The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-09
Dnln,Ynre SINGLE Tnx.

Mr.. EDTroR:-Aly attention has been
oalled TO an article In your paper by
Francis Is. Livesey. The basic principle
oil the single tax. is as Mr. Livesey says.
that private ownership OF lnnd is unjust.
Single takers believe that God mnde the
land for the common use OF oil men and
that any arrangement OF society that
makes ne land, or any portion OF it, the
property of some individuals to the shut.
ting out Of others 10 as unjust as would
be an arrangement making sunshine. air
or ocean the private property of some In.
dividuuls. II We want to live right we
eLuuld commence right, we must not be
afraiu Of the truth. Your correspondent
then asks IL any Delawarean ever felt any
compunction of conscioncs when he hon.
estly earned money aud bought land.
My answer to that question is no. The
Delawarean who buys land for his own
use Is doing no wrong. the wrong is that
he is compelled to buy that which God
provided free. Why should one man he
Obliged TO give up the earnings of life
time to another man for permission to
use the land that God gave free to all
His children All civilized countries back
up private property in land because In the
highest civilizations one man still robs
another. Wo have simply established the
European land system IN this country and
we are suffering the consequences. All
that Is needad now In this country to
make poverty as keenly felt here us in
Ireland OF in the slums OF English cities Is
increased density of population.
What good would DO done IL rich land.
owning single takers should invite gov.
ernment to tex their lands TO their rental
value? II would simply have the effect OF
lighte ming tho texes on other land, thereby
enabling other landowners to put more
ground rent Into tneir pockets SO that
what single takers who are landowners
would give up would simply go to other
lnndowners and tho people would receive
no benefit whatever.
In that respect does this question differ
from the slavery question: Ii cou-
science strloksn master set his slaves free
no one else had the power to again en-
slave them so that eume good was done,
but II a single taxer- should give up his
unoarned increment other mens would
simply get more. Single tax mon are will.
Ing to vote aud work for tile abolition OF
the land system thnL makes millions poor
in all nations, the system which single
tax men themselves must take advantage
y OF un e5s they want to 20 down TO power.
ty and beggary. They cannot throw them
solves under the wheels OF tho Juggernaut
they must CHAMBER on and then call on
the po pie to stop the Internal thing.
IL Mr.. Livesey knows anything at all
about political economy. he knows that
the action of the single tax landowners
In surreDderlng their uneained Increment
would not bring single tax. Supposlng
that Mexico had cnmmltted some oilense
that we had Just cause for war and that
MIR. Llvesey travelled throughout the
land calling on the people to resent with
ths sword the insult offered by Mexico.
what would he think Of Anyone who
would say to him MIR. Livesey since you
are SO desirous of going to war with Mex.
co why don't you go and fight her your
elf." He would certainly think that
uchsa person. was devoid OF common
ense.
Now Mr. .Livesey's case is exactly analo.
your to this one. Lilo thinks that the few
single takers who own land should sur.
render their land value before talking
single tax to other people, just as the In
divJual in the Mexican case thought
that Mr. Livesey hmself should 10 and
fight Mexico Eefore talking fight to other
people. Mr. Livesey defends the giant
wrong OF private property In land just as
other men before Mr. Liveseys time de-
fended the giant wrong OF chattei slnvery
Establish any wrong no matter how great
and you will have your L.vesoy's rise up
to defend 1t. From our experience 30 far,
we find the people of Delaware In favor
of single tax the masses are becoming
more and more interested, thousands OF
them are already converted. and are
preaching the gospel OF the now crusade
on the highways and byways.
LENoRD TUTTI.E,
Rooms II and IL AlcVeS building.