The morning times., 1896-10-25
9i1nlg!!sTaxGo gle Go!gma !! ! !
The Times undertakes no RESPONSE
bility for any views expressed in
this column.

The Times undertakes no responsi.
bility for any views expressed in
this column.
! 1NAUGURATING THE SINGLE TAX.
Many who think very favorably of the
single tax desire to know how 1t can be
| ihansurated. They ask how such n radical
nnd far-reaching reform can possibly be
Drought about without bloody revolution,
such as has inaugurated must other great
social reforms.
| They seem to think this the necessary
concomitant of the birth Of every great
social reform, such as freeing our slaves and
freeing America from the English yoke;
consequently they are dreading the up
| beaval and bloodslied they consider in
evi'able and hesitate, for that reason, to
advocate the single tax.
But thoroughly initiated single-taxers
| lave no fear that this great reform, pow
| erfui and far-rcachng though 1T be, will
neccssitate any bloodshed either in In
| augurating or mairSaining it. They adj
vocate not revolution, but evolution, and in
| stead Of having mems reason overthrown
oF 'he angry passions aroused by war, de-
sire 10 avoid all strife, that their logical
| umphs.
We already tax land values along with
| labor products, and to this no one objects,
If we begin Increasing the taxes ON land
| values and propoftionately rcmitting the
taxes ON labor products, we shall then be
tending in the direction of the single tax.
This reducing OF taxes on labor products
In lieu OF increasing them on land values
may continue year by year at rate of l,
,, o, 10 or 20 per cent each year, until
all of the taxes on industry are entirely re-
mittcd andtransferred Ia land values. Thus
the process can be SO gradual as to require
100 years for its completion, or it can be
| accomplished in five years or even less time
IL desired.
AT this slower rate certainly none could
suffer appreciably from the mere transi-
ton itself. whereas, most all other great
social reforms have claimed not only the
lifelong savings, but the very Hfe-blood
| of many victims and martyrs.
Hence, they who think the single tax
would be perfectly just to start with in
colonizing new and unexplored country,
| but object to it here on the ground of
| its niuring those whose speculative invest
mcnts We're based ON confidence in the gov
| tainly indorse inaugurating the single tax
at the slow rate OF l per cent increase OF
| land value tax each year, and thus join
the limited, if not the unlimited, single
| takers.
LIMITED VS.. UNLIMITED SINGLE TAX
ERS.
The unlimited single-taxers would take
all the unearned increment OF land, by tax
alton, for public use; while limited single
takers would take only part of that IN
earned increment therefor: and some OF
| them would begin taking only very grad
| ually.
But they would all. eventually, take all
the taxes off labor and its products. or, ut
least, not tax them for the support OF gov
ernnenJ until this universal Increment WAS
| entirely exhausted. For, until the govern
ment or community iirst consumes all the
| ground-rent it creates. it is unjust to pen
sion 1t on the individuals labor product
as 10 pension the millionaire on the COM
nunity. which we virtually do whenever
the millionaire landowner takes the in
creasng ground-rent, which, but for the
surrounding community and government,
would never have existed.
even foreign nillionaires, who, having
bought up large tracts Of American land.
or married some American heiress. year
after year absorb ,throughthis rising ground
rent more and mere OF our American
products, without returning any equivalent
therefor thus constituting continuous drain
of our nations substance toward Europe
with no returning equivalent. This ac-
counts for the balance OF trade often being
against US, even when weeXpOrt much more
than we import.
Through selling our land to aliens, some
Americans must virtually go down on their
knees TO foreigners for permission to live
on and use their own native soil. What
independence did the blood of their Reyo-
lutionary sires, in 1176, purchase for such
Americans?
Is II possible that our blood-bought lib
erty has been sold away to the same people
who tyrannized over our ancestors? Is
it easier to pay foreigners tribute, when
We, instead of they, make and enforce the
laws exacting it? And do not the same
land laws which cnslave us to the foreigner
| equally enslave us TO American land syndi-
Gates and spectators?
With only purchasablc right of access
sustain life, the natural and inalienable
right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness proclaimed in the Declara-
ton of Independence, ceased to exist. The
two asserted rights are antagonistic and
Incompatible, and one or the other must 60
The only question is, which will you main
tain that on which our glorious Republic
and its grand institutions are founded, or
ba
truths enunciated in the Declaration of
| Independence our Republic stands or falls.
CONSISTENT PATRIOTISM
Don't Work and pray for the coming
of kingdom If you prefer a republic;
and don't demosh the foundation on which
the republic is built il You wish it to
stand Removing everything antagonstic
to that Foundation strengthens it and III
sures the stability OF the republic, AMI
only they who thus aid in perpetuating
this truly democratic form OF government
are its real friends.
Help to secure mans natural and in
alienable right to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness by helping to Sc
cure his natural and inalienable right to
the natural opportunities necessary to sus-
tain life AS well subject men to the
tribute OF kings and their titled lords al
to the tribute of lords with titles to the
earth, without access to which they can't
| exist.
Single tax agitation is already produc,
| ing bene fetal results. Foreign specu-
| lators. who Were hitherto eagerly buying
| up American land, seeing the possibility
| of our adopting the single tax ere long,
have become cautious and curtailed pur-
chases American land speculators Ior