The herald., 1894-12-05

EDITOR HERALD:- With confidence
and valor born OF an imperfect under
standing OF the thing he aesails, o gen
tleman in q voluminous and redundant
communication published in your edi-
tion of the 18th inst, attempts to mount
the rampsrts Of the single tap Gibraltar.
Separating the few kernels Of argument
from the several bales of straw in which
they are mbedded, We find the plea pre-.
eented that monopoly and com binations
are tracsAble to aggregatious OF capital
and FREQ competition, and not to special
privileges, as single takers believe. This
Is only another case OF ascribing the
wrong cause to certain effects. The con.
fusion in diagnosis comes OF the gentle
mans misconception OF monopoly,
capital and free competition. It
is true that under prevailing con.
ditions aggregated capital aids in the
procurement and holding OF monopolies,
but this is because of the conditions and
not Of the capital. Special privileges
granted or tolerated by the state 10 the
sole cause of monopoly, and the coudi-
tion of the present is most distinctly one
OF special privileges. The greatest Of all
monopoly is land monopoly, the seques-
tration by the few OF the natural re-
sources intended for the equal use of all,
and this exists because OF the special
privilege of private ownership in land.
Upon this monopoly all other monopo-
lies depend In fact 1t can be said that
in the full sense OF the term it 10 the
only monopoly, and the others that we
designate - such are only parts. There
10 no facility or commodity that serves
the purposes or satisfies the wants OF
humanity that is not the product Of la
Dor applied to land, the latter is the only
source of wealth, and the creations Of
brain and Drawn can be multiplied in
definitely If man be given unrestrictsd
access to natures storehouse. as he
would be under the single tax. There
10 but one thing really capable OF being
permanently and successfully monopo-
lized, and that is the earth. 1t can not
be reproduced; no substitute can be
found for it, and we can not dispense
with il (unti we establish competing
transportation lines with some other
planet). And wherever the attributes
OF monopoly may manifest themselves,
It will be found in the final analysis
that they are rooted in land monopoly.
No better illustration OF this is needed
than the inetance cited by your corres-
poendent to prove his points, i. g., the
triumphantly proclaims is mo-
helped nor hindered by the
all. Well, what is the basis OF the
Standard oil monopoly? Aggregated
capital? Not at ell. Its capital is only
a facllity-an instrumsntality. It has
no monopoly OF capital; there lie plenty
outside OF its Golfers. The basis is land
monopoly. Il is the private ownership
and control by itself and partners of oil
bearing parts of the earth that renders
possible the exercise by it OF monopo-
listic powers. Capital 10 not to be
dreaded. but to be ardently desirsd.
Capital is the product OF labor. 1t rep
rssents industry, ingenuity and thrift.
1t means houses, tools, implements and
all the commodities and cnntrivances
that satisfy the necessities and cater to
the desires OF the people. 1t stands for
things used in the production OF more
things, and its multiplication results Tor
would uner single tax conditions) in the
cheapening OF what people want
and consequently in the Tightening
of life's tasks. 1t is wealth
that can only be monopolizsd after its
production is limited. and this can only
occur when the source from which it is
drawn is owned by the few. Private
ownership OF the earth makes the pro-
duction OF wealth dependent upon the
whims, the wisdom or the greed Of the
alleged owner and it alone ia responsible
for any monopoly OF wealth or capital that
bey exist or any undue dover that thA