St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-01
He Takes the Lecture Deliv-
cred by Henry George and !.
Tears 1t to Pieces.
A Single Tax on Land Values
Means Nothing More Than .
Confiscation. ("
Some Of the Single-Tax Advo-
Gates Take Issue With the :
Professor.

State university, spoke on poverty ana
Taxation" in reply to the address made
by Henry George on ''Single Tax" at
the same theater some days ago. The
audience was made up of all classes OF
people. from the laboring man to the
retired capitalist. whose wealth con-
sists almost entirely of desirable real
estate. On the stage were seated a
number of prominent Minneapolis
people, among them c. A. Pillsbury,
Judge Hicks, Judge j. M. Shaw, A. @.
Haugen and others. Mr.. Pillsbury pre-
sided. Before the address of the even
ing the Ceci ian quartette sang num-
Der of pleasing college songs. In the
audience were large number of pro-
nounced single tax advocates, and
during the lecture some of them became
so nervous that it was with difficulty
that they kept their seats.
Prof. Folwell antagoniZed the plan
advocated by the siDgle-tax people on
three grounds, the first being that the
plan could not be put into operation. In
tribute to Mr.. George as man and as a
scholar. and said that it was evident
that he was full of enthusiasm over the
subject and desired with all his heart
to see liberty and comfort every
where increased. The first question
which meets us. continued the speaker,
is, do existing conditions and circum-
stances permit the consideration of the
single tax as a practicable working
scheme in the United States? l hold
that they do not. First of all it provides
for
SINGLE AND EXCLUSIVE TAX,
and claims that under the present sys-
TEN taxes are fines levied upon labor
and capital, and Mr.. George even in
sinuates that they are intended so to
operate. Now, all the existing plans
and ways of collecting revenues, ma
tional, state and local, are here to be
cleared-away before the single tax can
culation it would take about
two generations to make the change
from the present system to the proposed
one, and it can be seen by anyone
that the American people are not likely
to be suddenly converted. 1t is also
demanded that the tariff must go to,
make way for the single tax. All /,
have to say to that is, do you think the
protective system, Endorsed at the last
election, is likely to fade away like
summers dream? 10 work the single
tax system the taxes on franchises of
every sort and the license taxes on liq-
uor selling must go. Is there anything
in the present state of the public mind
on these subjects to indicate an early
abandonment of these forms of taxa
ton? We have not to deal merely with
particular existing statutes and machin-
cry for
COLLECTING PUBLIC REVENUES. 3
81 md
so ancient, with ideas and doctrines rum
ming back to the time of Aristotle. at
least. Then there is the idea that all
forms OF property are protected by the
state. They may be subjected to taxa
ton if the public needs require. The
single tax men know of but one kind OF
property which may be taxed. Again,
there is the idea that as all
industries and employments are
protected by the state, the
government may, if public need
demands it, collect some fraction of the
income and profit of industry. But
under the single tax plan there is no
possible justification for such an in
come tax. Then there is another idea
which argues against the single tax
theory, and that is that there shall be
mo taxation without representation"
Perhaps man may declare that such
a doctrine is absurd, yet it is stamped
across every. page OF his political life.
Defiance of this idea has cost many men
their lives or liberty. The single tax,
| alone and exclusive. is also impractical
| bic, because of our complicated system
of government. There are three
systems of taxation, local taxes. state
taxes and national taxes working side
by side, and taken as whole they give
| us a system in which the advantages
| and disadvantages are so neutraliZed
| that it makes the system as equal and
| lust as any we are likely to get. If the
Single tax idea should prevail, and Min
neapOlitans had to content themselves
with such monies as the legislature
should see fit to dole out to them, our
boosted local government would soon
disappear. 1t was just 100 years ago
| that we changed from a confederation
| to national union. because it was found
| that single tax OH improved land could
| not and
DID NOT WORK.
The single tax scheme, if worked at all,
must be engineered by the general
| gov eminent and it's agents, and the
States and all the municipalities
throughout the states will enjoy only
such revenues as congress shall see fit
| to apportion and pay over. For these
reasons | submit that the conclusion
| that the single taX-the exclusive tax on
| land valueS-haS no claimeto conSidera-
| ton as a practicable working plan in
this country in one day at least.
| Prof. FOlwell next took up the Ques-
| ton from the ideal standpoint, and
| found much to condemn in it. He held
| that from an ideal standpoint the single
tax plan assumed universal and con-
| tinued peace and would disarm the ar
mics and navles of the United States.
Then if trouble arose we would have to
accent whatever terms some other coun-
try would propose. The single tax de-
MES the right and power OF nations to
grow. 2
| THEIR ORGANIZED EXISTENCE. #
The Single-taX dreamers assume the
| continuous and universal advancement
of society, population always on the i'm
| crease. and wealth increasing and in
! telligence and virtue always Astounding
more and more. We will admit that
! the world has and does move, but not
| always in one continuous line. These
| enthusiasts make no allowance for dis
asters, which in every generation wreck
cities, dismantle provinces and even in
| wolves continental areas in the vast loss
and ruin. In some of these cities
would the government be able to bury
the dead if no tax could be raised ex-
cept ON land values? Again, the de-
voices of this new theory assume that
land is the only thing which rises in
value as
POPULATION AND WEALTH INCREASES.
aud public order is maintained. Among
the other things which increase in.
value is Henry Georges speech. What
gave that its cash value of 500 or more?
| Simply population and Investigation.
The Patagonians. who now practice
have paid that much to hear the nes Speech eb.
Now, l dissent from the assumption
of the single-taX people, that the land
holonno To