The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-03-19
The ONLY. Remedy.

The New York Times publishes edi.
torially discriminating criticism of
the speeches at the Episcopal church
congress-, in which It shows that the
only tangible proposition for social re-
form made by any of the speakers was
that of the single tax as advocated by
Henry George. In Christian socialism as
expounded by dillesante .pulpiteers it
sees what most thoughtful men have
already seen, vague generalities abont
competition and cooperation, harmless
at best, and harmful when calculated
to arouse envy of the rich and enmity
against them II this kind of talk
means any thing at all, observes the
Times, lit means that the wealthy
ought to be punished for living in pleas
ant places" In conclusion it adds. re-
ferring to Christian socialists: when
they denounce the existing social sys-
tenn, and the men who are successful
under it, and either expressly or by inn
plication hold these men up to odium,
| they are doing what is worse than silly,
because they are aggravating the evils
they deplores without suggesting any
remedies for them, and the trend of
their remarks is to provoke q breach of
the peace"
marked difference between the
Mandy pamby socialism, of which there
is SO much in college chairs and church
pulpits, and the single tax, is here indi-
Gated. We do not denounce men be-
cause they are successful; we hold no
man up to odium because he is rich. un-
less he has acquired his wealth by per-
sonal dishonesty; and though we depict
the evils OF our existing social system,
for they exist and are most depiorable,
we trace their origin to the violation of
fundamental natural law, and offer
for remedy the discontipuance of the
wrong. No individual is responsible
for this condition. No individual can
cure it If any rich man should dis.
tribute his wealth, and pinch himself |
and his family. he could NOT diminish |
human suffering except in few indi- |
vidual cases The responsibility is up.
ON all men. BY laws that restrict OPP
portunities for production. wealth is
diverted from its producers to those
who secure control of opportunities for
duction. These opportunities, in the |
last analysis, are natural opportunities
land; and. any thing short of re-
moval OF the monopoly in land is not
only no remedy for the condition, it is
an intensification. 1t is not merely |
silly, it is injurious.
The only reform worth working for
is one that has for its object the adapt
alton of fundamental rights to chang.
ing social conditions in such manner as
to preserve that equilibrium of, the
scales of justice which'is sure to follow
the due Observance of natural laws.
This the single tax does 1t exempts
the worker from all public burdens up
on his products; it opens to common &C
cess all those natural opportunities that
are as yet so far unused as to leave
enough of equal desirability for all;
and It takes for public Purposes the
premium that attaches to the more de-
sirable opportunities. T'-'-- ''-'--
The Times Is right in saying of the
congress discussion that sthe
only tangible proposition made by any
Of the speakers was for the enactment
Of Mr. Henry Georges single tax.
The Standard
WHEN the truth is fully made plain,
n II shortly will be, that the denial Of
the natural right of all to the use of
land Is rs grave and serious an injury
10 humanity. as either chattel Of slave
~ or pofygamy, radical changes will
result in the tenure by which land Is
held and it will become impossible for
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