Monday

Herbert Spence

Equity, therefore, does not permit property in land. For if one portion of the earth's surface may justly become the possession of an individual, and may be held by him for his sole use and benefit, as a thing to which he has an exclusive right, then other portions of the earth's surface may be so held; and eventually the whole of the earth's surface may be so held' and our planet mayt thus lapse altogether into private hands. Observe now the dilemma to which this leads. Supposing the entire habitable globe to be so inclosed, it follows that if the landowners have a valid right toits surface, all who are not landowners have not right at all to its surface. Hence, such can exist on the earth by suffferance only. They are all tresspassers...it is manifest, that an exclusive possession of the soil necessitates an infringement of the law of equal freedom. for, men who cannot "live and move and have their being" without the leave of others, cannot be equally free with those others. Social Statistics,1851-The Right To Land Ch 9

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