Middletown transcript., 1895-08-17
DOES NOT ARGUE.

.
''The Middletown (Del.) New Ell
has not yet reached that stage of inte
lectnal development which is necessar
/, to intelligent discussion of the sing
tax proposition so it reprints the fo
, lowing from an alleged farmers papel
IF man has farm and is industri
Gus and progressive, improves his farr
with good house and barn, fence
and 0utbuildiDgs, his land is wort
more and he should pay more take
, than the man who is lazy and lets hi
farm and buildings 60 to wreck be
cause he is too indolent to work, an,
non-progressive in his habits. Th
idea that the magnificent hotel, tn
grand opera house and the mammoth
business block should be exempted
from taxation is preposterous. Well
says the single taxer, we tax the
ground on which they stand. Tha
may be true, but what of the building
and the immense fixtures and the bust
ness transacted in taose buildingsi
This single tax would be the rich
mans delight, and the glory of the
money shark who never owns foot
of laud."
If the single tax is the erich mans
delight" why is it that they are practi-
cally unanimously opposed to it.
Watch the rich men in Delaware and
see how they stand on the single tax
question"
To us it appears that the Single Tax
organ is guilty of the very thing of
which it charges the Neu Era-a
failure to discuss the merits of the
question. What does it matter if the
argument is from an alleged farmers
paper?" To sneer at the farmers
paper will not make single taxer OF
the farmer. If the Single Tax is a
good thing, let the people have the in
formation through the organ of the
idea, for apparently it is but an idea,
and not try to hood-wink them with
promises that are vain and visionary.
But why would not the Single Tax
be ''the rich mans delightw Where is
the wealth of the country Is it in
the land ? When Congress was discuss
ing the Income Tax last winter, was it
not demonstrated that the centraliza-
tion of wealth is in corporations, in
stocks, in bonds, in anything else than
in the land? 1t was claimed that the
rich man thus escapes taxation, and
through the decision of the Supreme
Court he will continue to escape. Now
the Single Tax advocates propose to
remove all taxation from the rich
mans magnificent home, from his fast
horses and fine equipages. and to place
it on the farmers. If that is not "the
rich mans delight" what is it? Tae
manufacturer is to escape also, and
the farmer is to pay that share of the
taxation. Farmers Of Delaware, what |
do you think of it :? 1t is only theory,
an untried theory with alluring pro-
misses that are all as yet Sin the air,n
and its adoption in Delaware would
mean TO disturb all values in real
estate and necessarily all other values,
and would result in business chaos,
Do you want it
This is not political question,
,hough as we have said its advocates
ire free traders and necessarily not
Republicans, but the circumstances
compel us to the conclusion that the
Democratic papers of the State have
lone more to bring the Single Tax
'rigade upon us than all things else,
because of their cry that the State is
or sale, that the Republicans bought
t last fall. If they did the Demo-
rats have been equally guilty for
hirty years past, and the same evil
btains elsewhere.
But the Single Tax is upon us, and
is getting foothold. We are not
larmists, and let coed times only re-
urn it will die a natural death, but if
y any misfortune the past two years 9
hould be repeated in the next two, no
Ian can tell what influence their j
oastful promises may have on the
oters. Single Tax men are in earnest,
his time last year the writer's atten- F
ed large and enthusiastic meetings of e
le Single Tax held weekly, in Los a
-ngeles, Cal. They have there large II
'ciety and to all appearances the 81
umbers were increasing. Similar ~
'cieties in all the large cities are con- D
ibuting to the Campaign" in Della n
are. One of the uniformed orators "
Id in our sane tum this week of the s.
eneouragements'' they are receiving;
wv one young man in New York city, re
rning fifteen dollars week, regular SC
contributes six of it to the "cause,n O.
18th the whole country turned lese on
ela are, who can tell the resultsP
1t appears to us that before anvil fa
rther advancement is made patri- al
ic and concerted effort on the part of by
e papers should be made to meet the
eories of Single Tax. 1t is weak to st
iicule unlsss they fail in arguments nj
Justice does in the clipping above. nc nc
ne argument of Justice is certainly
stronger than that of the Ne,o Era. fin
le query is, Has it arguments, or tw
ly boastful promises ? Let the one W,
met in convincing and dignified or or
amer the people are not to be fooled
d they will take care Of the other. sci
pr
HELPING THE EDITOR. =
Il cannot edit neWspaper butJ can rr r