The herald., 1895-03-19
A COMBAT OF ARGUMENTS
Louis Post and Judge Widney
Meet in Debate
SINGLE TAX VERSUS MONEY
Is II More Land or More Coin That Is
Needed
An Interesting Controversy Between Two
Able and Alert Minds-The
Claims Advanced
SINGLE TAX VERSUS MONEY


advocating the solution of the land ques-
ton and the latter that of the money
question as being the most important
for the benefit of humanity.
The church was filled with large and
interested audience, who paid close atten-
ton to the different arguments presented
and frequently applauded telling hits on
either side.
-, Ralph Hoyt, president of the Single
Tax Society. occupied the chair. On his
ney and Senator Stephen NJ. White.
Louis f. Post opened the debate. He
said:
There are two kinds of men in this
world, the conservative and the radical.
The conservative is man who sits in
the top Of tree and knows he does. He
won't come down simply because he de-
slres to stay there for his own selfish ends.
The radi cal is a man whose ideas turn
continually towards change; he is not
satisfied to remain in one place. He is
restless, and he aims to bring about
changes which will rebound to the public
good. He knows and appreciates that the
rights OF men are being tramp'ed upon
and he strives to bring about reform
which will relieve them and rescue them.
1.-The debate of tonight takes place be-
tween two men on the same side-two radi-
cal men. 1t is to find what changes shall
be made and to discover if possible which
is the most important one to be attended
to first.
''If some huge giant should grab the
earth with one hand and seize all the
shake the people until all their money
dropped out, what would occur? The first
question in the minds of the people
would not be the money they had lost
it would be. Let us get back to the land
we have been taken from.
What are the principal attributes of
the money question? What is its function
to men? 1t is simply to facilitate trade
that is its sole function. Suppose money
were absolutely monorolized, trade would
not be abolished. 1t would still 60 on.
although under greater difficulties and
would be more protected. Compare this
IN any age Of civilization with land, and
see which affects trade the most is
monopOliZed.
ton of taxation when compared to land.
The manufacturer and the miner in every
stage of their operations are taxed. This
taxation falls upon the article which is
either manufactured or mined, no matter
what, and it is all Jumped into one sum
and paid for by its ultimate purchaser.
He has to stand the cost of the business
article if he can afford to pay these in
creasing. mounting up, taxes.
In considering the land question we
see that land is not taxed. Men see this.
and they also see that by buying up land
and holding it they can make money by
waiting it's increase in value. They strive
to obtain it. When possessed of it they
find they are not compelled to work. the
land not only paying for itself but pro-
yidin0 them with living.
AS men move from the East to the
West, the question of the first Importance
with them is land. They must have it,
and Just there is where the mortgages
come in. They are compelled to borrow
the money. Then what do we see? The
produce of this land is used to pay for it,
and as immigration goes from the East to
the West. so most assuredly does the pro-
duct of the land go from the West to the
East. 1t is the natural course, which
cannot help but be followed.
IF you think abundance of money is
best. ii an elastic currency is best. by all
means let us have it, but what would
this produce but magnificent invention
for improving the power of labor.
Suppose perfect money system was
discovered in Los Angeles and could only
be used IN this city. To get the benefit
of it both labor and capital would come
here, and what would the result be? The
price of Los Angeles land would at once
rise and the benefit would not be to those
doing the Los Angeles businss. but to
those owning the Los Angeles land.
1.-THE places where this perfect money
system could be best enjoyed would be
where the land was the most valuable.
There is no difference in invention be-
tween money and machinery for produce
ton, because they can use neither unless
they have suitable land, and the land
in every case rises in value under the
beneficence of the invention.
1.-The order is this: Land. the eternal
universe, the soil. all the forces of nature,
whether in primitive, savage or civilized
life, is of the first condition of existence.
Man can live on land without any other
accessory to benefit him. Trade is Sec
ondary. Land is primary. Trade natur-
ally comes second. We can live without
trade, but we cannot be civilized without
trade. While money is one of the essen
tials of trade, we can as everyone knows
trade without money. How, therefore, can
that which is one of the secondary con-
ditions be held as the most important one?
If one man had all the money and an
other one all the land, the former would
have nowhere to 60, and the result would
be that when he come on the earth he
would receive the warning, Get off my
land.
Judge r. M Widney was then intro
duced and replied as follows: If single
tax is better than multi-tax, then / go
the honorable speaker one better and
favor no tax. Abolish even the one tax.
Then we would all be happy. We would
then pay no revenues for the support of
government. The government would of
course cease, for the officers would not
work for nothing, especially where there
was no stealings.
I have referred to the above to impress
upon your attention the fact that without
taxation there will be no government
What is government? 1t is the protection
of person and property, of all persons and
all property. The lowest tramp in this
city, If he should flee to the police and
demand protection from a mob would
find that protection at once furnished,
even if all the power Of the state and ma
tional, governments were brought into
play.
And so this same entire power stands
guard night and day over every article of
real and personal property in the United
States.
Now the point I am driving at is this,
we must have taxes to support a goveSn-
ment, and the duty Of the government is
to protect all persons and property in the
United States. 1t follows then as fund
amental principle of justice. that every
item projected should pay for its share OF
protection.
No man that is protected should be al
lowed to shirk his equitable part of the
cost of his protection. No article should
be relieved of it's pro rata of the cost OF
its protection.
In other words it is violation of the
fundamental principle OF government and
Justice that no one man or a 1.-THE oil
VebD ha IN IN <h<,o <,rn