The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1890-08-23
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
SINGLE TAX IN ARKANSAS.

Doctrine
People In That state.
| The propagation OF single tax ideas IN
the State Of Ar.Nnsas is necessarily
slow. for the doctrine is new to the mass
of our people and the most liberal
| minds. when the Idea is first presented
to them, rebel ard repudiate 1t, and
something like the following colloquy
ensues:
"What," he says, ARE you going to
take the taxes off A, the banker, who Is
worth million of dollars in money. ana
let him contribute nothing toward the
support of the government"
Exactly So"
''Off BIS improvements, consisting OF
building worth $4,000, and let them
go untaxed?"
s"ro be sure"
''And of the goods Of c, the great mer-
chant. whose annual sales amount to
more than a million dollars?"
'sThat's just what we intend"
'sThen how are you going to support
the government"
"Take by way Of taxation the rental
value of all lands improved or unim-
proved, wherever situated, and thus re-
move the letters from human in
dustry."
swell, it is manifest the fools contin-
ne to multiply in the land"
''But, my friend, let me ask you .
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 on his million OF merchandise
sold?'
II 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 profit in their
business by this taxation"
"Why, what do you mean? ] do ut
understand you"
"a, the banker, adds the taxes to his
fees, percentage and emoluments, and
the customer pays it and adds 1t to his
charge for the services or productions OF
his own trade, profession or business,
and the consumer finally pays 1t. B, the
owner of the Improvements. adds the
taxes upon his $40, COO to the rent, the
renter adds it to the price of his mer-
chandise or manufactured products,
and the consumer pays 1t. 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
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 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
1t. This Is fundamental law of all
production, all industry, all business.
But more than this, the consumer pays
to all the industrial classes referred to .
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.
Nov, 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
eminent. For 1t takes as much food TO
feed poor man as rich one; as much
clofh;r,c nj froy A., boox, h;xn xvo~-, a.
much medicine to cure him when sick;
as much whisky to make him drunk.
His fare on the railroad and his tickets
to the theater cost the same. So you
see, my friend, the taxes by which Gov
eminent is supported nnder the present
system is essentially per capite tax,
all wealth, all property, except the
small amount that belongs to the In
dustrial classes-the laborer for hire
classes who live by their personal SER
vices, is practically exempt from taxa
ton.
'sNow, these classes embrace about
four-ffths of the people. Do you think
system which imposes four-ftths Of
the burdens OF society upon the poor be-
cause the poor constitute four-ffths 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 capt.
talists to convert their capital into
lands without limit all the best soils,
the best timbered lands and all mining
lands are being bought up by capitalists
and held out of use, and the rising gen.
Grafton, four-fifths 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 for