Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-08-30
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
A scorcHMAN.s VIEW.

|
In our articles on the single tax and
Its effects we have taken up seriatum
nearly all the effects that would result
directly from the conhscatioD OF rent tC
the common exchequer. These effect:
would have been mostly economic, and
have been deduced from generally nd
mitted economic laws. But beyond
these economic effects there are moral
and social effects resulting from the
economic conditions to which the i'm
position OF the single tax would give
rise. For tho opening up OF natural OPP
portunities to labor and capital, and the
taking from of the shoulders OF industry
tho burden which Mt present weighs up
on 1t would make it possible for every
man to make an honest living by his
labor. This would do away with the
army Of tramps and beggars and other
parasites Of society which arc the prod
uct Of the unequal distribution Of
wealth. 1t would eliminate forever the
unemployed and tho criminal classes
who are recruited from the unemployed.
Such things as prisons and reformator-
les would be unnecessary. This civil
law would BIO greatly simplifed for dis
putes would be fewer, and would DO
more easily settled. In short, 1t would
do away altogether with government, at
least as repressive agency, and this
simplification and curtailing Of the func-
tons OF government would make it capa-
BILE OF assuming certain other functions
which at present it can not successfully
undertake. These are tho running Of
railways, the transmission OF telegraphs,
and the maintaining and controlling Of
many other things which in their nature
are monopolies. Tho great increase Of
material prosperity would tend to the
increase OF rent which could be used for
the common benefit, and which would
enable us to establish baths, Libraries,
museums, halls, theaters, gardens, etc.
Water, gas, electricity and other motive
powers might be conducted through our
streets at the public expense, and these
same streets might be lined with trees,
as is the case with many cities on the
continent, notably Paris.
To put it shortly, Government would
not be Us at present an expensive and
almost useless burden, but would simply
become the instrument whereby the
public property would DO administered
for the benefit Of every individual.
Now, to the man who has been reared
amidst the present chaos and confusion,
all this foretaste OF what might be seems
only like the vague and impracticable
vision Of an imaginative dreamer, but |
all the great things and all the good
things that we have achieved were at |
one time but visions in the brains OF |
those who conceived them. And il we
but consider for moment the change |
that would be wrought in social life il |
labor received its full reward, we shall |
come, / think, to the conclusion that |
perhaps after all such visions may be
possible of realization. and such dreams
may indeed come true. Want, and the
fear of want, as factor in human life,
would be eliminated And this is the
that would work the change;
for poverty, as Carlyle says, is the hell
Of which the modern Englishman is
most afraid. 1t is poverty and the fear
Of poverty, and the struggle to keep out
Of it, that makes civilization such q
mass Of evil. It is but natural that men
should strive to keep themselves and
those dependent upon them from falling
into this terrible abyss. And it is this
to rise above the fear of poverty
k1,ok olrao Ia a1nH Oh |
and renders them Indifferent as to
they trample their neighbors
underfoot.
1t is this continual struggle to raise
themselves above the fear of want that
makes men admire the rich and the for
tunate, and that causes the struggle for
existence to become even fiercer and
more fierce, and it Is now becoming evil
dent to the mass OF mankind that unless
they 60 to the root OF the evil and
destroy it, the more hercely they strive
the worse 1t will be for their children
who are to come after them. But give
labor free field, choke off the dog in
the manger that stands between man
md the bounty of his Maker, and let la
Dor have its full reward. Take and use
Tor the benefit of the whole community
hat value which the preference Of the
community creates, and production be-
ng set free would enormously increase,
he margin Of cultivation would rise to
Is natural level, and men would not re-
luire to worry about finding employ
nent, any more than they worry about
hiding air to breathe; the worship Of !.
wealth would become thing Of the :
,ast, and the man who strove to get
more than he required would be looked
lpon with something like commissera- :
ion and pity. 1t is unnecessary to en- :
arge. Any one with the requisite mag
nation can fill in the picture and con-
Give for himself the vice that would be !
tayed, the sorrow that would be soothed, :
q A. L i