The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-01-17
REPLY TO REV HARPsTER.
A Canton LabOrlng Man, a Disciple Of
Henry George, Gives Some Prac'
teal Views on Poverty and
Taxation,
CANTON, January, 10. 1890.

hhNANNn bNNNHN1r ~ SOW L
Enron DEMOCRAT'-The REV
Hafpator, Of tho Lutheran church, mott
aed the citizens Of Canton 10 come aud
hear him explain some causes OF poy
erty that Henry Georges theory does
not account for lie paid u glowing
tribute TO Georges sincerity aud his
noble plea for The bettermeut of the
poor aud brought out his individual
cases of poverty which Mr., Georges
theory will not curt, But, Wnlortu'
nalely for MI, llarpateE Mr. George
does not propose TO cure such caled of
poverty ~ Mr. llarpater pictured,
They were all cases OF poverty Of q vol
untary kind, except one Of q sick man,
Mr. llarpator did not press his inquiry
80 40 TO Inform himself whether or not
the man, when In health, had aloldy
employment and got the full value Of
his labor. Mr., Harp0ter did not wish
to push his inquiry that far IL would
not have answered his purpose 70
do no,
Now II the reverend gentleman had
read and studied Henry George, no
would have known that he docs not
propose TO cure poverty Of the yoIun'
tary kind, lle proposes TO cure that
poverty which springs from enforced
idleneas, which In turn In the father OF
crime and poverty, aud the crime which
springs from the fear Of poverty, The
same line Of policy was once used 10 de-
fend that social system which tolerated
| African slavery, The argument ranged
from excuse 10 triumphant approval.
The great argument that was used
within my own recollection was, that
tho questions involved IN the abolition
of slavery were no enormous and requir.
cd such superhuman wisdom 70 solve
them that II was hopeless for ordinary
men and women 10 pass upon them ut
all.
Now, why ia II that Ia sections OF our
country, where material progress IL
most highly developed, that Is 10 say,
where population Is denacet, wealth
greatest aud machinery production and
| exchange most highly developed We
find the deepest poverty, the shmpest
struggle for existence and The most
enforced idlOnCss, In the midst OF the
greatest abundance, where Infants
suck dry breasts and women moan, and
men die OF starvation, there you find
the grand0st dwellings, the richest
warehouses, tho most magnificent
churches, high saloriod clergymen and
the most poverty crime and wfot0hed.
ness. What 10 II, turns tho tide OF
wealth away from lab0rP In IL not the
locking up Of natural opportunities 2
Ohio contains twenty four million acres
of tilable land and only eighteen mil.
lion improved, six million unimprOved,
and men Rave 10 20 10 tho far
West aud leave the homes of their
childhood and all that non hold dear,
80 that a few men may live In a0luonce
by letting Gods earth 10 Gods children.
IL In no wonder that 80 many ministers
preach TO empty benches,
The PRESENT century has been mark
cd by ptodig0us Increase In wealth
producing power, Az the beginning OF
This wonderful era, II was natural TO
expect aud II was expected that labor
saving inventions would Tighten the
toll and improve the condition OF the
laborer. That tho enormous increase
of production would make real poverty
a thing of the past, but IL has and is
swallowed up In land values, which In
n great measure, 60 untaxed. For IN
stance, there Ia u tract of land contain
ing about ten thousand acres, Lying
between South WilkesbaTr0 and Nanti'
coke, IN Pennsylvania, owned by the
Delaware and Hudson Coal Go. IL
contaiug a vein Of coal unequaled In
tho world, being ~ feet deep II will
run 1000 tons per foot OF depth TO the
acre. II Is now being leased nv 90 otB
per ton or $4,000 per acre. u iB now
assessed at S25 perO G and the whole
tract at n tax OF one per cent. Yields
$500 per year revenue. but under
our single INK system IL would yield
two million dollars per year revenue,
This y0in has never been worked before,
There is another piece Of coal land close
by the former containing fO%rty-seyen
acres; the owner has refused G0O0,00C
for IL, n rs assessed for tnxiti "a ~
800. Ia not this the effect OF bad laws
and Il bud social systomp If labos was
permitted TO go upon this land and pro.
duce coal, without paying u bonus for
doing 40, would not labor be more
steadily employed Mt better wages, and
the poor get their coal Cheaperf Now
lot us turn to our own city of Canton,
and what do wo find the effect OF laws
which Mr.. Harpster says are not bad !
give my own experience. A few years
ago | wished 30 buy a lot TO build me O
house upon. J went TO the ow ler-
the price was S600-l could not buy IL
III worked away and got
the 5000 together TO pay
for the lot. In the meantime others had
bought and built around the locality
but | went 10 the owner and said | have
now got the $500, and will take that
lot. No, he said, lots have advanced In
price, now want 5000 for that lot. Ne
/ had 10 80 aud toll one year more, and
give TO that man, who had done moth
ing TO entitle him 10 that high price
He was simply putting into his poke
what the community produced. SO
bought the lot, the tax upon II wa
az so 0 annum. 1 built a house X
shelter mo and my family. The assesS
or came around TO look nj IT, j q
- 800. n..- A. .-a ..a. a..