The Colfax chronicle., 1890-12-20
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
THE PLATFORM
Adopted at the Conference of Single Tax
Clubs.

| ole the self-evident truth cnunclated IN
| ths Declaration Of Amcricn Indcpend-
enee, that all men are created equal
ana are endowed by their Creator with
| certain inalienable rights.
We hold that all men are equally en-
titled to the use and enjoyment of what
God has created and of what is gained
by the general growth and in.-
| provcment of the community OF
which they are a part Therefore, no
one should be permitted to hold natural
opportunities without a fair return
to all for any special privilege thus ac-
corded to him, and that value which the
growth and improvement OF the COM
munity attaches to land should be taken
for the use of the community.
We hold that each man is entitled to
all that his labor produces. Therefore
no tax should be levied on the products
| of labor
To carry out these principles we are in
favor of raising all public revenues for
National, State, county and municipal
purposes by single tax upon land VAL
ues, irrespective of improvements, and
of the abolition of all forms of direct
and indirect taxation.
Since in all our States we now levy
some tax on the value OF land. the sim
gle tax can be instituted by the simple
| and easy way of abolishing, one after
another. all other taxes now Levied, and
commensurately increasing the tax on
land values, until we draw upon that
one source for all expenses of govern
ment, the revenue being divided be-
tween local governments, State govern
mcnts and the general government, as
the revenue from direct taxes is now
divided between the local and State
| governments, or, a direct assessment
being made by the general govern
ment upon the States and paid by
them from revenues collected in this
| manner.
The single tax we propose is not a
| tax on land. and therefore would not
fall on the use of land and become tax
on labor.
1t is tax, not on land, but on the
value of land. Thus it would not fall
on all land, but only on valuable land,
and on that not in proportion to its val
ue-the premium which the user of land
must pay to tho owner, either in pur-
chase money or rents for permission to
use valuable land. 1t would thus be a
tax not on the use or improvement of
land, but upon the ownership of land,
taking what would otherwise 60 to the
owner as owner, and not as user.
In assessments under the single tax
all values created by individual use or
improvement would be excluded, and
the only value taken into consideration
would be the value attaching to the bare
land by reason of neighborhood, etc,
to be determined by impartial pcriodi-
cal assessments. Thus the farmer would
have no more taxes to pay than the
speculator who held similar piece OF
land idle, and the man who on a city lot
erected valuable build would be
taxed no more than the man who held q
similar lot vacant
The single tax, in short, would call
upon men to contribute to the public
revenues, not in proportion to what
they produce or accumulate, but in pro-
portion to the value of the natural op-
portnnities they hold. 1t would compel
them to pay just as much for holding
land idle as for putting it to its fullest
use.
The single tax therefore. would
l.. Take the weight of taxation off of
the agricultural districts where land
has little or no value irrespective of i'm
provements, and put it on towns and
cities where bare land rises to a value of
millions of dollars per acre.
9. Dispense with multiplicity OF
taxes and horde of taxgatherers, SIM
plify government and greatly reduce its
cost.
8. Do away with the fraud, corruption
and gross inequality inseparable from
our present methods of taxation, which
allow the rich to escape while they
grind the poor. Land can not bo hid or
carried off, and its value can be ascer-
tanned with greater case and certainty
than any other.
4. Give us. with all the world as per-
feet freedom of trade as now exists be-
tween the States of the Union, thus en-
abling our people to share, through free
exchanges, in all the advantages which
nature has given to other countries, OF
which the peculiar skill of other people
has enabled them to attain. 1t would
destroy the trusts, monopolies and cor
ruptions which are the outgrowths o.
the tariff 1t would do away with the
fines and penalties now levied on any
one who imErovesa farm. erects house
builds machine, or in any way adds K
the general stock of wealth. 1t would
leave every one free to apply labor o.
expcnd capital in production or exchange
without fine or restriction, and would
leave to each the full product of his ex
crtion.
5. 1t would, on the other hand, b,
taking for public use that value which
attaches to land by reason of the growtl
and improvement of the community
make the holding Of land unprofitabl'
to the mere owner, and profitable onl,
to the user 1t would thus make it i'm