Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-06-13

gins, indeed, the bellum omnium in
omnia, which some philosopher, observ-
ing it to be so general in the world, have
taken to be the natural instead OF the
abusive state of man. And the forehorse
of this frightful team is public debt.
After that follows taxation, and In turn
wretcheGness and oppresslon.'-vol. Z,
p. 10.
The sphere of just taxation is neces-
sarily limited exclusively to the collec-
ton of the necessary government reve-
nues. Its province is neither to restore
stolen property to owners nor to con1's-
cate it to the state. That is the function
of criminal law. To attempt retrieving
stolen property by uniform assessment
on all property is to punish alike the IN
nocent with the guilty. By thus taking
from the innocent what is not hers, the
state commits the very crime of theft for
which she Furnishes the individual. Under
living the whole question of taxation Is
that of the just rights of property. The
whole system rests on the individuals
exclusive right to his own production
founded on the promise that all wealth be-
longs exclusively to its creator.
There are in the world two kinds OF
property (D property produced by the
individual, and (2) that which the indi-
yidual did not produce. Failure to COM
prehend clearly the distinction between
these two kinds of property is the main
cause of the departure from principle
that leads the "frightful team" of JeTer-
sons pen picture.
Admit that the individual has an ex-
elusive right to himself, and logically you
will admit also his exclusive right to the
product of that self. This exclusiveright
| must also carry with it the unrestricted
right to use, trade, give, will or bequeath
| that product as he chooses, so long as he
thereby inhicts no injury on Others nor
infrinees any equal right of another. But
in order to secure him in this exclusive
| this sacred right, it becomes necessary
that no other man shall be allowed to
forcibly take or exact from him, under
auy pretense whatever, even the most in
fnitesimal part or share of what he has
thus produced.
Now, if no one man has right to take
from this individual even the smallest
imapinable share of his individual prod
net, then neither have two men the right
to do it, neither have ten men, 100, 1000,
100000 nor 7O,COO,0O0, whether calling
themselves band OF robbers or the
United States government, the right to
forcibly take from him, under the name
of taxation or any other, one lota OF that
individual production, and even when
that individual property passes from the
hands of tho original producer in ex-
change for other individual products to
satisfy his wants, the same inherent right
of exemption from outside thievery, by
individual or state remains intact.
The second class of property is that
which the individual alone did not make
1.-The earth and unearned increment. The
earth not having been made by indlvlo-
nails. is consequently not individual, but
common property, and belongs equally
to ALL As with vessel jointly owned OF
n railroad, the earth can not be cut up
: and divided so as to give each his pre-
rata share. The only way is to divide the
income from it among the owners. With
, it comes that increased value of lane
which is created by the community or The
government. This and this only, If any
thing, belongs to its creator-the govern
ment-and to the government 1t shoult
go.
If by better schools, better streets, bet
!, ter transportation facilities, better fire
fighting appliances, better police protec
ton, etc, in Santa Fe, life and propert.
are rendered more secure or enjoyable
the increased advantage is at once re
fected in increased land values, and a
, thus the owners of Santa Fe eventual
reap the whole pecuniary benefit OF 1t
government, it is but just that they shoul
bear its whole pecuniary expense.
' 1t has been objected that land valu
tax would not yield enough revenue t.
support the government. If that wer
, true it would simply prove that govern
ment was costing more than it was wortf
that the total annual benefits of govern
n ment (Which arefully summed up in tn
r annual rental values of land) were les
6 than government annually costs, and GOV
q. eminent has no more right than ind
e viduals to take anything without render
o ing an equivalent in return. Its right
5 tax is in proportion to the benefit
= bestows. Forcibly taking more than th1
is as much robbery when done by tn
t state as when done by the individual.
s This is the logical doctrine of lui
f taxation, to deny or overthrow which
to deny and overthrow all the just right
of property, and to enter, without con
pass, chronometer or guiding star, on til
trackless ocean of chaotic ownership.
| T HIrEpTv