Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1891-02-14
THE SlNGLE-TAX POLICY.

The New York Standard in its issue of
the 18th, under the head Of "AdvOcating
Socialism" replies to some criticisms Of
ours to the manner in which that paper
is and has been conducted. 1t says--in
reply to our statement that it continues
under its new management the policy
Of ostracsing those who do not regard
free trade and single tax as the be-all
and end.allo Of the movement-thatitdO does
not Ostracise anybody 1t simply aims
at these ends, and cannot undertake to
devote time and space to what others
may consider reforms 1t goes on to say
that free trade and the single tax are OPP
posed to paternalism in government, and
therefore to socialism AS we'll as to pro-
lection. This is simply one Of those i'm
mense assumptions which single takers
are so fond of making to excuse their in
ConsiStencies. That free trade is OPP
posed to protection goes without saying;
but wherein lies the essential opposition
between free trade and single taN-if it
is necessary to couple them-and what
the standard calls paternaii SIN in gov
eminent Could not free trade co-exist
with socialism: Why not? "PaternaI-
ism is simply one of those CatChwOrdS
which some reasoners delightto use who
attempt to meet arguments by phrases
1t may mean anything or nothing, from
State Churchism to factory legisla
ton. * TO label theproposal that
government shall control the indus
tries Of the country, beginning with
the great transportation companies and
similar natural monopolies and gradu-
ally as occasion offers extending the
sphere of its operations. ''paternal-
ism and suppose that it is thereby
effectively answer, lis as absurd as the
efforts of land monopoIists to crush
single-taXism by shouting .4confisca
ton" 1t might have been supposed
that the single takers had experienced
sufficient of this puerile and dislngenuous
style Of argument from their opponents
to disgust them with it.
As 10 the matter of OstraCising those
who look further than free trade and
the single tax, the position taken by our
contemporary Is a practical admission
of the truth # our statement. 1t cannot
deny that its columns have contained
frequent expressions of satisfaction that
the movement was rid of the socialists,
and of others, who, though believers in
the single tax, were opposed to atfilia
ton with the Democrats In the last
issue 1t contains a paragraph urging
those single-taxers who are Knights Of
Labor "to begin an educational cam
paign in their Assemblies against social
ISM which, as the Standard under
stands socialism, practically means that
it wishes these men to insidIously oppose
and undermine the Declaration of
Principles to which they assented on
becoming Knights. As "a proof of the
results of the policy of ostracsm and
self etfacement IN the falling off of the
single-taX movement, we need only re-
fer to decimated list of Single-tax Clubs
published on the last page but one Of
the standard, Only forty organi.
cations, all told, in place of a muster
roll of $50 formerly published. There is
nothing to be surprised at in this de-
crease. The single-tax movement has
committed suicide. Why should any
body take the trouble to JOIN a Single-tax
Club and help by dead lift to support
a comparatively weak organization,
when the practical end in view can just
as well be served by attending Demo
cratic caucus;-JOurHdi Of the K. Of L.