The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-11-11

our critics ask, that man who has put
his honest earnings into land, should
have it confscated? What better than
robbery is that--and the virtuous critic
gives lis whitening look of outraged
honesty, which In the eyes OF the nm. :.
thinking is equivalent to annihilation.
President Walker and Prof. Clarke, OF
Smith college. are prominent in this
role. AS truth crushed to earth will rise
again, we come up smiling, to ask who
is doing the confscationP What does
the single tax propose to take? Sim
ply the economic rent or annual value
which the growth of the community
has given to the land Taking for the
benefit of the people value which
they alone have made, is justice, NOS
confscation. s
Our proposition is to puta stop to tho
present confscation, and to rescue
from private appropriation what
belongs to the public. II compen,
sation is to be made, II
should be from him who appropriated
to MIN who is desl oiled, not the re- /,
verse And one would think that even
preJidents nnc professors OF colleges
observing the crowded and unwhole-
some conditions Of city life-the slums
wherein the wcrkingmen and women
are forced to dwell, where anguish
drives thousands to the oblivion OF
drink, and prostitution claims its sub
jects fro.u.a starving class-wouid
sometimes ask themselves what COM
pensation is possible for these victims
which society that arrogates to ITSELF
the name OF Christian, offers up on the
altar of land monopoly.
Emerson understood the true method
when the stakeholder called for COM
| pensation- fsf.,.
| :. Pay ransom to the owner. = ,.-.e-.-4a..,-..,
| And fill the bag to the brim.
| Who Is the ownerf The Slave 10 owner,
And ever was. Pay him. ,ff.ssS+
To me, as well as to many others,
the lessening of poverty and the raising
of wages, which the single tax prom
ises, was IN unwarrantable prophecy,
and in my letter Of sympathy to Mr.
| George I said II do not believe that
your plan is the panacea of poverty. )"
"Nor l." he replied, ''but ! am sure
freedom is'' Since then my faith has
grown and is growing In the efficacy OF
this measure with the fiscal name. 1t
is the handmade OF freedom aud must
unlock the bars and bolts.
| Voluntary poverty which results
from willful disobedience we have no
concern with, although with altered
conditions and higher standards OF liv-
ing that too must wane. But self-de-
gradation. as sad as it is, is not the
sight that wrings our souls. The sensu.
alist and idler may be safely left to the
natural punishment which accompanies
transgression. ''As close as sin and
suffering Joined, is the descriptive line
Of Whittier. It is the involuntary and
enforced misery that Is so dreadful,
man suffering at the hands OF his
brother.
The wonderful increase OF material
wealth, which fairly distributed would
make want almost disappear, the
swollen and stolen fortunes, side by
side with the sweatshops and beggars,
the carnival Of luxury and the discon-
tent of labor, all indicate the dangers
which threaten the republic and which
we would avert We urge mo- arbitrary
remedy, but make the safe and modcr.
ate demand conveyed in Emerson's
wise words, "Give no bounties, make
equal laws, secure life and property,
and you need not give aims. Open the
doors of opportunity to, talent and
virtue and they will do themselves JUS
tice. and property will not be in bad
hands y, -. = s.-.-.- .ss--S- rs