Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-04-10
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
as 1T RlGRT7-THE ETHICS OF
THE LAND QUESTION:"

TIE IANO So6S itS'IS.
From an address deliverS sy ".
Dr.John W.kramer, before the Ma: nat |
tan Single Tax club, of New York. DIR.
Kramer said:
Land is Gods gift to the people; the
people leed it; no mans share
in = IS asked Of him, but
every one'is right TO it is as
serted; nothing else can be justice. The
simple statement would seem to show
the ethical nature of the case. But
there are complications, and the one
plan proposed to effect the result,
known as single tax on land values, is
objected to by many right-feeling per-
sons, who say that it does not seem that
it would be just to tax landholders out
of economic rent, to intercept their in
vestment in land value, after civilized
society has for long centuries encour-
aged persons to make such investment
in the conviction that it was both right
and lawful 70 do so, unless the state,
which has encouraged and protected
the investment, makes some
compensation fol: What landlords
must lose. Those who propose
the single tax have not been unmindful
of the ethical consideration belonging
to it. The lecturer can hardly hope to
present any thing here that is new, but
he may endeavor to offer what study
he can make in some original manner
which possibly may command attention
and challenge conviction.
At the outset let us be assured that
an immoral cause can not win assent
from the people and through popular
demand become lawful practice of the
state. Wealth and greed may purchase
legislation which is wrong, and party
feeling may influence legislation which
is unfair, and both of them may become
Ubiquitous in corrupting the executive
or the judiciary; but the public con-
science is not debauched, and the peo-
pie will not ask for what is thought to
be wrong. A majority of the people
may be mistaken as to the wisdom Or
unwisdom of measure, but so long as
any proposition seems unrighteous the
people will withhold approval The
single tax advocates must show that it
is both right and expedient. To the
ethics belonging to this question let US
give bold investigation.
The highest moral consideration here
attaches itself-in the abstract study
and in application of it-not to proper
ty, not to land as property, but to land
in it's primary relation to man. For con
slider: Q) all wealth is produced from
land, everything that man has coming
from it: (2) all wealth is produced by
labor; (3) land and labor are necessary
5 to mans continued existence on the
s planet. The one gift to the race, the
absolute and unconditional gift, is land
on which and from which every child o
man must live. 1t is Gods board, from
which alone the Father in Heaven give
man his daily bread. Man is befor
property IN every moral study. In MOI
ais the right to property comes to tn
III front when we find man with som,
thing in his possession produced frol
: the land; and then it appears at TIL
"a front for mans sake. All this is sal
l. because it is of first importance, an
IS needs to be referred to incidentally i
our study. And it must not be forgot
ten that the single tax is proposed TO
the suppression of an evil-that of pov
J erty. The suppression of an evil ha
Q highest rank in public morals. Proper
"a ty has been confiscated and destroyed
y life has been required Of thousands, TO
a the suppression of evils all througl
u history, and relief for man and the ad
9 vancement of the race have justified tn
= browning of those who We're not deter
~ red by considerations of property o
% life as benefactors of the world. Gu
= question is. Does the single tax Pre-
- pose to suppress an evil by means tina
are not justifable?
Taxation is for the maintenance an,
:. defense of the State, the preserver o
!, society. There has been general con
= viction that citizens should be taxed il
;. proportion to their wealth and revenue
q The whole community is protected il
IL persons and homes, and provided will
70 highways, schools and many conven
"a fences; those who acquire propert,
: have, in addition, the protection o
their property. 1t seems that ever,
one ought to pay something for the pro
lection and provision given by tn
State, unless so poor and helpless as t,
be a proper case for charitable care
Peoples probable responded to thi
moral persuasion with a good will tina
YVES provoked out of existence by learn
ing that a small class had taken unjus
advantage What was true of Athen
should have been true in every civiliza
ton where patriotism was not dead O
dying. The late Prof. Thorold Roger
has presented (En. Brit, Finance) thi
aspect of Athenian taxation: 1.-The eX
traordinary taxes on property whicl
the government levied, and which tn
contributors paid, apparently with tn
greatest readiness. Why SO? We fin'
that sit was graduated, being a heavie
per centage in the case of the richie
citizens than in that of the middl
classes AS long as the rich hole
to such a compact others pay thei
share willingly. 1t is not ST
with us. Our taxation not only violate
the canons of Adam Smith, but is ais,
unrighteous, and every moral consider
alton demands that it be amended. Tn
natural tendency of taxes on commodi
ties is to the consumer. The minorit,