Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 36.djvu/532

516 Spencer had not said that he could not be sure that he had never preached it, we might conclude without further inquiry that the doctrine had never been his. As matters stand it would be an extremely good thing if he could assert that he does not hold it now, anyway. That done, his counsel against the nationalization of the land as a fatally bad bargain (since it must be carried out on just compensation principles if at all) would have full effect. It is to be hoped that Mr. Laidler's questions in "The Times" of to-day will be answered, and they will be if Mr. Spencer does not turn his back on doubting disciples who cry to him.

To the Editor of "The Times":

Sir: Mr. Laidler has given us a digest of the ninth chapter of Mr. Herbert Spencer's "Social Statics" and asks triumphantly, "Does it not constitute an unanswerable argument in favor of the nationalization of the land?" Mr. Spencer has modified the views expressed in that work, but, as Mr. Laidler now elects to stand or fall by them, it may perhaps be worth while to inquire how far they support his proposals.

The nationalization of the land, as defined by Mr. Laidler in his interview with Mr. Morley, means that the land, but not the houses, of this country should, on the death of the present owners, revert to the nation or State without any payment therefor.

In the "Social Statics" it is argued that each one of the race of beings born into the world has equal rights to the use of this world, and that no one or part of such race of beings may use the earth in such a way as to prevent the rest from similarly using it. From this it follows that land can not justly become the property of individuals; but it also follows that no given portion of the globe can justly become the property of any individual nation, for that would be to deprive the rest of "mankind at large," the rest of "the human race," of their equal rights. It is true that Mr. Spencer in one place says that under his system, instead of leasing his acres from an isolated proprietor, the farmer would lease them from the "nation." But this can only be reconciled with the rest of the chapter if the nation is understood to be acting as the "agent or deputy agent" of the community at large. According, then, to the argument in the "Social Statics," the land of this country should belong, not to individuals nor to the State, but to the human race.

Mr. Spencer is also in favor of giving existing owners compensation. On this he says that—

Great difficulties must attend the resumption by mankind at large of their rights to the soil. Had we to deal with the parties who originally robbed the