The herald., 1894-10-30
SOCIALlSMOR SINGLETAX
THE TWO THEORIES DISCUSSED
LAST NIGHT.
Clarence Miller Speaks for the Ono
Tmxors and Rev. Mr.. Web
ster for tho Social
ists.

A large audience assembled at Unity
church laat evening to hear q joint dis
cussion between Rev. K. M. Webster
and Clarence A. Miller on the respective
merits OF Socialism and the single tax.
After Chairman Hoyt had announced a
political symposium and music for next
Monday nights meeting, he introduced
MIR. Miller, who said:
my objection 70 Socialism is that the
philosophy is not radical enough in it's
diagnosis, and too extreme with its
remedy. When a man ia prostrated
with an accident in which he had his
skull crushed in on his brain, what
would you do? Would you not remove
the cause by raising that part of the
skull which was crushed out OF place :?
What would you think OF doctor who,
instead OF the above treatment, would
give a blood purifier to circulate the
blood, heart remedy to bring the heart
into action, an electric battery to start
his nerves, and stomach bitters to help
digestion along? Yet, this doctor, be-
lisve, is to the science of medicine what
Socialists are to the science OF political
economy.
Society is considerably out of order, l
admit, but not everything is wrong that
we have; and, like the true doctor, all
that Is necessary is to make a radical
diagnosis and find the trouble, then, by
removing the trouble, society would be
cured of the chief social evile. We ein-
gle taxers have very carefully diagnosed
the eocial case, and have aatisfied our.
selves that the trouble 10 monopoly OF
natural resources. Man lives by using
natural resources. and cannot live with
out them therefore, when deprived OF
those resources, he must die of starya-
tiou. When those resources are held at
toe high rent by owners, man ie poor;
that is the worlds condition today.
Single tax on natural resources s-land
would destroy that monopoly, and
thus solve the industrial problem, the
social disease. We believe in private
right OF property in all that we produce,
and therein differ with our Socialistic
opponents who deny mans title to the
produce of his own labor. Socialism in
my mind is extremely impraciicable. L
never knew of Socialist who knew ex-
aCtly how their schemea would be APP
piled. But we, on ths other hand,
know just what the single tax is, how it
would be applied, and what effect it
would have ON the nation or the world"
Rev. Il. M. Webnter said: II agree
with Mr. Miller that the land was not
produced by any man and can therefore
not be rightly owned by any man or set
OF men. We Socialists see that today
some men get the product OF thousands
Of laborers, and we are afraid the single
tax would not cure that evil. We
believe the rich would still be better off
than the poor under the single tax
regime"
The speaker then entered upon de.
tailed explanation OF Socialism, and
urged its ultimate adoption, as the
only salvation of the people. His
atrongest points and most eloquent SEN
tencss were heartily spplaudec. IS were
those of Mr.. Miller-especialty in the
latter gentlemsn's closing speech. The
discussion was conducted with perfect
fairness and courtesy on both aides.
A half hour was then spent in an
swering questions, the speakers being |.
B. Wood, j. +. Ponder, 8. s. Welcome
and Ralph E. Hoy6.