New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-02-13


are now legally constituted IN France. MAINTAIN
,hss this TAX woald otter permanent rehef % the
working classes. long as the monopoly o. and IN
sit hands Il 4 minority Of the population reduced
the majority II dlssnhented lsborsrs - the usess
atty Of working sor a stipulated ssIary. as the only
means ct Procrrinc soct tor their suhsistence.
Whatever be the constitution Of society, Il Is
seos and the produce Of labog and these only,
which pay every sort of tar and fIfAc and rcaf %
individua-s q oorporstIons and % governments
tax On capital Is Therefore 4 tax o. labor and Is
TIE laborer a conccruej. II g merely matter Of
iorm IL is nothing more IN hSct thsn q matter OF
form. tor men Of pCupertN
II the fear q Innovation did ust bird the rich they
would easily perceive that tax On capital as Yea
conceive u. would take irum the lrocr one II Their
main political resources in times Of revolution
the power 10 dissolve desponc governments BY re
lGsias % pay taxes.
A tax on capital hea OF one on income mishS
reach some sorts O property which now escape
taxaron bat the principle itself 10 one Of no poht
cal importance in e socisly progressive point u
view. Whatever Dc the sssts.a Of taxation. the
yearly fruits OF labor must DC sakcH trona the tab0r-
rs % pay Z With It's fiscal scphism 10 suppose
THAI capita ~ property OF any sort would reslly be
malcted by direct tax for where lt : invested IA
machinery OF land OF buildings let kr rent the
price N the location IL regulated by the system o.
.aNSton and NJ produce where the principal 10
lying Idle Il Is either money lccked up in chest
unknown "a the pubic assessors and withdrawn
nom iablitles ~ Is property unfenantcd boz
short time winch accidental state ia common TO al
sorts o. capita whatever be the system Of taxa
ton.
A tax on property IN such a state Of things IL
| merely matter Of agreement between rent and
salary In the present state Of things. rent take,
hall or more than half the annual produce OF the
land and universal labor leaving salary 70 pay an
additional TAX OF 20 per cent on the remaining half
| 70 Government IN the orm OF indirect taxation on
the articles Of tood ssd drink and furniture and
clothing According a. the system you propose.
the landlord would take 70 per cent OF the yearly
fruits Of labor in the shape vt rent aud then give
up 70 Government the 20 which were previously
pad By salary on articles OF indispensable eon.
SUMPTION. Those who run a muck gsinst details
may bubble about certain articles consumed upon
the place Of their production. bu, whs.eyer be the
system Of taxation or excise such articles are more
Or les. withdrawn from fiscal influence Variety
OF application in detail forms 40 negation II gen.
ersl common rrinclplc
"I vii not multiply details IN the discussion ot a
fiscal plan My object is 10 show that Revolution
and Reform are widely different things in pro
gres,ive movement Recitation, as | understand
the word. means change OF system Reform means
nothing more than simplhcatou OF q modihca.
ton II existing Institutions According b the no
tious Of the Socialists the present system u So
ciety Il radically false. They wish To change &c tof
another and better This you call bad Social
ism" You wish to modify the present system VI
Society, without disturbing its foundations That
IN your opinion. is good Socialism You are, IN
my opinion. doubly wrong Your plan 10 nos good
Socialism, II is not Socialism at all, II may be an
Improvement OF the present system Of taxation and
monopoly but an improvement OF the bad In such
a case 10 not unlike improving the conditions and
the breed of wolves and tigers, as part Of the mn
prov ement IN the breed of cattle, sheep snd the
domestic animals. To better the condition OF taxa
| ZION and monopoly, by simplifying methods OF DIES
polling labor OF the fruits its productions Is an
icith. monopoly reiorm--nos an 0Kt-rah. monopoly
revolution IL Is not IN remote degree akiu %
Socialism, either goodor bad, and you are wrong
in claiming for il such family connection
Il do not understand how You could have mis-.
taken il for Socialism And yet ! can conceive
that generous sympathy for the uniavored classes
and an actively progressive interest have mlsled
you to believe that yot were not less anxious than
the Socialists 10 better the condition Of the work
ing people. and improve the institutions OF society
Your practical experience has led you wrong you
understand the old mechanism Of society, but not
the new The difference betwe the two is siml
lar TO that which separates the railway and the 10.
cOmOtiye system from the stagecosch and the com
mon road conv enience The most intelligent aud
practical improvements Of the common roads and
coaches cannot be- compared to railway ocomotion
The railway system was a reroibttoH-a new
! system not a reform an Improvement OF the old
/ Many persons tired, however 10 adapt the 0como
tive 10 the common roads others struggled hard 10
| put down the new system, by exagg the re-
! ports OF accidents without forgetting 10 improve
| upon the speed OF the old coaches These vain at
tempts al moderate improvements were exultingy
proclaimed reasonable and admissible neliora
lions but they did not answer. They were costly
failures The halfconserya alive engineers made
vain attempts 10 run their locomotives on old roads
the half progressive coschmen strained their wits
in vain 10 run old coaches against locomotives
The dcYs were numbered Of reform IN roads and
coachey rsr0iifi0H had dethrsned the horsng
system
The same holds good OF Socialism. IN Society
IL is not a little curious however, 10 observe the
same attempts at moderate amale amatous Of con
.ervatism with progress Proedhsn IL = Socialist
engineer, who strives with oil his might TO run his
locomotive on the beaten tracks ot trade aud priyil
edged monopoly You Monsieur Girardin, are
first rate coachmaD Who wish b put down Ioc0-
motive Socialism, by increasing the speed Of re-
iOyra IN the old coach borsing system
Such attempts are hattenng 10 habits OF routine
and prejudice Money may be gained and favor
won by organizing plans and projects 81 this Aaif
teay nature Failure j., however their inevitable
lot-runous failure Tor those who embark their
all in them The cOacknen and tho engineers
NAV gain by them, If they are paid br their labots
bat the deuded shareholders and supporters Of ez'
perimen,s will have 10 pay the piper"
Such are the principal considerations % my pro
iected letter 10 6irardin. ia my next viii dis
cos. the views oil Proudhon. HUoH DoBERrr.