Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-05-09
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
THE SINGLE TAX BEFORE THE
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.

ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
Letter Of Warren Worth Bailey in The
Standard.
The expediency of adopting the single
tax will be investigated by a committee
of the Illinois legislature. This much
we are sure of as the result of our trip
to Springfield ON Tuesday, when the
question of appointing special com
mittee to inquire into the subject was
set for n hearing in the house. Our
club sent a delegation of five, consisting
of Messrs. John II. White, Edward Os-
good Brown. Herbert Darlington, Frank
w. Irwin and w. w. Bailey. Several
get away. The single tax delegation
was reinforced by Mr.. John c. Harding,
president of the Illinois Federation of
Labor, the whole crowd going down
Monday night on the Legislative train
from this city. At Springfield they were
joined by Messrs. Hill and Buchner, of
the Peoria club, and a number of the
local friends, who treated the visitors
very kindly during their short stay.
The resolution calling for the appoint
ment of the desired committee was in
Iroduced by Hon. John T. Noteworthy.
editor of the Carmi Partisan, and the
matter was in his hands. He had sue
ceeded in having it made a special order
and it was arranged that the house
should go into committee of the whole
for its consideration. This was done
Immediately after the reading of the
journal, on Mr.. Norsworthy's motion,
the republicans voting solidly against it,
as they did when the questson was on
the adoption of the resolution itself.
Va1uab BILE assistance was lent to Mr..
Noteworthy by Representatives May
and O'Donnell of Cook and Gehr of
Peoria, and Speaker Crafts was obvi-
ously inclined in our favor. When the
house went into committee of the whole
Representative Craig was called to the
chair, and then we were invited to ad-
dress the house in behalf of the matter
under consideration.
John u. White was the first speaker.
When he began his argument I noticed
that at least third of the members
were engaged in anything but listening.
Some OF them were reading, others
were writing, still others were chatting
with neighbors or moving about the
chamber. But-Mr. Whites first SEN
tences and the voice in which he de-
livered them, very quickly commanded
aLLeuLlOu. EctltlSlhcA VIM ">AS
looking over their mail laid it aside,
newspapers were folded up, writing
was suspended and conversations We're
stopped abruptly. The faces of the
scornful took on first a look of curiosity
and then one of thoughtful interest. In
little while nearly the whole body
was intently listening, and particular
ly observed that none were more abb
sorbed in following Mr.. White than the
legislators who wore upon them the air
of the farm.
Mr. White in opening his remarks ex-
planned that we were not there to ad-
vocate the single tax, but to ask the aP-
pointment of n committee to lnvestl-
gate and report the facts from 'Eh1ch
might be drawn a conclusion as to this
merit of the single tax system as COM
pared with the present. Chicago's val
uaton. Mr.. White declared, four years
after the fire was $500, 600. 900, in 1854
S2o3, 600, 600, and last year 500, 900, 600.
This, the speaker maintained, would
indicate that Chicago was growing
steadily poorer. something that was
manifestlv absurd. 1t was patent that
the wealthy of this city were escaping
ta Xation for obvious reasons. If per-
son went into any of the large houses
and tried to justly levy an assessment
the word of the owner or his hirclings
was all that could be secured. 1t was
different with the farmer. HIS proper
ty could not be sccrctcd and all his
neigh bors were taxed with some show
of fairness Mr.. White showed in the
local valuation in the six most populous
counties in the state, Cook, Peoria, st.
Clair. Kane, Mclean and Adams, that
but II per cent. was personally, where
as in the six least populous the person
atty amounted to 20 per cent. MIR.
White contended that the repeal of the
personally taxes would relieve six
rural counties of 60 per cent and six
urban counties of but Is per cent. of
their present burdens. The single tax
advocates would also like to have the
committee of investigation report in IA
vor of local option in the matter of tax
alton. allowing each town to raise rev.
enue for its own expenses in such man
ner as might be deemed best. With
this much accomplished the single
takers would undertake to secure trial
of their plans, ana in this way demon
stratc their truth or fallacy. He cited
two citics-Aurora and Elgin-by way
of illustrations and held that if the for
mcr adhcrcs to the present system and
| the latter relieves all industries of pub
| lie burdens Elgin would be preferred
by manufacturers. IF this is true,
inquired Mr. White in conclusion. lis 1t
not an admission that the present sys-
| TEN is hindrance to production, and
| that our proposed system would encour'
| age manufactures to the same extent?
Do you wish to encourage or retard
the development of the various en-
| terprises in which our citizens are en-
| gaged?"
Mr.. White was followed by President
Harding. on behalf of the Federation OF
Labor. which. after full discussion,
| had asked for the special committee,
| not because it was prepared to accept
| the single tax but because it was ready