St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-17
HENRY GEORGES SPEECH.


1t was perhaps as wise as it was
courteous in the legislature to extend
an invitation to HENRY GEORGE to adj
dress the body On the single tax ques-
ton; for, while possibly but few of the
members fully concurred with Mr..
GEORGE in the views he expressed, all
of them were entertained and more or
less instructed. Notwithstanding his
radicallsm, Mr.. GEORGE is a man of
exceptional ability, profound thinker,
and has all his life given studious at
tention to economic questions. What
ever man of this character says is al
ways worth listening to, whether his
conclusions be right or wrong, for he is
sure to convey more OF less valuable in
formation during the progress of his
remarks. Mr.. GEORGES address to the
state legislature yesterday was mainly
a repetition of what he has heretofore
spoken and written, yet while no new
ideas or theories were advanced, they
were presented in such clear and con-
else form as to enable his auditors to
comprehend the entire object. He said
all that could be said in support of the
single-taX proposition, and said it well.
He spoke with an earnestness that left
no doubt of his own convictions on the
subject, and while he may not have inn
pressed his own convictions upon
others, he did leave the impression that
the question he discussed merited the
attention of thinking men.
Mr.. GEORGE is not so impracticable
as the majority of theorists of his class.
He enjoys the single distinction of hav-
ing given shape and form to his theo-
ries by proposing something which,
while it may not be desirable, still is en-
tirely practicable. His single tax idea,
being practical, naturally arrests the at
tention of thoughtful persons, and for
that reason S receiving more considera-
ton than is usually bestowed upon re-
form theories. Still, there is no reason
to believe that Mr.. GEORGE will live to
see the accomplishment of his plans.
Some time in the future a new genera
ton may rise up, influenced by condi-
tions and surroundings favorable to the
propagation of the GEORGE idea, but
this generation is too set in its ways ever
to be impressed with it. The prop
osition is entirely too revolution
airy to receive the appreciation of
this conservative age. The tend
ency of the age is away from
it, and not towards it. The hold
ing of land in seyeralty, with the unre-
stricted right of disposal, is funda-
mental to all our American ideas of gov
eminent, commerce and industries.
The GEORGE idea, if put into practice,
would ultimately lead to land confisca-
ton and the vesting of all title in the
government, to be held III trust for COM
mon use and purposes. We are hardly
far enough advanced toward the mil
lenial stage to embrace an idea, how
ever practical, so thoroughly revolu-
tionary in character and so revolution
izing in its effects and operations. The
single tax question may be brewing
one in the future, as Mr.. GEoRE sug-
gests, yet it will scarcely reach milk
heat in this day and generation.
Still. there is great deal of truth and
force in MIR. GEORGES statements as to
the failure of personal property to con-
tribute its just proportion of taxation.
This, however, is not so much the fault
of our tax system as it is in the failure
to properly enforce it. We want better
assessment methods. Our exemption
laws are too liberal, and the assessment
processes not inquisitorial enough. If
it is right to tax private property for
public purposes, then every dollar. in
whatever shape or form it may exist,
should be compelled to contribute its
equal share of the taxes. The fact that
personal property and improvements
may be the creation of individual labor
does not remove the fact that such
property has just as much a money
value as land. The purpose of a
tax law is not to ascertain the
origin of property. Its single purpose
is to find it and ascertain its just valua-
ton for taxable purposes. The proper
remedy for the inequalities in our tax
system is to impose heavier penalties
on those who evade the tax laws. When
it is once established, as principle in
the operation of our tax laws, that the
man who hides or transfers his property
to evade taxation is defaulter to the
state and robber. and that confinement
at hard labor in the state prison must
be his punishment, we will have less
cause to complain of the difficulty in
compelling personal property to pay its
just proportion of the taxes.
CLIMATIC CHANGES.