Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-06-01

From = speech Made by Representative
Mcguire In Congress.

From = Speech Made by Representative
Mcguire In Congress.
My proposition to impose all taxes
for public purposes upon the value of
land, exclusive and irrespective of the
improvements thereon, and to abolish
all other forms Of taxation, necessarily
involves the idea that there is an essen
tial fundamental difference between pri-
vate property in land and private prop.
erty in other kinds OF wealth. We assert
that there is such difference, and that
it is not in the power OF man to obliterate
it.
There is a natural right Of ownership
in the relation existing between every
thing produced by labor and the labor
that produced it.
That right springs from every mans
ownership OF himself and OF his mental
and physical powers.
Owning himself he has natural right
of ownership in the things and values
that his own mental and physical powers
produce, and he can manifestly without
violating any principle Of natural justice
transfer his right in such things to an
other upon any terms which may be
satisfactory 20 him. That is q matter
with which neither society at large nor
any individual can properly have any
concern.
The utility which would not have ex-
listed but for the voluntary exertion OF
the producer should as a matter Of
natural justice be at all times subject to
his control and to the control of those
whom he has voluntarily transferred his
right.
But there is no such natural right az q
basis for private property in land. M
man made the land. 1t 10 the common
heritage of all mankind. 1t was made
with all its powers, elements and re
sources, by the Creator, and freely giver
by Him AZ an equal, common heritage
for the use, subsistence and comfort o
all mankind, in all generations from tn,
beginning until the end Of the world.
1t is, moreover, with air and sunlight
the only means provided by the Create
for the support Of human life. Thu
denial, to any man, Of access to tina
natural source of subsistence is equiva
} lent to denial Of the right to live, an,
any interference with such right OF acces
must correspondingly interfere with tn
comfort and happiness Of the man ant
must correspondingly subject him to pri
, walton and misery. 1t therefore follow
that the ownership Of the land by on
class of men, enabling that class to q;
, the terms on which all others may hav
access to it, gives to euch class unlimite
, power of extortion and oppression owe
all landless people.
. 1t creates q dominant and q SERVER
J class among the people of every con
3 munity in which such ownership exist
Y and makes social and political equalit
between those classes absolutely impo
sible, regardless OF any nominal declars
I ton Of such equality in statutes or const
Q buttons.
K The right of eviction and exclusio
y from land, inherent in absolute privat
ownership, involves the power Of life ar
n death over the landless classes, and
: consequently involves the power on Il
t part OF the landed class to extort all tn
9 the landless classes are willing to pay
e order to avoid deprivation Of their meal
}. of sustaining life.
Isolated cases OF the merciless exerci
e of the extreme power of the landed ella
over the landless have in recent yea
occurred in nearly every community
the United States. and their recurren,
8 is becoming painfully frequent.