le
living. They are in a position to dictate terms to all other classes.
They cannot be forced to do anything, which they do not wish to do. In
arriving at his conclusions, it seems quite probable that Josiah Strong
has made the serious mistake of accepting as true, a very prevalent
idea, that in due course of business, (competitive business) all lands
everywhere, would belong to the city capitalist; therefore, that all
farmers would then be tenants at will, who could be turned off the land
at the caprice of the owner. In this fatal mistake, we discover the
error which has vitiated all premises from which he has been reasoning.

"Thanks to the forceful lessons, taught by Henry George, to which our
agricultural people have given two decades of careful study. They have
learned, that free access to land, is absolutely necessary to a natural
enjoyment of life. They have learned, that for this reason, those who
own land are masters of those who do not. With a sturdy independence
which should characterize all citizens of a true republic, they have an
intense antipathy towards all forms of slavery. Determined to remain
free; they have redoubled their efforts to possess, and to retain
permanent control of lands, sufficient for themselves and their
children. In this work, they have discovered that co-operation leads to
perfect success.

"In answering other arguments advanced to show why the city should
dominate the country, and therefore absorb its population; the question
of rent plays an important part. It should be studied carefully. The law
of rent, is an enigma to the poorer classes, upon whose necks its yoke
presses as a grievous burden. They sweat and groan under the burden, but
can discover no way of escape. They must be educated. They must know the
cause, before they can learn to avoid the effect.

"Rent, is a legal harness which enables the capitalist who owns houses
and lands, to bind needy people to do his work. Through the exactions of
rent, he can compel these people who can least afford to do it, to pay
his taxes, his interest on capital invested, his living expenses, his
traveling expenses, his insurance and such wide margins of profit, as
necessity, opportunity and favorable location, may allow him to take.
Rent values, like land values and market values, are exponents of social
organization. Human lives, enter into the equation of these values. The
absence of people diminishes these values, the presence of pe