Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-02-09
Steady Winter-A "Chestnut NO
TheOr1es-FarmeIs Quitting
the Farm.

TheOrleS-EarmeIS Quitting
the Farm.
This part of Illinois has had, so far.
a very steady winter. 1t grew gradu-
ally colder about Christmas and since
then we have had one thaw, with rain:
yet IL has been clear a great deal of the
time, and though we have had two
pretty sharp nips it has not been ex-
cessively cold, or, at least, we have not
had the extremes so common i'm this
broad, bare state. One thing, however.
gives observant ones some concern.
the ground is comparatively dry, wells
are still very low, and should the
spring rains come before the frost is
well out of the ground we shall go into
the summer dryer than ever; then look
little out.
Last weeks REGISTER contained a
clipping from the Omaha World S,giv-
ing US an objection against the single
tax of the chestnut" stripe. A land
lord is supposed to add his land-tax to
his rent and charge the tenant double.
The World should be more careful.
Such supposition not only exhibits
ignorance of Henry Georges PROPOSE
ton, but OF the fundamental principles
OF political economy. There is not
single writer of the English school OF
economists who does not assert that a
tax upon land values cannot be shifted.
Further than this, it is the only tax
that cannot be shifted, with the excep-
tion of poll or an income tax, and
these can be taken out of the labor OF
others by those who monopolize land
IN way that amounts to shift. The
French economists were ard lent advo-
Gates of the single tax OF toD udigue,
as they termed it, IA hundred years ago,
and Mirabeau thought it even more
important than the invention of print-
ing. The Worlds political editor should
have read the speech of Texas man
delivered at Houston last 9TH of July,
in which this objection is met with
ample illustration. AS the tax would
absorb the rental value of the land
landlord would be fool to double his
taxes without profit to himself. To
raise rent then would be to raise taxes,
and unless a landlord first put on im4.
provements enough to justify. the ter.
ant in paying the raise, it would bs
that much more out of his. pocket.
That would be poor dodge. Even If
this were not true ii would be absurd
to suppose that any assessor or board
of assessment would not catch tho trick
or that tenant would be Obliged TO
submit to such extortion.
But this is not the worst of it. If the
power of landowner is as great as this
objection supposes, If he can not only
prey upon another, but saddle all taxes
on him too, then we have one Of the
strongest arguments for abolishing
property in land. So this squib burns
the fingers of the man who let it off.
Mr.. George has really formulated no
theories; he has called attention to
some plain, simple facts that he who
runs may read; and he has oome to-
conclusions that no honest man car
avoid. 1t is fact that land and all
natural opportunities, have value
that community and not the individual
owner or speculator gives them; it is
also fact that this value belongs right
fully to the community that creates 1T
and not to any individual who does not
create it, and that the public should
take this value yearly for revenue. AS
population increases and more revenue
is needed, this value increases in ex-
actly the same proportion, being ever
equal to the needs of all.
Bucking against such simple truths
is about as profitable as butting ones
head against stone wall: Tt is harne-
less to the wall, but it is hurtful to tho
head.
High tariff or low tariff, tariff for
protection or tariff for revenue, is the
ding-doDg here now. Local office
holders or aspirants for office are carry
ing it to the schoolhouses and making
things hot. To one who has been
through all the pros and cons and sees
the aosurdity and injustice OF any tariff
at all or any tax on the products of 1a-
bor, all this is very tiresome, thongh.
10 doubt, 1t will ultimately end i'm tha
total abolition of the tariff. So mote 1t
be.
Never before were there SO many
men trying to Guit,the farm. We hava
hitherto deprecated our yourg nAsfs
leaving the farm, but now the old anse.
are out of conceit with it. Wen they
may be, for the majority of them are
serfs and poems; they are drudging 70.
.landlord or struggling against a
mortgage that Will swallow the earn
ings of their children after then. If .hev
are foolish enough to stick to 1t. We
ere fast coming to time when we
shall have gripping laaalords on the
one hand, servile tenants on the other.
aud the independent farmer will he d.
thing OF the past. FARMER
| Murrayville, ILL.,, Jan. 26. 1885,