Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-01-29
PLATFORM,

of what God has created and OF
what ia gained by the general
growth and improvement of the
community of which they are a
part. Therefore, no one should be
permitted to hold natural oppor-
tunities without a fair return to all
for shy special privilege thus &C
corded to him, and that value
which the growth and improve
ment of the community attach to
land should be taken for the use of
the community.
We hold that each man is emit.
tied to all that his labor produces.
Therefore no tax should be levied
on the products of labor.
To carry out these principles we
are in favor of raising all public
revenues for national, state, county
and municipal purposes by a single
tax upon land values, irrespective
of improvements, and of the aboli-
ton of all forms of direct and in
direct taxation.
Since in all our states we now
levy some tax on the value OF land,
the single tax can be instituted by
the simple and easy way of abolish
ing one after another all other taxes
now levied, and commensurately
increasing the tax on land values,
until we draw upon that one source
for all expenses of government, the
revenue being divided between
local governments, state govern
ments and the general government,
as the revenue from direct taxes is
now divided between the
local and state governments or, a
direct assessment being made by
the general government upon the
states and paid by them from
revenues collected in this manner.
The single tax we propose is
not a tax on land, and therefore
would not fall on the use of land
and become a tax on labor.
It is a tax, not on land, but on
the value of land. Thus it would
not fall on all land, but only on
valuable land, and On that not in
proportion to the use made of it,
but in proportion to its value-the
premium which the user of land
must pay to the owner, either in
purchase money or rent, for per
mission to use valuable land. Il
would thus be a tax, not on the use
or improvement of land, but on the
ownership of land, taking what
would otherwise 60 to the owner as
owner, and not as user.
In assessments under the single
tax all values created by individ'
ual use or improvement would be
excluded, and the only value taken
into consideration would be the
value attaching to the bare land BY
reason of neighborhood, ETC., to be
determined by impartial periodical
assessments. Thus the farmer
would have no more taxes to pay
than the Spectator who held {
similar piece of land idle, and thu
man who on a city lot erected
valuable building would be taxed
no more than the man who held
similar lot vacant.
The single tax, in short, woule
call upon men to contribute to thu
public revenues, not in proportion
to what they produce OIL accumu
late, but in proportion to the value
of the natural opportunities they
hold. 1t would compel them t.
pay just as much for holding lane
idle as for putting it to its fulles
use.
The single tax, therefore, would
l.. Take the weight of taxation
off of the agricultural districts
where land has little or no yalu,
irrespective of improvements, ant
put it on towns and cities wher,
bare land rises to value of millionl
of dollars per acre.
2. Dispense with a multiplicity
Of taxes and a horde of taxgather
} ers, simplify government ant
greatly reduce its cost.
:, 8 Do away with the fraud
corruption and gross inequa.it,
inseparable from our presen
methods of taxation, which allos
the rich to escape while they CRIME
the poor. Land cannot be hid O.
carried off, and its value can b.
sscertained with greater ease ant
certainty than any other.
Il 4. Give us with all the worlt
as perfect freedom of trade a nov
exists between the states of ou
Union, thus enabling our people t
share, through free exchanges
in all the advantages which natur,
has given to other countries, OF
which the peculiar skill of othe,
peoples has enabled them to attain
1t would destroy the trusts, mo.
nopolies and eorruptions and which
are the outgrowth of the tariff. I,
would do away with the fines ano
penalties now levied on anyone
who improves a farm, erects q
house, builds a machine, or in any
way adds to the general stock Of
wealth. It would leave everyone
tree to apply labor or expend CAPT.
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