The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-07-03
THE LATEST ECONOMIC IDEA
A Statement of the Single. Tax
System Claims.
The Claim Made That 1t Will Cure
Many Ills.
The Meeting Last Night 1T Unity
Church - President Hoycs Ad.
dress - A Broad
claim.

1ihSio AsAoIs ihbb oVbuluBs tu6 hLtoHu-
snce was large and a deep interest in
the proceedings manifested throughout.
President Hoyt announced that the
meeting next Monday night would be
addressed by Rev. j. s. Thopson, the
eloquent pastor of the u nifty church,
who was firm believer in the land tax
theory.
Revolutions were passed thanking
I aniel Niles, Of Belleville, ILL.,, for
do. 'on OF standards. and Miss Kelso,
OF tn Los Angeles public library, for
preparing list of economical publica-
tions. Mr.. O. A. Miller, vice president
of the club. then introduced Ralph E.
-Hoyt as the speaker of the evening.
Mr.. Hoyt proceeded to speak on the
Fourth of July and the sin gle tax. He
said that 10 years ago he attended the
grandest Fourth OF July celebration this
country had eyer witnessed. ut was in
Independence square, Philadelphia. on
the one hundredth anniversary OF the
declaration OF American independence.
The gathering Of people on that historic
spot was beyond computation. And as
pitch. Apparently every man was a
gilt-edged patriot. every woman a god
dess OF liberty and every boy living,
breathing torpedo. The Declaration OF
independence WAS read from the orig
inRl draft of that memorable document,
by the grandson of revolutionary hero
-General Lee. 1t was great day for
patriotism. In common with others,
1elt willing that all my
male relatives should, II necessary.
fight and die for such country as this.
! At that time our social conditions,
| though not-perieet, were by no means as
bad as they have since become-not 80
per cent "a deplorable as they are now.
Since 1876 the American people have
made rapid strides toward demonstrat-
ing their unfitness for self-government.
| Shout loudoas we will over our gee
lorious Fourth of July there is really
no occasion for jubilation, but much
cause for humiliation. l am not
chronic croaker, nor am l g pessimist.
But We may as we'll look disaEreesble
facts squsrely in the face. 1t is true
that we have q grand old Fourth of July
that comes to the front once every year.
''But these discreditable facts remain /:
| While we live in land OF inexhaustible
resources, with diversified soils and
climates, with a population averaging
only about IA to the square mile, and
with the best system OF government in
the world, our conditions socially and
politically are simply deplorable. Pan
demonium regns; monopoly is on top;
labor is beggar, and hungry men,
clamoring for food they can get only
through charity or theft. What shall
be said of great nation that makes
such q wretched failure of self govern
ment?
1T is our boast that I'VE, the people,
are the rulers.' Well, if we are, it is
about time for Us to either bring about
change for the better or shut up chop
as republic and hire some first class
monarch to come here and take charge
OF Things. But as single taxer am
opposed to monarchy, opposed to tyran-
ny, opposed to oppression ia every form,
and therefore am in favor of managing
| our own political affairs, only we must
adopt different laws and methods, in
some respects. in lieu of these that have
too long prevailed. Many things have
conspired to bring this country to the
brink of irretrievable ruin; but in my
humble opinion the chief and under
lying curse is monopoly. And the prin-
cipal monopoly, the parent monopoly,
the foundation Of all other oppressive
monopolies, is the monopoly for private
use of natures storehouse. In other
words, the monopoly of land, with oil
that the term implies.
Labor and land were the primary fac
tors in all wealth production. Neither
factor could produce wealth without the
other, but, uuitedly, and with the aid OF
the secondary factor, capital, wealth
production was comparatively easy. By
unjust laws and foolish customs land
and labor were kept apart, except in 30
much as labor could pay tribute to greed
in the form of land monopoly. 1t being
impossible Nor labor to do this and
thrive. the Active factor was thus invari-
ably the under dog in the eight. There
was not, necessarily or naturally, any
conflict between labor and capital. Cap.
ital was produced by labor; they were,
naturally. co-operators. When con-
labor and capital on the one side and
monopoly en- the other. by labor was
meant human effort; by monopoly was
meant special privilege upheld by
law. Land monopoly was the parent,
the foundation. the underlying monop-
oily of the age. Abolish that by apply
ing the single tax and all other monop-
olies would be comparatively harmless.
But 30 long as that remained no far
reaching, permanent good could be &C
complished by fighting other monopo-
lies. The monopoly OF natural resources
was the robber that always took every
thing which every other robber left.
Hence the land monopoist was always
pleased to see people fight OFF other rob-
bofs. because success in other directions
was sure to leave more for hint en-
HANGED his profits as landlord"
Alter further calculation of the single
tax philosophy. andAome explain ations
az to how it would work in practice, the
speaker said: 1.-THE single tax ia not
panacea for all the ills of the human
family; but it would remove tax bur
dens from production, from industry.
from Improvements, from all legitimate
business. 1t would simplify fiscal meth
DDS. lessen official corruption and reduce
the coat of government at least 80 per
cent. Under the single tax no man
would be punished because he was not |
lazy, fined because he was not vagrant |
nor poll-taxed because he was not dead. |
Every legitimate industry would receive
encouragement instead of being ham,
pered and handicapped as now. Grass
would grow and improvements be made
on land now hold idle for speculatioo