The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-04
wound Is very painful. but not dangerous.
armstrong Is now. in Jail. The difficulty
was caused by bad whisky.
ExToRT1oNs AND FRAUDS
Practiced by the Greedy Coal Monopo-
lists to Rob the Poor.

W tno orttQv OOti AOnOpO-
lists to Rob the Poor.
From the New York Herald.
Al ever journal struck popular chord
and aroused an indignant public sentiment
the Herald has done so In its exclusive pub
hcation OF the work OF the Tilman Congress
sional Committee in exposing the gigantic
abuses of the anthracite coal combination.
The picture OF the wrongs and the suffer-
ings OF the poor workers and miners, the
systematic extortions practced by the coal
companies, and the alarming growth of the
evil until seven monopoly corporations now
not only control the mining of all the an
thracite In the country, but have the sole
and absolute right TO ship IL to market over
their railroads or TO withhold IL 10 force up
the prioe-the disclosure OF all this
ana many collateral evils has arrested
public attention and called forth almost
unanimous protest. found Mr.. Henry
George in the midst of his preparations for
sailing for Europe. He found time, how
ever, TO give me the following talk: "The
third page OF the Herald this morning Is a
most interesting and important one, yet
think that the Tillman Committee has but
mildly stated the truth. As for the remedies
proposed, they are lame and hating. IL Is
poor craftsmanship that tries TO get rid Of
evils by prohibitions. They are in most
cases as Intellectual as the tabled bull against
the comet The committee is right IN de-
claring that railroad company should not
be permitted 10 plead a strike as an excuse
for not doing its work, but beyond this
the recommendations do not amount TO
much. IL would be utterly idle ~ prohibit
the consolidation Of parallel lines. and as
useless TO prohibit interstate carriers from
engaging in manuiac turing or mining The
same men can form different companies and
laugh at the law
''rhe evils which the committee so wildly
portrays arise from two fundamental errors
first, that we have left the iron highways
that have become Us essential to the internal
commerce Of the country as were the COM
mon roads In the hands OF private corpora
tions, and, second, that we treat land as
! though the same rights OF property attached
! TO ii rs rightfully attach 20 the ownership of
things produced by labor. There are the
same reasons for making the iron highways
! public property rs for making streets and
dirt roads public property, and just as the
public ownership of turnpikes superseded
the system Of toll roads 30 the public owner
ship of railways ought to supersede private
management. A. Mr.. Hudson, of Pittsburg,
has well pointed out II will not be necessary
\ that the public should run trains any more
than that the State OF New York runs canal
beats but only that the roadbcd be main
tanned by the public and that individuals
or corporations be permitted TO run trains
over thunder proper regulations and at fixed
, rates Of toll
"But the heart OF the coal monopoly Is the
absurd system Of allowing individuals and
corporations 10 hold as their own the coal
I which the Almighty has placed in the earth
| for the use Of all This could be cured COM
pleiely by the single tax. At present what
tax the coal operators pay Is on the working
Of coal and on the investment OF capital nee
essary TO work IL. Even the Pennsylvania
coal miners have 90 pay an occupation tax,
while the enormously valuable coal lands
that are held idle are taxed only nominal
rates. We ought 10 tax neither labor nor
capital. nor the products of labor and CAPT.
tai. leaving every one free 10 produce as
much and add as much 10 the wealth Of the
country as he chooses TO. But we ought %
tax men In proportion 10 the natural oppor-
tunities they hold, and that irrespective OF
whether they Use them or not Were taxes
concentrated on lfnl values and everything
else exempt the Reading Railroad and Other
coal barons' would have quickly broken
down In their attcmptto corner the Penn
sylvnnia coal fields. Apply the single tax
and all such monopolics will disappear"