St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-04
WANTS TO DEBATE 1T.
@. j. Buell. Sends Prof William
FOlWell an Interesting Letter.

WANTS TO DEBATE 1T.
G. j. Buell. Sends Prof William
Folwell an Interesting Letter.
CD. Buell.. the single tax aud Henry
George apostle. is after the scalp of
Prof. Folwell, who recently lectured on
taxation and property at the Hennepin
theater, and has sent to him the follow
ing letter. which partakes of something
of the nature of challenge to meet in
joint debate and see what theory is
right:
you can, perhaps. imagine with
what feelings of establishment L listened
to the unfolding Of your address against
single tax last Thursday evening. You
can probably recall our many private
conversations on the subject. You
surely have not forgotten speaking APP
proviDgly of the plan of raising neces-
sary state and municipal revenue by
a tax upon the value of land, nor your
remark that You would probably vote
for such change If it were to come be-
it be possible that you are ignorant OF
the objects of the Minneapolis Single
Tax league? Let me quote from the
constitution of the league.
ARTICLE I.-Principle and object.
''Section L. This league is based upon
the principle that it is unjust that one
man should be taxed more for making
land useful and employing labor on it
than another is taxed for holding land
idle and keeping labor off of it, and
that all public revenue be ultimately
raised by single tax on land values.
''Sec. 2. The objects of this league
shall be to disseminate, by all fair and
honorable means, the truth embodied
in the above principle, and to circulate
and obtain signatures to petition to
the legislature, asking for the submits
sion OF an amendment to the constitu-
ton of the state of Minnesota which
will permit the exemption of personal
property and improvements from taxa
ton.
"Certainly there is nothing very wild
or revolutionary about this. Allow me
to call your attention to decision Of
the court of appeals of the state Of New
York, rendered within two years. in
which that court expressly holds that
the legislature of that state now has
the power to raise all state and munich
pal revenue by single tax on the value
of land. Also in New Jersey and sew
Cl OUtltt SldlCS, UCltCNc. IDdO DOWCl
now rests in the legislature. We ask
that the same power be vested in the
legislature of the state Of Minnesota.
This would enable the people to get rid
of Objectionable taxes as fast as they
become convinced that they are OBJ
jectionable. You object to the tax OH
credits, do you not? How can you
abolish that tax without the very amend
ment we ask? We believe that taxes Oh
all forms OF business enterprises are
Objectionable. They raise prices, and are
finally paid by people who have already
paid all the taxes justly theirs to pay
We would concentrate all burdens for
the support of government on the value
of land. for the reason that land is the
free gift. the real gift of nature to all
the children of men. All men are born
with equal rights to the use of the
earth. The value of land for use,
whether it increase or diminish from
year to year Or remain stationary, is
created and maintained, year by year,
by the necessities of all people for the
use of land. This value, being created
by all, necessarily belongs to all, and
seems to be the fund designed by nature
to meet public needs. Therefore, what
a man pays in a land value tax is. in
effect, simply paying the community
for the benefits and privileges the COM
munity confers on him. Much of the
used in your lecture and
labeled argument would hardly be
worthy of thoughtful criticism were it.
not for the high position held by your
self in our state university. supported
by the "confiscation" of a part of the
earnings of each and every citi-
DG ha u-ao1th hnro
use the word "contiscati0n" in the
lished works, not in the sense in which
Progress and Poverty" MIR. George
seems to have feared that the ignorant
might misunderstood his use of the
word, or that the INSCRIPTIONS might
to twist its meaning for the
purpose Of creating prejudice against
his doctrines; so he takes pains to eX-
plain his meaning by Illustration and
example, and closes with the express
sions: ITO appropriate rent by taxa
ton" "To abolish all taxation save
that upon land values" pages 364 and
365.) Which do yon regard as the worst
form of "coniscation?" to take for pub
lie purposes these values which the pub
lie creates, or while allowing the values
to flow into private pockets to take a
part of the private earnings of each and
every person with which to meet public
needs? OF course you are aware that
your remarks about single land val
ne tax being tax on only a GER
tain class of the community, and all the
direful results that would follow there
from. is piece of pure sOphistry, we'll
fitted to mislead certain people and
prejudice them against candid exam
ination of the question-fOr you surely
know that tax on land values, be it
greater or lesser part of the yearly
ground rent. is ultimately paid by the
user: and, each and every person would
part Of the public revenue
to the value of the land
special taXpaying class. DR.. FolWell,
ting crimes to-day for the want of work?
Don't you know that helpless women
and innocent little children are freezing
and starving because the husband and
father, their natural protector, is de-
MED his equal right to Gods free gift
to man?-denied it because of our ab0m-
Unable system of landholding and taxa
ton.
At such time shall full-grown men
indulge in SCOTS and sneers and point
less. Jokes? Shall we bubble over the
meaning of words and split hairs; over
imaginary distinctions and resemblan-
ces? Shame OH us if we do. Rather let
US give our best thought to the solution
of these grave economic questions.
And to this end l suggest that you
meet me in a joint public discussion of
the single tax question on its merits.
hope you will find it conven-
lent to accept this proposition, for full,
free, honest discussion cannot fail to be
Of great benefit.
A SURE CURE.