Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-06-04
ICOMMUNICATEDl.
The Single Tax.

Il,
During the weeks that lmyc
been looking oyer the columns ofyour paper
] have seen nothing that III amy way has
touched upon oac Of the imp )rtalt m we
mcnts of the day This may arise from the
fact that your readers are not lntc rested IN
il. and Won do not--as no e ditor docs-cart
to spread before your constituents topics that
prove rnpalatabIc.
Perhaps, sir, their lack Of appetite for a
certain line OF mental strain comes from their
lack Of familiarity with its great VIII olesomc'
ness. They d. not know the benefits OBJ
tanaDic through 1t. Many years ago that
admirable c>culcnt, the tomato, was merely
curiosity ct the garden, and no one thought
ufca,ins it. The taste had to be cultivated,
As it was then termed. But now, the public
having learned the large amount of whole
some fool contained in the lnmlto, ii has
become one Of the first necessities of our
summer fool
am sure it would be the same with the
mental food supplied through the single tax
literature, your readers once got to under
STAND the great hen fit that it aims to convey
to the body corporate,
What then is The Single Tax movcmen,
\ few of your readers may know nothing
about it. Perhaps you will give me space
to try and intcrcs, them on the answer to
tins question.
The Single Tax movement is AN effort
lIa. has been slowly formulating the last
seven years. Beginning, IN this country
with what is known by some rs the "Hcnry
George movement il had its rise in the re-
markablc book written by him on Progress
and Poverty. 1t has no political app c.tion
aid is neither connected with, nor owned by
any party IN politics 1t is purely for the
people ut large, and can neTer come into OPP
Grafton bat by the people unitcdly.
Its one great purpose is to relieve the ter
rihle oppression that now grnds down the
millions OF working people, and to give them
opportunities ior self dclyerance II does
not seek to interfere with the functions of
either government or people; only to break
up the present legaIzed systems of tyranny,
operative upon both of them and injurious
to both, 1t proposes to do nothing; simply
to undo the gigantic errors that have forged
the manaclcs tying the poor from the oppor
| tunlics for their bcttermcnt. 1t desires to
open TO every nan far and perfectly equol
opportunity to gain bettcrmcnt, through
an equal share III the benefits that the
! Creator designed for all.
Undcr the present condition of things year
by year the absorption of wealth by few is
paralicled by the enormous increase of the
number of paupcrs. r. milonaires of this
de alc will become the billionailcs OF the
next. The laboring classes of this decade.
Of whom one-twentieth part are without Sc
cure work or food, the next decade Will show
onc-tiftecn,h part in that condition. The
rich are growing richer and the poor grow
| ing poorer year ny year.
No one questions this fact, who thinks or
reads; and because of this we find political
parties trying to tinker the troubles. Tariffs
and protection, and taxes and subsidy are
the favorite nostrnms with politicians; while
socialism and agrarlanism, Co operation and
trades union, are the pet schemes of aboring
classes. All aiming at The same point, IN
the death struggle between capital and labor,
opportunity for self dclverance, gam and
! hcttcrmcnt.
Not wishing to weary your readers, .l15
sketch Of the need for and the purpose Of the
! Single Tax movement may suffice. II you
glye me permission | will in another COM
munlCation go on to show It's methods.
w.