The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-16
COMMON SENSE.
FREE.TRADE AND PROTECTION
Single Tax And Enthusiasm.

tits wonderful how delusions of all
sorts takes possession Of the women
folk. Their sympathies and their af-
fections cntangle their judgments.
They reason through their hearts,
sometimes this is better than the
male fashion of reasoning through
the stomach.
Now, here is good. honest, sincere
lady sends US this wild appeal,-we
omit the name and residences:
HON. IGNATIUs DONNELLY:
SIR:-I have just read an article
you wrote in answer to Mr.. Suther-
land, of New York
/ was surprised to see that you do
not understand the Single Tax You
have wonderful talent,-and can do
much for the world, if you would take
the pains to study the Single-Tax.
Your writings show that you know
nothing about it.
ask you in the name Of suffering
humanity. and for what you are able
to do, to establish the kingdom Of God
on earth, and for Christ's sake, get
Henry Georges book, Progress and
Poverty" read and digest it; and then
you will be to the SiDgle-Tax what
St. Paul was to the Gospel Of Christ.
Read "Protection and Free Trade"
one of Georges books, and a man of
your brains must see, it is the only
way out Of the wilderness of laws, that
is crushing the life out of freedom.
l will close with fervent prayer,
that the scales may fall from your
eyes, and that the Single-Tax may be
grated into the Peoples Party plat
form. That Is all they want to lead
them on to victory. Yours respect
fully.
We would say to all this misdirected
enthusiasm, that we have read "Pro-
gress and Poverty" and "Protection
and Free Trade and believe them
both to contain much truth, but to be
practically impractcable and full Of
sophlstries. For a country to estab-
lish absolute free trade, would be the
same as landlord renting a store to
a merchant, on condition that any one
else and every one else, should have
the right to enter the store, spread
out their tables and wares, and go to
selling their goods, without paying
any part of the rent. 1t would be to
sell man farm and put in the deed
covenant that anybody else should
have the right to raise crops on it.
1t would be to rent a man house, on
condition that strangers should, at all
times, have the right to get into the
best bed, dip their fingers into the
grub-pot, and crowd the tenant away
from the fire. II people pay taxes
to support a government and turn
out to fight for it, and have no more
rights than the alien across the
Allan tic, who does neither, what does
citizenship amount to? OF course in
saying this. we do not Justify extor-
tionate and villainous tariff charges,
that go to enrich capitalists at the
expense of the masses; but there is a
planetary distance between reason
| able taxation on imports, for the rails
| ing Of necessary revenue. and the alb
solute free-trade of rabid doctrinaires
like Henry George. Ireland has had
absolute free-trade for centuries and
instead of being the richest, she is the
poorest country in the world. WheL
a people become SO poor and wretched
that no other people can undersel
their laborers, they can take down al
barriers and defy the competition OF
the whole world;-but it is the theory
of this nation that we should main
tain conditions for labor higher thar
those possessed by the rest Of man.
kind; we are fighting for loftiel
civilization-not for European degra
dation. Hence we insist upon ar
| American system Of finance that will
not level us to British and German
depths. Our whole politics turn on
the question shall this vast popula
tion in these United States rise or fall
Shall we lift up the rest Of the worle
or shall the rest Of the world drag
US down? If we sink to lower condi
tions, after being trained in higher
we will need European forms of gov
ernment, standing armies. kings ano
nobility,-or we will break forth ir
deluges of blood and slaughter. Yol
cannot mix the traditions of liberty
with grinding poverty and have peace
And we would further ask our lad
correspondent, how in the name of al
that is reasonable, can you cure tn
aggressions Of the Money-power an
the corporations, by relieving them Q
all taxes. and piling the burdens of tn
government all upon the land, 0
,rhich the people are to make their homes
What would Wall street care fo
taxes on real property: They own lii
tie of it. Their dealings are in pei
sonal property-bonds, mortgages
notes, gold, silver, paper money. 4
man can be worth millions Of thes
things, live in frst-class hotel, an
not own any land but grave-yar
lot. How can you punish such ma
by taking all the taxes off persona
property and putting it on real e.
tateo Don't you suppose he woul
cheerfully pay ten dollars year SiI
gle-tax on that 10xl5 grave-lot, II
escaped thereby all taxation on n
millions Of productive capital? An
what benefit is it to give poor ma
| access to piece of land, II you comp'
him to help pay the taxes OF all thes