334 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



dikes were more availing in times of flood than prayers as a pro- 

 tection from encroaching waters from overflowing rivers. 



But the dominance of ignorance and the quackery of priests 

 will hold China in slavery to an unreasoning fear and irrational 

 faith for generations yet unborn. Yet the seeds of a better intel- 

 ligence are being planted in this dark corner of the earth. The 

 people observe that Europeans give no heed to imaginary devils, 

 and still they prosper without the intervention of priests; and 

 thus will eventually dawn upon them how grievously their fore- 

 fathers have been hoodwinked, cheated, and robbed by the reign 

 of demonology, created and perpetuated for their own gain by the 

 army of Taouist priests. 



-- 



LETTERS ON" THE LAND QUESTION. 



By HERBERT SPENCER, FREDERICK GREENWOOD, Professor HUXLEY, 

 Sib LOUIS MALLET, and JOHN LAIDLER. 



THE following letters, reprinted from the London " Times " of 

 recent dates (from November 7 to 15, 1889), are of great in- 

 terest on account of the light they throw upon some of the more 

 important aspects of the question of land nationalization, and on 

 the problems of socialism in general. Editor.] 



MR. SPENCER'S FIRST LETTER. 



To the Editor of " The Times " : 



Sir: During the interview between Mr. Morley and some of 

 his constituents, reported in your issue of the 5th inst., I was re- 

 ferred to as having set forth certain opinions respecting land-own- 

 ership.* Fearing that, if I remain silent, many will suppose I 



* Extract from the Morley Interview. 



Mr. Laidler said their method of dealing with the land would be that the present 

 owners should hold it for their time, and that it should revert back to the State. They re- 

 membered that Mr. Herbert Spencer had said that the land had been taken by force and by 

 fraud. That gentleman had also said that to right one wrong it takes another. 



Mr. Morley. Has Mr. Spencer said this ? 



Mr. Laidler. Yes ; we all know. 



Mr. Morley. You are aware that he has recalled some of the things he has laid down? 



Mr. Laidler. If he has stated truth and recalled it, the truth will prevail. 



Mr. Morley. Do you include houses ? 



Mr. Laidler. We include land, not houses. In houses there is labor, but in land 

 there is not. 



Mr. Morley. Not? 



Mr. Laidler. There may be labor exerted in land, but as far as the labor is in the 

 land we believe it ought to belong to the laborer. As the land has been obtained by the 

 method I have named by force and fraud, as Spencer says we contend that the land 

 ought to be taken back by the community and handed over to the municipalities and county 

 councils to be used in such democratic manner as the people may elect those bodies for. 



Mr. Morley. I can not think that what is commonly called nationalization of the land 



