New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1894-05-19
The Way Intended by God fol
Raising Public Revenues.

| raising TuOuC Revenues.
Extract from an open letter to
Pope Leo XIII, 10y Henry George,
il answer to the Pope's Encyclical
Letter of May 18th, 1891, on the
"Condition of Labor:
"The private possession of land,
subject to the payment to the COM
munity Of the value of any special
advantage thus given to the indi-
vidual, satisfies both laws, securing
to all equal participation in the
bounty Of the Creator and to eacl,
the full ownership of the products
of his labor.
This way of securing the equal
right to the bounty of the Creator
and the exclusive right to the pro.
ducts of labor is the way intended
by God for raising public revenues.
For we are not atheists, who deny
God; nor semi atheists, who deny
that He has any concern in politics
and legislation.
1t is trne as you Say-a salutary
truth too often forgotten-that
"man is older than the state, and
he holds the right of providing for
the life of his body prior to the for
nation of any state" Yet, as yon
too perceive, it il also true that the
state is in the divinely appointed
order. For He who foresaw all
things and provided that with the
increase of population and the de-
velopment of industry the organiza.
tiOn of human society into states or
governments would become both
expedient aud necessary.
No sooner does the state arise
than, as we all know, it needs rev.
enues. This nee,l for revenues is
small at first, while population is
sparse, industry rude and the func.
tions of the state few and simple.
But with growth of population and
advance Of civilization the functions
of the state increase and larger and
larger revenues are needed.
Now, He that made the world
and placed man in it, He that pre-.
ordained civilization as the means
whereby man might rise to higher
powers and become more and more
conscious of the works of his Gre.
atOr, must have tOreseen this in.
creasing need for state revenues |
and have made provision for it.
That il TO say: Tho increasing |
need for public revenues with So
cial advance, being a natural, God
ordained need, there might be u
right way Of raising them-some
way that We can truly say is the
way intended by God. 1t is clear
that this right way Of raising pub.
lie revenues must accord with the
moral law.
Hence:
It must not take from individu.
ais what righttnlly belongs to in.li-
viduals.
It must not give some an advan-
tage over others, as by increasing
the prices Of what some have to
sell and others must buy.
It must not lead men into tempt.
alton, by requiring trivial Oaths, By
making 1t profitable to lie, to swear
falsely, to bribe or to take bribes.
It must not confuse the l:stinc.
tions Of right and wrong, ard wea-
ken the sanctions of religion and
the state by creating crimes that
ARE not sins, and Furnishing men
for doing what in itself they have
mn undoubtetl right to do.
It must not repress industry. It
must not check commerce. It must
not punish thrift. It must offer no
to the largest produc.
lion and the fairest division Of
wealth. /,
Let me ask yonr Holiness to con.
sider the taxes on the processes
md products Of industry by which
The civilized world public
revenoes ore collected-the octroi
duties that surround Italian cities
With barriers; the n,onstrous Gus.
boms dnttes that hampee Intercourse
Reeveen eoealled Christian states
saaoa - oQenp4 41ions, on earn
! A ~ v0oln<ote, On the build
l0& oNe1 r. - cultivation Of
leD11 - tG1eo(ly and tnrisb ~ I'll b
l6g1 ~ fEe1e ~ the ways Gol |
- =. H. Tt eoyernne.ts