116 LAND AND LABOR. 



the systems of tenant farming of great estates, and 

 tenantcy at will, which so largely obtain with us, was 

 the cause of the destruction of Home. It is hardly 

 necessary to more than allude to the fact that the 

 French revolution of the past century found its source 

 in similar conditions, or that the most powerful na- 

 tions and governments in Europe are being shaken to 

 their foundations by like causes. 



The spectacle now exhibited by Mr. Gladstone, at 

 the head of the great liberal party and government 

 of England, in his effort to clutch the throat of a kin- 

 dred monster in that country, is most suggestive, and 

 should be a timely warning. 



The facts, the tendencies, and the inevitable results 

 of our system of tenant farming, if a remedy is not 

 found, there is not the least hope of successfully de- 

 nying. Therefore the only question to be asked and 

 answered is, What can be done about it ? The an- 

 swer is, end it ; end it at once, before it attains 

 greater strength and wider scope ; wipe it out, even 

 though it can only be done in blood ; for if that mon- 

 ster lives and continues to grow the nation must die. 

 But, fortunately, blood is not required, nor violence 

 of any kind, nor distress to either party, landlord or 

 tenant. 



But there is another matter that must first be con- 

 sidered in this connection ; and that is, the danger 

 that the bonanza farms, which would become unnian- 

 iblc under the operation of measures hereafter to 

 ! proposed, would be cut up into tenant farms, and 

 thus add to the great evil of tenant farming, if pro- 

 visions were not made to prevent that action. 



