Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-02-09

therefore, justified in making the
statement above repeated. But | did
not say of His Holiness the Pope,
what Mr.. Livesey makes me say.
The words, christian doctrines and
MORALS" which | used instead of
Catholic doctrine" were in my mind
from something the late Cardinal Man
ming had said, viz: There was
nothing in the Single-Tax doctrine
that was opposed to church or christian
MORALS"
Mr.. Llvesey quotes from chapter ii,
book viii, of Progress and Poverty"
the sentence-''we may safely leave
them the shell, if we take the kernel, -
and asks 'who are the IRE here
alluded to ?" as If the context left any
doubt who are meant. The people.
the tchOte nation, are the zee. and they 10
whom the shell is to be left are the
land owners. The shell typifies the
land titles, which under the Single
Tax plan, are not to be disturbed.
The kernel is the rental value of land
irrespective of improvements, which is
to be the amount of the Single Tax.
AS to Mr.. Livesey's assumption of
Knowing the motives of men | would
rather not say anything. But it is
somewhat amusing to see him impute
presidential aspirations to Mr.. George
when he wrote the above passage, or
the book which contains it. Pres
idential aspirations in poor San
Francisco printer, who had to pinch
on all sides to get the book into type
and print three hundred copies
Mr.. Livesey has discovered u new
criterion by which to judge the truth
or falsity of new doctrines and pro-
posed reforms-practical results:
Henry George has been before us as a re-
former for some Is years. There are no
practical results. Consequently, Henry
George should put up and 60 up.
Thus reasons (sic) Mr.. Livesey We
will admit for the present and for
arguments sake, that there have not
been any practical results-though
there have been, and | will come to
that point later on.
Moses as a teacher of the one and only
God, as the preacher against idolwor-
ship was certainly reformer, and a
divlnely appointed one at that. yet five
and a-half centuries after his death
Elijah, the only man who taught the
same doctrine, had to hide in the
wilderness lest be be killed, for the
people were stepped in idolatry. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Livesey this is proof,
or would have been then, that Moses
doctrine was all wrong. for there were
no practical results. Even now, thirty
three centuries after Moses. not more
than one-third of mankind believe in
one God and are not idolaters. If the
one half Of christianity who say of the
other half that they are Idolaters, are
correct. then it is only one-sixth that
has been reformed in thirty-three CEN
turtles.
Jesus also was "A reformer. peace
on earth and goodwill toward men"
has been proclaimed wellnigh thirteen
centuries. Where are the practical re-
suits Peace--forsooth The more
christian the nation, the more warlike.
That war-prince, William of Germany.
is emneutly christian. "To be good
soldier, one must he good christian"
he said but recently. Behold the peace
preparations of Germany of France,
the most beloved daughter of the
church of Italy, the home of the
Vicar of Christ, and here in America
money for new warships is voted by
every Congress, though they have
chaplain who prays in the name of the
Prince of Peace, and in the Southern
Continent, where they are evidently
pious, there's war all the year rourd I!
recording to Mr.. Licesey all this is proof
sufficient that the teachings of Jesus
are not true on account of negative
practical results.
Suppose the Single Tax doctrine or
any other doctrine has not had any
practical results after Is years of
teaching. What of it? Let Mr..
Livesey show by right reasoning that
the doctrine is wrong. if he can. If
neither he, nor anybody else can do
that, why, then the doctrine stands as
true results or no results.
But there are results. New Zealand
the home of him who one day shall
stand upon the ruins of London mus
ing on the evanescence of things-New
Zealand has got the Single Tax to a
very, very large degree, and is getting
on wonderfully well. The city and
county OF London, England, in March,
1892, elected county council which
stood 81 against 81 for the Single Tax
in municipal taxation, and in Novem-
Der of the same year this Council asked
Parliament for law taxing ground
values only throughout the British
metropolis. They did not get tn" law.
But what Of that? The largest me-
nopolis of the world has decided in
favor of it, and that stands for more
than the House of Qand) Lords vote
against it. And here in Cumberland,
the second largest city of Maryland.
there seems to be, since the 14th of
this month, more Single Takers than
Sykesville has voters.
[Remainder of this letter, signed J. L. Stern,
will appear next week.
GENERAL ITEMS.