126 LAND AND LABOR. 



of tenant farmers would preclude all hope of further 

 speculation in that direction. 



The provisions of the law here proposed are in every 

 sense strictly equitable, in no sense restricting the just 

 rights and privileges of any person or class, nor de- 

 priving any of property without valuable considera- 

 tion and just compensation, nor rights nor privileges 

 that could in any manner add to the general welfare. 

 No doubt such a law would operate to disappoint the 

 expectations of many. But such expectations are sure 

 to be based on the preparation and hope for further 

 raids upon the well being of society, and they should 

 be disappointed and defeated. 



For the relief of tenant farmers a law is required 

 that will provide for the assessment of all such prop- 

 erty at its true market value, with provisions enabling 

 any occupant of a tenant farm to purchase the whole 

 or a portion of such farm upon the following terms : 

 In case a tenant wished to purchase the farm he occu- 

 pied, or a part thereof, he should, in writing, notify 

 the proprietor of the desire to so purchase the same, 

 taking the property at the assessed value for purposes 

 of taxation. By this provision the common practice 

 of undervaluing lands to escape taxation would be 

 broken up, and that great source of fraud would find 

 an end. The tenant so purchasing to either pay in 

 cash, or turn over to the proprietor his share of the 

 crops taken from the soil, in payment therefor, at the 

 market rates of the same at the point of delivery, and 

 at the time of the payment or tender. In case full 

 payment for the property should not at once be made 

 or tendered, then and in that case the purchaser should 



