The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-08
Merits of Rival Reforms Expounded by
Their Champions.

A large-sized audience, including many
of the followers OF Henry George and a
goodly number of Prohooitionists, gath
cred at Freeds hall, corner or Ninth and
olive streets, last Saturday evening 10
hear the debate on Single Tax VS.. Pro-
hiOition," between Rev. Clark Davis, On
the prohibition side. and r. ID. benson, in
the interest of the single takers. They
were in one sense not araryed against
each other. for the reason that both al
single tax advocates. and for the fUklher
reason that Mr.. Benson. instead OF OPP
posing prohibition. endeavored 10 show In
the course OF his remarks that the two
parties. If they came together-that IS.
If the Prohibition would assist the Single
Tax party In the fight 10 have the tax on
whisky done away with--oould bf ing
about the wipIng out OF the great whisky
trust. and the Prohibition party would
then be in a better position 10 conduct
its present hopeless fight.
Mr Benson. who spoke first. pointed
out the long and unavailing battle with
the saloon upon the Old lines of temper
ance work The liquor question, he said.
Is little nearer solution at the present
time than IL was quarter of a century
ago. while the political power of the sa-
loon has grown In proportion 10 the tax
levied upon IL IL Is stronger now. he
said than ever before. The saloon - s.
tens supports and IS in turn supported by
every other monopoly interest in the
country. This should teach the REFORM
ers TO unite their forces and attack all
abuses at once. our government gets its
revenues by selling licenses TO do evil.
Among the worst OF these is the saloon
license system. but chief and back OF all
Is the power given TO corporations aid
individuals TO nonos7olize thu earth itself.
Land speculation, the speaker claimed.
while legal Is immoral and unjust. Our
land system periodically paraiyzes ST in
sustrv. and il even vast legal ohs:rsc-
ton between man and the earth from
whica he must procure ali wealth.
Ground rent IL clearly creature OF the
community. and grows as the comm uuity
grows II - governed by a natural law,
ana il sufficient IN amount for all puolic
us-.s The government hands this over
10 individuals and corporations. and
then ia turn lcVies biacknaii upon vice
and crime for is support
General s.ahrieiy. the speaker contend
"a. or even total national Prohibition,
would not tend 10 raise wages On the
contrary. there would ne more sober ard
industrious men bidding against each
other for POSITIONS. and labor would 10
lower we cannot" said the speaker.
license saloons and have sober men.
Neither can We permit mortgage eoslpa-
sagas 20 exclude our people fTom the lands
81 thelr country and have hizh wages
Men 10 Re free must haye land upon
whsca to live.
AR. Davis. in answering Mr. Benson.
said hat the battle against strong orr K
mad neither been long mar unavaiiing.
TIE real Temperance reform which crys-
tantzea tnto 50 many temperance SgsCie-
ties r,ts-n herring many thousands % mem
e-.~s vas little over twenty-five YEARS
s.ls There ara more total Anssaiasrs in
80 .-sssrtrv tesIav than ever. Tire poiit-