St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-09-14
st. gaudry aemotrh
OPELOUSAS
EEe Wants Light.

EDITOR DEMOCRAT :--Our mutual
FRIEND of the Washington 1dv0cGte
seems to be somewhat muddled on the
single tax question and calls for light.
re he can understand the command,
"Thou shalt not steal" think he will
understand the position Of the single
tax people. That which man produces
by his labor is his. IL man s0Ws the
seed and stirs the ground the ripened
corn is his. If IA man steals the corn he
violates the command. II a man drives
him away and takes the corn, he vio-
lates the command. II his fellow-citi-
gens meet together and decree that all
or part of the corn shall belong to some
man who rendered no assistance in pro-
ducing it, the command has been vio-
lated. 1t can make no kind of difference
whether one man takes it. or thou
sand, or the whole community, the nature
of the transaction remains the same.
SAILORS SNUG HARBOR.
On Staten Island stands group OF
stately buildings known as Sailors Snug
Harbor. Tho inmates of Snug Harbor
(644 saiiors) are furnished With every
comfort free Of cost, and are required
TO do nothing without pay. The reve-
nue. which sustains this noble institu-
tion is derived from bequast from
Robert Richard Randall ia 1901. Ihe
property beqneathed was farm of q
acres. Ia 1906. the revenue from the
farm was S4243. In 1914, it had in
creased IN $4,000. The revenue for 1887
was $780,, 092 an amount which exceeded
by more than 100000 the whole ex-
pense of the management. The trus-
tees never made any investments to
cause this enormous increase. They
were Indifferent whether there should
be any increase or not. Do You want me
TO explain this miracle, Mr.. 1dvocate?
The explanation is easy. The great
arms of New York city reached out and
took in the farm. III the trustees had, at
any time endeavored to increase the cap
ital, such attempt would have wrought
a nuiity of the will. But in spite of
all, the revenue multiplied segeng times
in eighty gears. MaEifestly, if tho pro-
perty Increased in value through no in
yestment or labor of the trustees, it
must have grown. out of the invest
ments and labDrs Of other people. Man
Ifestiy the increase was caused by the
labor and Investments of the people
who built the great city of New York.
Can you take III the significance OF this
statement2 1t seems to me il you can
see the holes between the rungs OF a
ladder you can see that one class of
men are deriving a very large revenue
from the labor and investments Of the
community.
Now, mind you, am not crtfcising
the motive of the tesla tor. | am firmly |
of the opinion that il any class of men |
have earned the gratitude OF the COM
munity more than another, that class |
that Ego down to the sea in ships and do |
business on the great waters" belong to |
that class. Our contention is, that no |
man has the right to convey in vendee, |
in donee, or in legatee, that which re- |
sults from the labor or investments Of /
other people, or, if you please, from the
community as a whole. Our contention
is, that that value which attaches to
land by reason of the growth of the
community and development Of society
belongs To society in solidO. Laud with
out population has no value. Robinson
Crnsoe oWped the Island of Juan Fer
nandez. He had a chest of gold dou-
blooms besides, but was poor indeed.
Verify, to keep body and soul together
he was obliged to toll necessarily.
Land, therefore, is not wealth. Every
man who labors, abnrs for himself, but
involuntariiy and unconsciously he ben
efts the whole community. Opening
farms enables merchants to sell goods
The opening of a store enables farmers
to exchange their products for the pro- /
ducts of other men without delay and
with little labor. This collecting to-
gether and dividing labor imparts spe-
cial value to land irrespective of fer
fifty or natural constituents. This
special value caused by the labor of thea
whole community belongs in reality tosf
the whole community, and this is Wat
we propose to take to meet the common
expense of the people as whole,
1t may be that you call these radical
received during tho past
week an address of DR.. Multi, Catholic
Bishop of the diocese of Meath, to the ;
clergy and laity of his diocese, taking |
BUR position. The congregational body ,
and large nunb Der of the ministers Of
,he established Church of England have !
aiken the same ground. Lord Celde- /
,idge, Chief Justice OF Court Of Kings I
Bench, says, 1T seems an elementary {
that free people can deal {
10 il thinks tit with its common stock.H
10 one need be surprised, therefore, | t
Int the English arlstOcracy are taking t
n vast tracts of land in this country. C
The old rats are prepared to desert the II
mixing ship. y
The fight of the ages is on and we @
annot dodge it. There are those who e
70 ready to apply more drastic renee y
y than that contemplate by the Single t
AK Crapks. 1t must be thought ont or j
ought out. We appeal to the reason t
nd conscience of our fellow citizens a
nd want no other weapons. n
ID. G. DAVID. b
Tate COge's Echoes. v
x