The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-06-11
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
TIME TO BE PRACTICABLE.
Single Tax Will Soon Receive the After
ton of Law Makers.

the single tax for years, and whose ex-
perience in the work of spreading the
light" has been considerable, I beg the s
privilege of the columns of The Stand
ard for few remarks. In the earlier
days of the movement, before the estab-
lishment of The Standard, matters usu-
ally discussed by those to whom the
knowledge had come through reading
Social Problems" Progress and Pow
erty," etc., that there might come time
when men would as ''brothers be, f" were
always looked at in philosophical way,
more as matter of theory than OF prac-
tical, every day affairs. In my opinion
this phase of the movement has passed
away. Such has been the marvellous
advance of public opinion that the sim
gle tax will in few years receive at
tention from law makers. We are no
longer classed with cranks or associated
in the public mind with 'long haired
men and short haired women" nor do
we wish to be again. What is especially
obligatory on single tax men now is the
preparation of plans to put our tax idea |
into practical shape.
A gentleman of high position in our
tax department in Baltimore once told
me that in his opinion our present sys-
tenn of taxation was an internal out
rage" but that any attempt to improve
it would probably prove more disastrous
than the continuance of the prcSent sys-
tenn. OF course this gentleman had not
studied the single tax doctrine, or he
would not have made the latter state
ment. He was one of the many who re-
fuse to look into the single tax because
of the common impression that to be
single taxer involved necessarily oppo-
sition to private possession OF land, and
some interference with the tenure OF
land as now constituted. We who have
read The Standard and thought over the
question carefully know that this is not
so. We know also that the power to tax
is the greatest agency for the veal or
woe of people possessed by Govern
ment. All other governmental functions
sink into utter insignifcance along
side the power to tax. 1t is not too
much to say that the phrases "a just
system of taxation" and "a good govern
ment," are synonyms. Prof. R. L. Ely,
of the Johns Hopkins University, with
whose views on many economical ques-
lions I, as we'll as many other single
takers agree, says, in his problems of
To-day" published in the Baltimore
| Sun and in book form: ''The more one
reflects upon the nature and the conse-
uuences of taxation, the more profound
ly one is impressed with its far-reaching
| Importance. Taxation may create
: monopolies or it may prevent them; il
may ditfuse wealth or itmay concentrate
1 it; it may promote liberty and equality
OF rights or it may tend to the establish
ment of tyranny and despotism; it may
be used to bring about reforms in indus
trial society or it may be so laid as t.
. aggravate existing grievances ant
: foster dissension and class hate; taxa
r ton may be so contrived by the skillfu
+ hand as to give free scope to every oppor
tunity for the creation of wealth and tn
d advancement of all true interests Of tn
y city or it may be so shaped by ignora
= muses. as to place dead weight on Bal
l. timore in the race for municipal 81
d premacy on the Atlantic coast"
IS The professor in the same article lay
down a rule for taxation as follows
v "Never tax any thing that would be c
a value to your State that could and woul
or run away or that could and would com
r; to YOU"
<, To my mind a single tax on land va
Q. ues alone fulfills the requirements
Y this rule. Land values, like the poo
of we have always with us. Riches of a
k, kinds may stake wings and fly away
co but land value always sticks to tt
10 community that has created it, III
% operation of tax on buildings, as
rule, appears rather to prevent the
70 erection. Thus the community do
es not get one of the things which 'wou
D. come to it." A graduated income tax
nd popular clad" with many people, b.
IN Mark Twain long ago gave us sket'
RI of how all income can be raised or To-
cred, according to circumstances, whi'
M. sketch is worth all the arguments
mo- favor of the graduated income tax.
re Another ''fad" is the collateral inhe
40 itance tax, or succession taxes. In 81
a timore we have what is known as an
"a phan's court, which levies percenta
on all estates so unfortunate as to fl
10 into it's hands. So high are the
-. - charges that many persons dispose
W all property before death with no 9th
purpose in view than to avoid the imI
u, w sition of these taxes. Such a plan
p po avoiding succession tax would
no doubt become more popular if the tax
~ laid were heavier. l do not see HI
~ any law could be made that would che
Off this method of evasion of an inht
ns itance tax.
to- In conclusion, desire to state tt
me these remarks are not purposeless, /
ger have in view the object of drawing {
me friends on practical questions of ta,
IN ton, and, furthermore, would like
me commend to our friends the idea
vanced by my friend Mr.. Ogden. ha
int given careful consideration to it, a
nat the more l have thought about it,
ous more important it appears that we sin!
The takers should have clear cline OF
ese narration between the functions
ter. government and the domain Of priv
igs enterprise. AS far as am able to jud
lal. the strict idea of government gives
ger this Zine of demarkation. The et
will of the public highway is the limit
. it constant governmental services. Th
end are two ideas that have strong hold
IL Il -