The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-09-17
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
The Christianity Of the Single Tax.
EDWARD @. RHoAps.


This is one great obstacle to accepting
the remedies proposed by socialists.
We acknowledge that il we could take
a large slice of the income of the Astor
estates and give it to the poverty-strick-
en- in the tenement houses in New York
city, it might be a mutual benefit; but
suppose the Astors to have carried on
business honestly, what right have we
to take their wealth from them? To
favor robbery Of the rich to give to the
poor would not indicate an advance IN
economic science, hut reversion to the
political economy of Robin Hood. Thou
shalt not steal" blocks the way to MI
such schemes, in the mindsof moral men,
whose eyes are not blinded by their
sympathies, prejudices or passions.
To some minds, who have seen honest
toll go unrequited, who have had
glimpses of the depth of misery to be
found in the masses of humanity which
crowd great cities, who have had feel
ings akin to those which Henry George
thus describes as his own: when
first realized the squalid misery of
great city, il appalled, and tormented
me, and would not let me rest, for think
ing what caused it and how il could be
cured;" to mef, who have felt this, but
have seen no remedy except in some
form of socialism, and who can not bind
themselves to the injustice of socialism,
to such men the doctrine of Henry
George has COME as a revelation. For
there is pointed out a cause of poverty
which consists in a definite social injus-
tice, and remedy, which, to those who
fully grasp its meaning, is not a VIOLA
ton but natural corollary of the COM
mandment: Thou shalt not steal"
For the law of poverty right is what
gives significance to this commandment,
and it is evident that the fact of produc-
ton by individual agency is the basis of
individual rights in property. A natu-
raj right to anything which has not
been produced by individual agency can
not, therefore, inhere in individuals.
1t is evident that natural opportuni-
ties Qand) are not produced by indi-
vidual labor, nor is the value which at
taches to land by virtue of the growth
of community the product of indi-
vidual labor. The theory of private
property in land is, therefore, without
foundation in natural justice. Accord
ing to the Scripture account, there was
a definite means provided for man to
make a living. He was created with
certain powers which constituted abil-
ity to labor. He would have been help
less had he received nothing more. The
earth was given him to labor on. His
labor, applied to its natural conditions,
produced for man his daily bread.
There has never yet been any other way
discovered TO produce daily bread,
though it may be obtained by begging
or stealing. Just as man, in the in
fancy of the world. must have died or
become dependent on his fellows. II de-
prived either of his power to labor or
his right to the use of land to labor
upon. so he must be under the same cir
cumstances in the present day.
The Creator has made no less pro-
vision for every child who comes into
the world to-day than he made for
Adam. The right to his own labor and
to the use of land are birthrights of
every one; take away either in part or
whole, and the individual becomes par
italy dependent or entire helpless to
make living. Yet that is what our
present social system, by permitting
property in land, is doing. Men are
struggling, not for ability to labor, but
for chance to work. Capital is doing
otherwise. Land Spectators are OBJ
tanning wealth without producing it.
/ know there are some minds to whom
abstract statements do not appeal, who
must have something concrete; but
even to such is there not enough in this
brief statement to make prima facie
case, which is worth investigating in
view of the terrible concreteness of the
problem? II this be true solution of
the poverty question, we have in the
single tax (which would transfer the
value of land from the pockets of indi-
viduals to the Golfers of the state.
thence to be returned to the people in
the benefits of government measure
which, whatever else it may be, is
fundamentally right
Yet l have heard it honestly objected
TO the single tax, that it is a violation
of the command, Thou shalt not steal"
Truly 1t seems to me that the law of
property is what needs to be taught in
the world, for the spirit of theft is
abroad. Prof. Ely asks, What is the es-
sence of theft?" and replies, SIS it not
trying to get something for nothing?"
If this be true, how much of the nature
of theft is there in the business transac-
tions of the present day? Some years
ago there lived in Chester county, Pa,
an old Friend, remarkable for his in
teyrity and devout Christian 1t is
related that he once bargained for a
yoke of oxen with business acquaint-
ance, who named price which our
Friend thought too high, and offered
less sum, which he said he thought was
all the oxen were worth. His offer was
accepted and he took the oxen home and