The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-28
SINGLE TAKERS SYMPOSIUM
NV. COnkIing Discusses Woman
Suffragists
HE QUESTIONS THEIR WISDOM
Ralph Hoyt on the Adjustment of
Progress or Poverty
People With Ideas About Reforms Give
Expression to Their Novel
HE QUESTIONS THEIR WISDOM

announced for the Single Tax meeting IN
Blanchard Fitzgerald Hall last night
brought to the place a large and very in
telligent audience who greatly enjoyed
the symposium of short speeches by
single takers. and the questions. answers
and discussion which occupied the last
lalf of the evening.
NJ W. Conkling spoke on The Incon-
sistencies of Woman Sufragists. The
speaker frankly admitted that. as an alb
stract right, woman was entitled 10 the
ballot But he pointed out several things
which he claimed were inconsistencies
among advocates of that reform, and
urged the concentration OF reformatUry
work on tax reform till that was obtained.
Mr.. Conkling also stated in substance
that he was surprised to notice that he
had been advertised to speak on The In
consistences of Woman Suffrage, whereas
it should have been Inconsistencies OF
Woman Suffragsts. That he was in favor
of woman suffrage because he was a be
lever in the doctrine of equal rights but
for no other reason. Woman suffrage
might make people better nobler. hap
per, and may be not-that is debatable-
but no one can deny that whatever may
be the result she is OF right entitled To
vote.
If progress has been made in the direc-
ton of woman suffrage It Is because OF Il
conviction in the minds OF men that to
refuse the rights OF suffrage to woman is
to deny one of her natural rights Yet
he had never beard a woman make pub
lie speech in favor of woman suffrage who
did not promise that if women were al
lowed their natural rights about the trst
thing they would do would be to make
laws in violation of the natural rights OF
Others. Thus they would enact prohiL-
law aud nj pr 1ftlitnTion and
cialistc laws to make people good. But
never had be heard one tell the people
that if woman were granted her natural
right to have voice in the government
of the country it would be the beginning
of the grand march to equal rights for
all people, male and female.
Woman suffrage has won victories in
the past OILY because it was a pa:t OF the
grand doctrine of natural and equal
rights. and if it is victorious in the flu
ture it must be so for the same reason.
Every departure from that doctrine by
the advocates Of woman suffrage weakens
the cause and produces grave doubts IL
the minds of some as to their boosted
competency to WELD the ballot.
Ralph f. Hoyt spoke briefly his topic
being: Progress or Poverty-Which Should
Be Abolished? In the course of his re-
marks he said:
Either progress or poverty ought to be
be afraid of progress. In fact, if We are
to Judge from their sayings and writings
they hate progress Seeing that poverty
increases while progress continues. they
very unwisely conclude that the former is
Produced by the latter. 1t would be no
more unreasonable to suppose that pow
erty produces progress. Single takers be-
lieve IN progress This would be very
monotonous, undesirable world without
it. The plan proposed to force all man
kind down to common level and COM
pei each person to divide his earnings
with those who have earned less than he
would destroy human ambition and put
on end to progress. The single tax would
encourage progress and abolish involun-
tary poverty.
''Some who claim to be reformers often
reiterate the charge that single takers be-
lieve in wealth and justify interest on
capital. We plead guilty to both of these
allegations. We wish to see wealth pro-
duction encouraged, not hampered and
restricted. That is why we oppose the
taxation of labor and its products ALI
wealth is produced by labor applied either
directly or remotely TO land. Hence it
should not be taxed. Capital is one form
of wealth. 1t is wealth used in the pro-
duction of more wealth. When the owner
of capital or money. which is u represent.
alive of wealth. permits another to use
his money or capital. it is perfectly right
that the user should pay the owner
for such use - pay such sum or
rate as the two persons NAV
agree upon. That is perfectly
legitimate business transaction. We up
hold the taking of interest and we don't
care who knows it. We have no sympa-
thy with the idea that because one man
happens to have more horses, or clothes.
or houses, or books. or dollars than he
can use at one time, he is therefore under
moral obligation TO let other people use
them free OF charge.
But we do believe that every man who
enjoys Il special privilege in the form of
land, which nature created ana the value
'of which was given it by the community
should pay that value into the public
treasury for public purposes. This would
obviate the necessity of taxing labor prod
ucts in any form. and compel land owners
to put land to its best use. Labor would
then be fully employed; so also
% Te aaceere capa and Phre e " you'd
Voluntary poverty would be aboisLe .
Lawrence Durham. OF New York. "a
member of the national single tax com
Inittee, spoke on strikes. lie deprecated
strikes, though admitting the right of
employees to stop work at any time.
When they had quit work the trouble
should there and then cease. The en-
ployer had right to re-employ them
should they desire to go back, or to en-
ploy Others in their stead. Strikers had
no right to interfere with their forme r
employer business in any manner nor
attempt by intimidation or otherwise
to deter others from working for whom
and for what wages they could. The only
permanent remedy for strikes was the
single tax, which would open up natural
opportunity and give men a chance to
employ themselves
Mr.. Dunham also spoke further on
the subject. substantially as follows:
Strikes as a means of improving con-
ditions OF labor must necessarily be fail
ures Thesgreat railroad strike OF 1894,
the best planned, most widespread at
tempt of this kind, failed completely, be-
cause its success depended upon the abil-
ity of the strikers to prevent others from
taking their places. This is the weak
point in all sucn attempts.
Employers have a right to make such
conditions and offer such wages as they
see tit. and employees have an equal right
to refuse to accept such conditions or
wages and whether they do SO as indvid-
ua or in combination Is matter entirely
within their own discretion. When they
go beyond their right, violating the equal
right of others by preventing their taking
the places they have vacated, they at
once enlist the whole force of government
against them, for it is to insure the en-
joyment OF such equal rights among men
that governments are instituted, and
should IL fail to step in and protect these
people who choose to work under such
conditions and for such wages, the whole