The herald., 1894-05-01
THE LATEST ECONOMIC CULT,
Meeting Of the Believers in the
Single Tax.
The Address on Finance by Mr.. Ira
B. Wood.
President Hoyt of the Club Makes Some
Interesting Remarks - Talks
Money and Busi-
ness.

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intelligent audience attended the single
tax meeting at Unity church, and, as
usual, the exercises proved to be both
entertaining and Instructive. President
Ralph E. Hoyt announced that Louis
4. Pest, the official single tax lecturer OF
the United States would arrive here
within the next three days prepared to
fill his engagement to lecture at Unity
church next Monday and Tuesday even
ingS, May 7th and 9Th.
The chairman then made few re-
marks concerning paternslism in gov
ernmeat, Among other things he saidi
''On all sides we zee oat.croppings OF
the erroneous idea that it is the duty oil
civil government to provide employ
ment for people who need it and apply
for it. The present Onto Washing
ton, movement is the outgrowth
of this idea. But the error 10 by no
means limited to the unemployed
"armiss" that are SLOWLY moving toward
the national capital. The fallacy is also
held and taught By Thousands OF intelli-
gent people who are in comfortable cir
oumetances. Now hold that it is not
the function OF civil government to
give employment to any body for tho
cake of aiding those who may want en-
ployment. 1t is true the federal govern
ment does constantly employ several
hundred thousand persons to perform
certain kinds OF public work. But that
ia because the work must be done. and
not because the government is under
either moral or legal obligation to en-
r&lou thpaa ~ ho want work IF auch n
obligation existed it could nowhere be
Justly limited az to the number of per-
sons who should be thus paternally
cared for. 1t is, however. the duty of a
civil government to provide such legis-
lation as will afford all the people
equally free and unobstructed &C.
cess to national resources. Hav-
ing done that, the government has per-
formed its duty toward the unemployed.
In fact, with natures inexhaustible
storehouse released from the grasp OF
monopoly, there would be no unem-
ployed among those who really wanted
work. Before the Industrial armies
from the Pacific coast eau reach Wash
ington city they must travel over or
very near millions of acres of idle land
that is being held for speculation. If
all valuable land in the United States
were put to its best use there would be
NO idle men who really wanted employ
ment. Government aid for the unem-
ployed, in the present emergency, may
be proper as a makeehift; but at best
she relief afforded can be emily partial
and temporary. The underlying cause
Auat be removed. That cause ia the
monopoly of an element which
all human beings must use ev-
ery hour, and without which ,hu-
man life cannot be sustained. Land
and labor, the twin factors in wealth
production, were Joined together by the
forced them asunder. Give labor (by
which we mean all human sffort) the
opportunities to which it is Justly en-
titled. and it can never have any ex-
cuse for stealing railroad trains or clam
oring for free SOUP"
Mr.. Ira B. Wood then delivered the
address of the evening which in SUBJ
stance was as follows:
The common object of the various
schools of political and politico-social
thought 10 the protection of man in HE
natural rights, the defense of those he
has retained, the restoration of those he
has been Invested of aud the cure of the
evils resultant from their violation.
The schools differ only as to methods
and remedies. The object is praise
worthy; the procedure and remedial
agents OF some of the reformers are
simply awe-inspiring in character. The
cure 10 worse than the complaint.
But how shall we abolish the awful
evil which is driving 80 much of the
manho bod of this country into the val
leys of despair and the pits OF despera-
ton, involuntary poverty? Well, next
to finding out what will accomplish
desired end is to ascertain what will
not; for then the energy, industry and
ability which would be expended upon
bootless errand may, perohance, in seek
ing another avenue, find the road which
leads to the goal OF its ambition. 1t is
one of those inadequate measures OF re-
lief am going to discuss, and that is
the medicine of more money. That de-
lusion OF an increased volume Of money
meaning increased prosperity is SEEM
ingly irrepressible. Its indomitable
will and exceeding longevity are won
derful to contemplate. Like Banouo'e
ghost 1t will not down, but at each re-
curing industrial or commercial depres.
sion it arises and stalks through the
land sowing the seeds of error and d.
verting the minds of men. Il ia