Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-06-06
Land-G Grabbing the Cause
Of the Decline of Nations

Editor News:
Private ownership of the earth with
out Limitation has built up a land
monopoly which is one of the worst
forms of robbery.
AS stated in my last article it is the
gift of God. 1t is the source from
whence the human family obtain their
means of subsistence. From its fertile
flows all wealth. Upon its
proper and equitable distribution de-
ponds the happiness, comfort and pros
perity of the people. ''In the sweat of
thy face shalt thou eat bread. "This
decree was uttered {, 1000 years ago and
is as immutable as time itself. Then
labor is mans proper function. This
decree of God has made it honorable.
Man smites the earth and from its in
exhausta5le fountain Of resources
abundant streams of life flow and
thus secures comfort, happiness and
prosperity to those of us who are al
lowed access to it. Gods edict was for
all to labor. Whosever does so, pei
forms the edict of God. Whoever fails,
is a dione and violates this decree. He
lives by feeding upon the labor of
others; he is a parasite upon society
he Is q robber.
The earth is Gods gift to mankind,
but we have allowed a few to own it.
We might say we now have a land
monopoly, which ear the e%nslaving
of labor. To enslave labor is to strike
at the very foundation of liberty; to
violate the laws of justice and equity
and rob the people of their God given
heritage. Anyone so doing, sins
against God. The nation that permits
it will be wiped from the face of the
the earth.
Usury and extortion lead to land
monopoly, which becomes ~unbearable
and governments fall. This is in &C.
cord with His teachings. Thou hast
taken usury and increase and thou
hast greedily gained Of thy neighbors
by extortion, and hath forgotten me,
saith the Lord God. Behold, there
fore, I have smitten mine hand at thy
dishonest gain which thou hast made
and at thy blood which hath been in
the midst of thee" Our present sys-
tenn does not offer to make any change
but is forging the chains of usury and
landlordism on us.
Let US look at the nations which
have violated this edict of God. Egypt
lives only in history. It's great pyra-
mid of Gizeh is said to be the greatest
of human history the
mightiest building on earth and the
in structure, a miracle, in ex-
tent almost incOmprehensible. Forty
centuries have looked upon its glitter
ing sides, and the tooth of time during
all these centuries has not been able to
eat away its granduIe. Generations
IF men have come and gone, nations
lived and died; empires rose
and fell, but Egypt violated the edlct
If God and she, too. is dead. Her
ands had drifted into the hands of n
Ter cent. of her people. The rest were
Usury and land monopoly
her. Then came Babylon, the
nightiest city upon earth. Like Egypt
The sinued against her people and God
,reathed the fire of His wrath against
Ter and she died and monopoly killed
Ter for two per cent. of her people
,wned the land, the rest were slaves.
Next came the Medo-P Persian govern
nent. The distance between the king
md the people was so great that the
we're regarded as slaves. Plato
avs the robbery of these people eclips-
I'd all who had gone before. So
naughty and tyranical did the rulers
that they gave forth this prov
RIB: 1.-THE laws of the Modes and Per-
ians change not until less than one
yer cent. of the people owned all the
and. While the rulers were not
banging the people were, because as
n our government they we're dashed
With poverty until their cry went up
rom all over the land and God blew
is breath upon Persia and it, too, fell.
History says civilization then start
. westward and Greece became the
7onder and admiration of the world.
Tut she, too, forgot the laboring peo-
le which had made her great. Land
usury and extortion were fas-
sned on the people, a burden they
ould not bear. Their tears baptized
ne land and their cries went up to
Iod who blew his breath against
Lranoa ,rd cho 5;ad Four ner cent.