Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-06-19
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
SINGLE TAX IN ARKANSAS.
The Doctrine New to the Masses of the
People in That Stote.

| minds, when the idea is first presented
to them. rebel and repudiate it, and
something like the following colloquy
ensueS:
What" he says, ''are you going to
| take the taxes off A, the banker. who is
worth a million of dollars in money, and
! let him contribute nothing toward the
support of the government?'
Exactly So"
''Off BIS improvements, consisting of a
/ building worth $40, 900, and let them
+ go untaXed?'
ITO 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 governments"
! 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
dastry."
''Well. it is manifest the fools conrin-
ue to multiply in the land"
But, my friend, let me ask you 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?'
Il 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 not
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. 3, the
owner of the improvement, adds the
taxes upon his $40, 900 to the rent, the
renter adds it to the price of his mer-
chandise or manufactured products,
and the consumer pays il. 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
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 =
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 no: 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
eminent For it takes as much food to
feed a 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.
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 a per capita 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.
''Now, these classes embrace about |
four-fifths of the people. Do you think |
system which imposes four-ffths 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 a 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 imbered lands and all mining
lands are being bought up by capitalists
and held out of use, and the rising gen
Grafton. four-ffths of whom beg;3 lifa
with nothing but their two hands and
their brains with which to make q liv-
ing, are driven to the swamps, the
mountains and the most worthless, des
olate and remote parts of earth for
opportunities upon which to employ
their physical and mental powers
in the struggle of life: are driven,
moseover, 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 of
numbers, thousands must fail to get po-
sitions and of necessity become idle
tramps and beggars. And, what is
worse want, aggravated by the display
of millions of wealth in the hands of the
few, sufficient to supply all human
needs, takes away the spirit and pride of
the masses, and they become desperate,
while great capitalists take advantage
of their necessities in all the industries
to build up great fortunes upon their la
Dor a starvation wages.
''If you see this, do you not see thatsit
is through this destitute and hapless
condition that they become degraded
and commit crimes for which they are |
punished by the laws, when the real
parties deserving the punishment are
the land holders-the great monopoly
created by combination between cap
ital and landlordisn?
Now, word more as to the remedy