The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-01-05
The Two Lords.

exclusion almost of all other study. In
order 10 master any one of the economic
questions which are exerling the marked
influence on civilization of the time. which
all feel, it is necessary to study them all and
acquire knowledge of them sufficient at
least to enable the student to apply them
when they cross the path of another question
in political economy he is pursuing. They
are bound 10 gather as the warp and wool of
the web-aAd SO strongly do they act and
react upon each other that no one is indie
pendent of all others, and this is the rock
on which the single tax only disciples
founder.
We purpose taking a few passages from
the letter of one of our correspondents for
the purpose of making few remarks. Our
first quotation runs:
Single takers condemn monopoly in
money just as emphatically as any other,
but we recognize the apparently self evident
fact, that land monopoly is the mother OF the
whole tribe"
lnlS sell eFiueht idct 10 ouly uppH0''
and disappears on a careful examination.
Rent, it is claimed, is the bane of land
monopoly if the land owner is allowed to
pocket it. The 'mother" of land rent is
money. All land values in the rental sense
are the immediate offspring of money.
Money is the tool with which society is
organized and civilization is built up. The
civilization of the present era Of the world
is an utter impossbilty without the use OF
money. When mouey has enabled man to
build that moral and commercial structure
rent appears, and it increases exactly in the
ratio that the money is used in extending
and perfecting trade. Free access TO land
is had without money and chance 10 enjoy
all natural opportunities. These are the
basis or foundation of the single lax dogma.
in the woods have free access TO land and
share all of natures bounties, but they
create no rent. If we change the wild
Indians and wild swine for equally wild
Anglo.Saxons we still find no rent although
they enjoy Gree access to land" and are
not denied nature's bounties. Bet when they
begin to use money to utilize and distribute
the products of THEFT labor, they begin to
build up civilized society and select the
most eligible spots for the exchange OF
products. Competition for those spots causes
rent to appear. 1t is obvious, however, that
there would be no rent arising from those
''equal opportunities for the landlord if il
wasn't that money enables business 10
increase. Stop the money and without
molesting in the least the land,' the
"bounties of nature" and the "equal oppor-
tuni,iy," rent disappears. Money is evil
IDENTIFY the mother of rent and its abuse the
mother of the "whole tribe" Of monopolies
Money having, by lis distributing power Of
wealth created all the conditions out of which
land rent springs, the landlord and land
monopoly as a power Pre- after-thoughts.
Again we quote from cur friends letter:
"Man cannot possibly live without The
use of land" With the use of land only
he can live like drove of swine in the
woods, depending on natures bounty .-ED. ]
''but this cannot be said of money. Ii is
claimed that nine tenhs of our business
transactions are made Independent of money.
Our merchants and farmers are continually
trading by pure barter, without The inter
vention of money" says our single tax
friend. Lack-a day A few vegetables,
fruit, butter and eggs, etc., between farmers
and the village store is called barter and
advanced as a factor in this question OF
commerce. Shall we waste time with such
childliiAe reasoning? "Nine-tenths of the
business transactions are done without the
use of money" The fact is that not dol
lars worth Of this business is transacted
independent of the use of money. Every
check, every draft, every transfer of book
accounts represents money, and not one OF
these rhine tenths of business TRANSACTIONS y
could be made without the money. we
qaote again: make any reform you please
under our present land policy and you will
still have idle men to feed. etc. To which
We reply, introduce the single tag Tomorrow
and I'VE will still have idle men 10 feed"
Shifting the collecting of rent oflaud from
landlord TO government, would not altar
conditions. Exacting a uniform rent from
improved and unimproved land according
to its actual value would drive cut the i6i!d
Spectator, but it would not build homes, or
lower the rent Of money, increase the man
ufaeturer's business or The ability Of the
millions to purchase for consumption. ii
would not stop competition for the most
eligible spots for business, bni would
increase the rent of such locations, When
the merchant had the tax taken off his goods,
his home, his store building, he would be
enabled 10 pay more rent for his stand, and
the same Gpel!t!op for the best locations
which drives the reat up CD hin now would
raise il to the utmost limit, wheihe. ais
landlord was himself, the government or
soms ether man. New and more oppor-
lunities would be throWn open which might
have some influence on results. but not very
much as far as trade is concerned. The bes!
sites for business are now occupied and
impso2ed, and they will continue the best
under every fos.2 Of tax law.
One more quotation SAG We will stop
dilaiing "Will 1t 1.-THE single TAX MT