Iron County register., 1891-04-30
The Decadence of the Roman Empire.

The idea of absolute individual prop
erty in land, which modern civilization
derived from Rome, reached it's full de-
velopment there in historic times
When the future mistress of the world
first looms up. each citizen had his
little homestead plot, which was in
aliena BILE, and the general domain
the corn-land which was of public
right'-was subject to common use,
doubtless under regulations or customs
which secured equality. as in the Teu-
tonic mark and Swiss allmend. 1t was
from this public domain, constantly ex-
tended by conquest. that the patrician
families succeeded in carving their
great estates. These great estates by
the power with which the great at
tracts the less, in spite of temporary
checks by legal limitation and recur-
ring divisions. finally crushed out all
the small proprietors, adding their lit
tie patrimonies to the latifundia of the
enormously rich, while they themselves
were forced into the slave gangs, be-
came rent-paying colonii. or else
were driven into the freshly conquered
foreign provinces, where land was given
to the veterans of the legions: or to the
metropolis, to swell the ranks of the
proletariat who had nothing to sell but
their votes.-Progress and Poverty.
Philadelphia Record on the Single Tax.
The Philadelphia Record says that
"Henry Georges single tax ideas have
taken strong hold upon the minds OF
those who give attention to economic
discussion. The Record made declar-
alton a week or two ago that mo mat
ter how taxes may be collected, load
is thereby laid on the back of thrift and
industry" whereupon, perhaps doz-
en- ready and forcible writers" sent in
communications to the editor, telling
him of tax which would have exactly
the opposite effect. Evidently an inn
preston has been made, for the Record
says it goes half way with the single
takers in believing that land
is the best basis of taxation;'' but lit
does not believe the single tax [presum-
ably in the full acceptance of the term
would be either feasible or desirable
reform" The Record regrets that it
has not room for one-tenth part of the
literature on the subject which cores
pondents are anxious to have printed,
which means that the Record does not
desire either to continue the discussion
or examine into the matter. We are
sorry.for the Record. Meantime,
however, it is striking giant blows for
free trade, under the guise of tariff re-
form, which will do for the present
The Natural Source of Revenue.
In rude tate of society where there
is no need for common expenditure,
there is no value attaching TO land. The
only value which attaches there is to
things produced by labor. But as civil
ization goes on, as a division of labor
takes place, as men come into centers,
SO do the common wants increase, and
so does the necessity for public revenue
arise. And SO on in that value which
attaches to land, not by reason of any
thing which the individual does, but by
reason of the growth of the commu-
nifty, is provision int-nded-we may
safely say intended-to yoeet that social
want.
THE duke of Bedford, who died recent
1y. owned 11S acres of land in the very
heart of London, and over 156 square
miles, or 100, 900 acres of agricultural
lands. His income from both sources
was said to be over 81, 200, 900 year.
On his London estates his tenants had
erected some 80 600 buildings of every
description, and a large number of
these had, by expiration of leases. be-
come the property of the duke. Sc that |
he was probably the largest house own |
er in England. The famous Covent |
Garden market was on the dukes prop
erty, and the ownership of this carried |
with it the right to levy tolls on every
cart approaching within quarter of |
mile of the market, as well as the pro-
duee sold in the market From these |
tolls he derived an income of over $780, |
900 a year. As a man he. was reserved |
and eccentric, and took no part in pub |
lie affairs The man who succeeds him,
the present Lord Travistock, is not |
much better The old duke did as
much to make landlordism odious as
probably any land owner in the world.
He was rapacious and grasping to the
last degree, and took every advantage
that law allowed him to take; but,
while his tenants suffered, the com
at large have gained in havirx
so conspicuous q bad example al