SUMMARY REMEDIES. 121 



burdens of society, their holders stand in the position 

 of the very worst class of speculators, who contribute 

 nothing to the welfare of the community, but are con- 

 tinually absorbing its vitality. As society advances 

 and increases, adding to and increasing the value of 

 the lands around them, they sit still and increase cor- 

 respondingly the demands they make for the use or 

 possession of the lands which they control. They 

 obtain grants and sell their lands to aliens and mo- 

 nopolizers for still further speculation ; they hold 

 them, unoccupied and unimproved, for a rise, and 

 will allow of no improvement or occupation until 

 they obtain their price, throwing all the taxation, all 

 the burdens of government, upon the lands and im- 

 provements of the small farmer ; upon his stock, his 

 tools, and his crops. Also upon the little properties 

 in the neighboring towns ; the buildings and stocks 

 of the traders ; the dwellings and J;ools of the me- 

 chanics, etc. Upon everything visible fall the im- 

 posts of the tax gatherer, excepting only the lands 

 of the railroad kings and the landed estates of the 

 bonanza farmers. The weak are made to suffer whilst 

 the strong altogether escape. It is a warfare upon 

 society and the law protects them in it. 



A similar state of things obtains throughout the 

 country, on all vacant and unimproved lands, with 

 this difference ; that in all other parts where unim- 

 proved lands are held, whether in town, city, or coun- 

 try, there is an assessment for taxation, though made 

 but nominal, for the special reason that it is unim- 

 proved. But the adjoining lands, that are improved, 

 and the unimproved land, the moment it goes into 



