Abilene weekly reflector., 1914-10-08
should Revise System OF Land Dis
tributiOn
ALSO EDUCATE OoNGREsssiEN
Abilene Man Gives Excellent Adr-
dress Before international
Irrigation Congress at
Calgary, Canada


the principal speakers before the
opening session OF the international
Irrigation congress here today. He
is first vice president OF the con-
gress and was formerly president OF
the Mississippi Commercial
congress. His topic was, THE Land
less Man and the Maniess Land
and he made a plea. for a better sys-
tenn of opening the lands Of the
western United States to settlement.
Before coming here he attended y
land conference at Helena, Montana.
His address was In part:
The purpose Of this gathering Is
that OF helpfulness. II It were moth
ing more than a social occasion, 1t
would be q failure. Its real reason
for existence is that 1t is an honest
attempt on the part Of men Of DIFF
ferent ideas from different sections
to work out q system of betterment
for those who till the soil. Back OF
It and its real basis is the one prin-
ciple that every family is entitled
to enough land to sustain itself.
This proposition of enough land for
every family is SO broad that 1t en-
braces more possibilities for happi-
ness and free government than any
other material condition.
II every soil-cultivatOr owned free
of debt sufficient land on which to
sustain a family, and every city
workman held free title to lot and
home, there would be no spot under
the heavens where discord and tur-
moil could plant their standards. 1t
would be a perpetual guaranty to
national stability and world peace.
Land Owner Is Master
Who is master of the soil controls
the government, happiness, morals,
the destiny of the people. The more
citizens that have an interest in the
land, the stronger the nation. 1T
makes the citizen a partner in the
government, and his title Is per-
petual bond. 1t makes him a stock
holder, his voice Is guided by his
vested interests. The land belongs
to the people who use 1t, and is not
to be monopolized for speculative
purposes. Your country and our
country need not only prosperous
citizens but good citizens. Land and
liberty are close allied, and when
we preach the gospel of land own
ership we are spreading the doctrine
that will promote the good and the
of our people.
There is no Joy like living beneath
your own roof. Few men will fight
for their neighbors, but all will fight
to protect their homes. Who would
fight to protect boarding houseY
The agitator is seldom the taxpayer.
The naked and hungry can never
make ideal citizens. The widest
anarchist becomes tame when he
gets possession of property or has a
bank account. The road to whole
some politics and better morals is
to put the landless man on the man
less land. The nearer the soil the
higher the standard Of physical and
political health. Fertile fields, happy
homes, school houses and churches
needs no more. Better than
natural resources, better than ma
terial resources, better than climate,
for these have existed here forever,
better than all these is true man
hood and pure womanhood such as
have made the waste places of this
continent blossom as the rose.
Blended Nations Of the West
We have here assembled and as
simulated the best blood of every
race and nationality. We have gath
cred here the sturdy Norseman from
the bleak and snow clad hills Of
northern Europe. We have gathered
the Gaul from the vine clad hills of
sunny France, the condescending
Saxon willing to govern himself and
and all the world besides, the plaid
ed Scotchman from the banks Of
Bonny Dhue, the witty sons Of Erin
from Killarney's loveliest lakes, the
industrious TeutOn, and we have
blended all these elements into the
grandest type Of citizenship ever
known in the manhood and woman
hood of the world. The gate ways
of the west stand ajar. The invita-
tion OF the legend "aIl hope and
none despair' IL inscribed above