The Colfax chronicle., 1890-10-04

mental movement OF the rectificatiOn
social conditions and the abolition {
unwilling poverty by any other in hi
tory, as conservative or considerate Z
: merciful. 1t imposes no burden of
hairs weight. Its one function is to Il
move burdens that now press down h,
} manity which stoops beneath the load
Desirable though it would be to hav
! the reform immediate and uncondltion
al, the nature Of the case forbids it. Tn
, result has to be reached through serie
J OF steps slow and tentative. To use tn
J familiar simile, the present tax systen
Is a pyramid. At the base is the Ian,
tax, which is never escaped, and is pait
by the landlord who has no power {,
shift it. Above that is placed the tar
on houses and personal property. The
houses can not escape, and generally
the tax can he shifted to the tenant
Personal property can largely escape,
especially If held by rich people. But
the poor map, like the farmer, who can
not hide his cow, or horse, or plow, paws
the full tax. The widow and orphan
are fully taxed. Then we are down "a
personal property and houses. The
manifest difficulty and injustice of tax,
ing the first would soon exempt il. and
we should reach the goal of Mr.. Wellg
and Mr.. Atkinson-the taxation of re sl
! estate alone, houses and land.
, With the field cleared to this point we
could make apparent the wrongfulnsss
OF taxing houses. Why should me1
who confer upon the community the
boon OF stores and dwellings be fined for
1t? That will not encourage them ia
build more and make rents cheaper. II
VIII have contrary effect. Tho wage
Garner will pay more of his scant earn
ings, tenement houses increase, and sep
arate homes be harder to obtain. The
only excuse that can be given for taxina
buildings is that they can not run away
from the assessors, but the taY
can make wealth run away. Al
last we reach our ideal tax on the
land. Gradually the burden has been
adjusted Year by year it has been
withdrawn from one thing after another
and concentrated upon the rest, until at
last 1t settles upon the earth, where il
belongs, and vanishes into the ground.
Wealth, no longer discouraged and
increases marvelously. Ex-
change free and unhampered, the
equitable distribution of the product
OF name labor cheers and en- |
courages the worker. The open field
Tor self-employment raises wages from
the bottom and makes life easier and
better. No cunning law permits one to 1
akeaway the fruits of other industry and
'elfdenial The sacred right of property is
'espected because it grows out of the
light OF man to himself No mete on
'ound is set to its accumulation for the
eason that there can not be two much
wealth, and with no partial laws to di.
'ert its natural flow. it would settle
Vhere 1t should. Excepting the physi.
ally incompetent, those who remair
oor will deserve their condition, but i,
'ouid be self-imposed by idlencss or vice
nd susceptible of self-cure But en-. ,
orced idleness would be impossible.
he land has broad back and feels no
TX. However much is put upon it-and
0 more would be SO placed than the I
needed and would cheerfully .
ay-it could not be transferred to la
Or. The tax which diminishes property !
IN not diminish land by an inch. In. i
cad OF making it hard to get, lhnd q
ould come tempting men to use it,witb
10 assured guarantee that they NAV
Ither their full product unmolested 6
I'd unplundered.
Only one condition must be exacted.
loose what spot you will, as much as
'ur use requires, be it more or less, and : :
y Tor the privilege what it is worth to n n
u and no more, gauged by what others Il
III readily pay for it. Hesitate not to u
'prove 1t. Heap up all possible pro- n, ~
ce from 1t, whether in grain or goods.
warehouse or in buildings, for othersi
Q. No finger but your own will ever "a 7,
btract penny from it. You made it. 20
1t is yours against the world. Not
extra cent will be levied upon YOU 10 10
cause OF your improvements. If IA of
'ufd happen that, through increase OF in
puiation and consequent rise in site In
ue OF the land you occupy, it shall bq
rth more for some different purpose. an
one can take it from you unless ho tel
nunerates you for your improvements +,
plenty of land suitable to your oc inn
'ation awaits you. Above all things bu
n tenure, as long as you pay rental, G%eI %
IL be as secure as any title of owner d"l IJ
now gives you.
he basis OF the scheme is justice. Ne -
gets an unfair advantage. If Jor 1e q,
, Marsh g. Co. desire to hold their
pred corner, they are at liberty to do 7
y paying the single land tax for tho /,
'llege. Not one in the community is
nged. for the reason that they nav
people for the advantage and na ioa
ilord gets it. In short the single tax r
ne assurance of freedom. The mora ton
studies it, the more he will be able y
ppreciate this eloquent and hopeful in
rance OF Henry George: r
But 1t, while there Is vet time. wa tale
to justice and obey her, if we trus, not
rty and follow her, the dangers that rre
threaten must disappear, the force, II
now menace will turn to agencies the