River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-12
m1 8oo. GOO. Mostlv Fools.,

1t is an encouraging sign of the
times that even in Wisconsin, the
most backward of all these United
States, in prOgressiveness, people are
beginning TO look upon an advocate of
reform in taxation. as less of "A crank
than formerly. At its present rate of
advance, the state will succeed in
catching up with the procession, some
time within the next fifty years.
Chinch bugs, high taxes, and low
prices for produce, stimulate thought,
especially among our farmers, and it
is barely possible we may succeed in
catching on i'll time to secure some
share of the prosperity the new system
offers to those adopting it.
Texas has the lead at present, closely
followed by Colorado, while our en-
teTprisiug sister state, Minnesota,
struggles for third place with Massa-
chusetts and New York.
An immense petition signed by one
quarter of the voters of the state, and
which by the first of November, it is
confidently predicted will bear the
names of fully three fourths, is being
circulated in Texas, asking the legis-
lature to submit to the vote of the
people a constitutional amendment
abolishing all taxes upon products OF
industry, improvements, and personal
property, leaving only DIS fit subject
from which revenue for local purposes
may be derived, land values.
This it must be observed, j. not pro-
posing to interfere with individual
use or possession of land, or take from
its occupier any part of the value he
has given by his labor to its produc-
tiveness or value; but merely to ask as
a matter of right and justice, that a
man who occupies piece of land to
the exclusion of all other men, shall
pay into the common treasury, yearly.
such value as shall attach to the use
of that land by reason of the presence
and necessities of the community.
This value it must be borne in mind,
is now, and always has been paid by
the producers of the country; but a
very small percentage of it now goes
into the public fund. The larger part
of it, amounting to hundreds OF
millions of dollars annually, has been
the tribute paid by industry to idle
ness, a sort of pauper fund, and the
pauper recipients have prospered and
become millionaires, while the people
who have paid not only this, but all
government revenues as well, have
gradually come TO lean for support
upon the labor of wife and children,
and become to a greater extent than
ever dreamt possible. outcasts and
tramps.
Under the new system of producing
revenues, the man who improves his
farm or village lot by employing labor
and capital upon it; who by industry
seeks to add to the general prosperity
and wealth, will not be considered a
criminal conspirator against the public
veal. and punished by line or eoniis-
cation. Neither will the man who
fastens his greedy grip upon land, ex.
uiing by extortiOnate blaek-mail
those who would use and improve 1t,
be considered public benefactor.
Equal rights to all, special privileges
10 none, is and should be the motto OF
a true republican government. How
many years of toll and strife for a
mere existence, will it take to bring
the S0O,000 people of Wisconsin to a
knowledge of its full meaningt
6. III. Il.