them.
Change the assessment laws compell-
ng all landlords to list their lands un-
er oath as to value. If it is too low
ct the state or nation pay him 10 per
ent more than he swore it was