The Louisiana Democrat., 1890-06-25
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
SINGLE TAX IN ARKANSAS.

SlN1LC IAN tS ANNAlNOAS'
The Doctrine New to the Masses Of tbs
People in That State.
The propagation ., single tax ideas In
the State of Ar s.nsas is necessarily
slow, for the doctrine is new to the mass
of our people and tbs most liberal
minds, when the idea is first presented
to them, rebel and repudiate it, and
some thing like the following colloquy
ensues:
"What, he says, "are you going to
take the taxes off A, the banker, who is
worth q million of dollars in money, and
let him contribute nothing toward the
support of the governments"
Exactly So"
'Of BIS Improvements, consisting of a
building worth $4,000, and let them
go untaxed?"
''To be sure"
''And off the goods of c, the great mer-
chant, whose annual sales amount to
more than million dollars?"
''That's just what we intend"
''Then how are you going to support
the government"
''Take by way of taxation the rental
value of all lands improved OF unim-
proved, wherever situated, and thus re-
move the fettors from human in
dustry."
SWELL, it is manifest the fools contin-
ue to multiply in the land"
,,y fr;opI LOT ,,,a oc1y 1p,, a
question or two. How much tax does A,
the banker, pay on his million of dollars.
Or B on his forty thousand dollar build
ing, or C on his million of merchandise
sold?'
81 can not say; of course, he pays his
regular rates, his equal proportion with
all other property"
"Well, can tell you just what each
and all of them pay. They pay just
nothing at all, but make a profit in their
business by this taxation"
"Why, what do you mean? | do nNt
understand you"
"a, the banker, adds the taxes to his
fees, percentage and emoluments, and
the customer pays it and adds it to his
charge for the services or productions of
his own trade, profession or business,
and the consumer finally pays it. B, the
owner of the improvement adds the
taxes upon his $4,000 to the rent, the
renter adds it to the price of his mer-
chandise or manufactured products,
and the consumer pays it. c, the mer-
chant adds the taxes he pays to the
price of his goods, and the consumer
pays it; and so with every other indus
trial operation. The farmer must get a
price from the consumer for his wheat,
rye, oats, cotton, stock, vegetables and
fruit sufficient to cover all costs and ex-
penses of their production, including all
taxes, or he must ultimately fail and
break up. There is not a producer OF
any thing that enters into the supply of
human wants but must have price for
the article produced which will cover
the cost OF production and all taxes on
production, and the consumer must pay
it. This is a fundamental law of all
production. all industry, all business.
But more than this, the consumer pays
to all the industrial classes referred to a
profit on all the taxes so advanced; SO
you see that all the taxation under the
present system rests upon the consumer.
There is no class except the laborer for
hire that does not Shift all the taxes it
pays on to the consumer.
"Now, who are the consumers?" They
are the people Of all classes, rich and
poor. But the poor man consumes as
much as the rich man, and therefore
pays as much taxes to support the Gov.
ernment, For it takes as much food 10
feed poor man as rich one; as much
clothing and fuel to keep him warm; as
much medicine to cure him when sick;
as much whisky to make him drunk.
His fare on the railroad and his tickets
to tho theater cost the same. So you
see my friend, the taxes by which Gov
ernment is supported under the present
system is essentially per capita tax,
all wealth, all property, except the
small amount that belongs to the in.
dustrial classcs-the laborer for hire
classes who live by their personal ser.
vices, is practically exempt from taxa
tion.
''Now, these classes embrace about
four-fifths of the people. Do you think
system which imposes four-f1ths Of
the burdens of society upon the poor be-
cause the poor constitute four-fifths OF
the population, is an honest or just
system? Is system just which COM
pels poor widow with five children to
pay more toward the support of govern.
ment than the miser with his millions?
"But, my friend, this is not the worst
of it. Don't you see that under the
power given by land laws to capi-
talists to convert their capital into
lands without limit all the best soils,
the best tim bered lands and all mining
lands are being bought up by capitalists
and held out of use, and the rising gen
Grafton, four-hfths OF whom began life
| with nothing but their two hands and
their brains with which to make liv.
ing, are driven to the swamps, the
mountains and the most worthless, des
olate and remote parts of earth fol
opportunities upon which to employ
their physical and mental powers
in the struggle of life; are driven
moreover, into the great cities and
centers of wealth to obtain employ
ment by hire to the rich for wages
where, on account of the competition O.
numbers, thousands must fail to get po
sitions and of necessity become idle
tramps and beggars. And, what il
worse, want, aggravated by the displa.
of millions OF wealth in the hands Of tn,
few, sufficient to supply all human