The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-03-08
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
By w. C. B. Randolph

The principle of ownership has al
ways been an elusive study. Black
stone, probably the worlds greatest
jurist, gave whole volume to the ex-
animation of the basis or ownership
and human rights. He pointed out that
the king in early days just claimed
all rights and ownership himself. He
made the claim operative because he
had the force to back it up. But the
claim was disputed by the advancing
intellect of the race and then began
a battle of the giant intellects, some
upholding the contention of the king
and others holly dissenting and broad
ening it out to include other men.
Blackstone sums up the controversy
over the principle of land values by
stating that "there is nothing in a
piece of parchment to convey title to
land" And in other places he says
that the human mind has not found
any stable foundation for ownership,
nor has it to this day. He rests his
case, however, by concluding that a
nation may give a temporary conces-
sion for any natural resource as an
experiment to see how how it will OPP
crate in the interest of the people,
but these concessions may be recall
d at any time when the public inter-
ests demand it. Common ownership,
he taught, was the deeper truth. And
it is curious fact that while the
fundamental fact was thus established
in the minds of ADLER men, the law
makers seeing less deeply, proceed
ed to develop system of laws CIV
ing individual ownership as right,
disregarding the leading of the
worlds greatest minds. But this SUI
perficial treatment of tremendously
important matter began to give
trouble and as economic forces be-
came more powerful and individual
possession gave overmastering pow
er to INSCRIPTIONS men, the older
and truer view was called into play
and one by one the deeper law was
invoked to remedy an unbearable sit
uation. It is worth of remark that in
every case where evil conditions find
q remedy at legislation, it always is
in the direction of taking undue pow
ers from individuals and restoring
them back to the people. This is to
acknowledge national right as SUPER
ior. The popular interests justify
taking over any private claim of
power. This basic fact was the un-
DERIVING law by which our federal at
torney recently decided that the
President had the right to command
eer the gold Of the nation or anything
else where the public interest was at
stake. The history of the thinking
of man along the fascinating road re-
veals no solid basis for individual
ownership. The only true resting
place the thinkers have ever found
is in the clarion call of the old He
brew prophet, "The earth is the
Lords, and the fullness thereof!" The
mind readily accepts the idea that all
natural resources are fashioned by
the universal forces and not by man
and hence the universe or God is the
true owner. And as this cosmic own
er does not charge man anything for
for his use, but donates all natural
resources. to him to be held in stew
ardship, there we rest in the thought
that the ultimate answer has at last
been realized.
The thought of cosmic unity, all
men arising from the same source,
composed of the same material, and
being sustained by the superabund-
ance of nature, gives us a sense of
common interest and common shar-
ing of these all-sustaining beunties.
Continued Next Week)
Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Linn enter