The herald., 1895-04-14

result Is pauernaiism, anu. a vvnse-
quence a nation of imbeciles.
"In his first inaugural address, Jeffer-
son laid down certain rules of govern
ment that on the logical sequences of the
fundamental principle, expressed in the
Declaration of Independence. and it is this
broad fundamental principle that is the
touchstone OF Jeffersonan Democracy,
The policy of party may change with
the varying circumstances and conditions
of the country, yet is principles never
change. Ii they do, the party ceases to be
the same party, though its name may con-
tinue without change.
Thus as stated by one of the Justices of
the United States Supreme Court in the re-
cent income-taX decision, in the begin
ming almost all the revenue of the coun-
try was derived from custom duties, and
it was thought that an income tax should
only be resorted to IN times of great
emergency-such as tho civil war. But
from an average of So per cent duties
under the first tariff act, the duties adj
vanccd to an average of more than so per
cent under the Mckinley act. As a con-
sequence, gigantic trusts and monopolies
were bred, the inequitableness of a tariff
tax was clearly seen, and, changing its
policy, without changing its fundame entail
principle, the Democratic party, or con
siderable portion OF It, demanded the
passage OF an income tax. In the same
way, | believe, the party of Jefferson, fol-
lowing TO its logical conclusion the prin-
ciple Il at al men are created
equal. and are endowed with in
alienable rights Of life, liberty and
happiness. will, in the near future, de-
mand the enfo,c of a single tax on
land values as the only means of securing
these inalienabe rights. The right to eX-
clusvely possess portion of the land
natures bounty that was made for the
equal enjoyment of all-is a special privi-
lege. The party of Jefferson is opposed to
i've possessor Of portion OF
the earth's surface should be neu-
tralized by tie payment to the whole
comm nifty of sum equal to the value
OF this srecial privilege, which is the
rental value of the bare, naked land, ir-
respective OF any Improvements; and if
Thomas Jefferson were alive today,
doubt not but that he would be found in
the vanguard IF the single tax movement.
Neither life. liberty nor happiness, is
possible without some right to the
land. Deprive man of all right to land,
and you deprive him of life as of liberty
and happiness, since without land he can
not live, and if all men are created equal,
as Jefferson declared, that is, if all men
are equally endowed with thc inalcnablc
rights of life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness, all must have an equal right
to land. the necessary and indispensable
prerequisite to the enjoyment of csc
rights.
That Jefferson believed in the basic
principles Of the single tax is shown by u
letter of his, written from France to
friend in America Just after trip into
the country when Ire had beheld sordid
poverty in the midst of tat acres owned
ny the French lords OF the soil. In this
letter he said: Whenever in any country
there are uncultvated lands and unem-
ployed labor. it is clear that the laws of
property have been So far extended as to
violate natural rights.
Without interfering with the exclusive
possession OF the user OF land the single
tax would offset the special privileges en-
ioyed by him by compelling a payment
exactly equaling the value of this special