Smyrna times., 1895-08-14

Two representatives of the Single
Tax idea were in Smyrna Saturday
evening, as they were in other repre-
sentative towns, and held forth for a
considerable time on the cardinal idea
of their political faith. They are max
ing more headway than at first, as may
be judged from the tone of the public
press, which when they first entered
the State, simply gave them a passing
notice. Now EUery EVening, Inder,
DelGWGreGn, &c, both combat and de-
nounce them, while the Morning NeUs,
Republican, and similar papers treat
them at least as delusionists. In the
mean time the people, or they did here
Saturday, listened to them attentively,
for long time, as if grasping to obtain
some new political thought.
Their auditors saw at least wide
difference between them and the usual
political declaimer. They had no
men or parties to abuse, nor did they
thresh over old political straw by the
hour. They did, however, show
wherein the people, in their status and
rights, were deteriorating. In the
primitive or savage state of man there
was always a chance by taking up
land or some other means of making
living. Now there are thousands who
cannot find place Or position, though
there is much more wealth than there
ever was. Whether this is a result of
inventions and labOr-saving machinery,
the supplanting of male by female labor
or the multiplied number of million
aires, was not discussed beyond the
statement of the fact
The change in the position of the
labOrer had been in the memory of
those now living. The grade of the
labOring man was down rather than
up. The question with such voters
was, should they go on like the un-
thinking horse, or should they turn
and face the issue like men who saw
great catastrophe ahead of them and
had the courage to meet and avert it?
This was promised in the Single Tax
idea the land to bear the expenses Of
government. 1t is the concentration
OF people 10 a community that makes
the land valuable and not the man in
possession of the holding, and he has
no right to get rich off of that which is
created by the accretions of the COM
munity. That land, if taxed az the
acre alongside of it, would soon be
similarly improved
The claim of the speakers was that
the single tax would tend to increase
prosperity, would multiply business,
open places for men seeking labor,
take ~oman out of the sphere of man !
and put her in her legitimate place |
the care of the household-lessen rents
and increase the purchasing power of
the dollar. How to re&ch this greatly |
desired desideratum is an important |
question to the mass of voters, baving
a value far beyond those of simple party |
lines.
If such condition as they picture is
obtainable 10 any degree, there is
hardly a safe thinking man who will
not say the good of the people de-
mand the effort. The men sre the
recognized ''lOrds of creation" ," and the
taboring portion of them are being
eor2iled on the verge of a precipice.
Political economy and its students
must show a way for them to get back
to their proper place in Gods we'll
designed economy. The Twentieth
Century should open up wider field
for mans inherent liberty and indir |
The single tax may present the
germ out of which a great thought
shall spring, but as yet, out of the little
that has been heard, It lacks coher.
eney. 1t will take much more Of dis.
cussion and tons of argument to make
it proper substitute for the various
taxes of to-day deemed necessary TO
sustain the machinery of government.
But, It it is only an entering wedge
for a new line of policy to keep the
social and political stains of our
boasted civilization in harmony wjth
the development of science, then a
great gain may eventually result. and
ifno' Magma Charta to the people of
il may be the Runymede
that preceded it.
PUBLISHED accounts of Ambassador
Bayard's recent speech in ENGLAND At