The morning times., 1896-12-06
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The Times undertakes no responsi-
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THE SINGLE TAx OUTLOOK.

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THE SINGLE fAx OUTLOOK.
The single tax is slowly but surely
gaining ground. Slowly 1T doubtless seems
to those who have been SO earnestly and
hopefully advocating 1t for years, get
RAPIDLY as compared Tit4 many other great
reforms.
Thomas Paine, the illustrious author ol
'Common Sense "The Crisis" THE
Rights OF Alan, Che A ge of Reason, y ant
other works for both the physical and
mental emancipation OF mankind. advocated
the abolition of chattel slavery nearly a
hundred years before it came To this coun.
try.
Prohibition of the liquor traffic has been
advocated for many years, yet nOtwith-
standing its having long had a national
party organization and lavish expendi-
ture OF money in its behalf the end striven
for seems almost as far off as ever. Woman
suffragists have been aStating for many
years with but meager success. And, like
wise, many other aged reforms that have
progressed very slowly might be cited.
But the single tax, with its very name
less than twenty years old-too youthful
yet to be OF voting age-is known all around
the world, and has its earnest, intelligent
advocates in every civilized nation ON earth,
who are steadily and surely increasing in
numbers, Tor no genuine singletaXcr ever
backslides from the faith. Having been
converted by sound, logical reasoning to
the single tax, no amount Of argument
can ever make one eject it.
The fact that sngletaXers cordially in
vite criticism in their meetings is prima
'acie evidence that they do not fear it, and
that they have reason to think their posi-
ton logically impregnable. Hence the single
tax, being thus sOlidly entrenched, on the
unassailable ground Of logical reason,
never retreats, but forges constantly to the
front, and the question OF its ultimate tri-
unph is only one of how long ignorance
can dominate the human race, and when
reason, justice, truth and liberty, unre-
stricted, shall eventually begin their glori-
GUS reign.
THE REFORM OF REFORMS.
Previous single tax articles in this column
have shown that niUst single-taXers, hay
ing formerly engaged III utner so-called re-
forms. and eventually seen their futilty
have graduated in reform work by espous-
ing that reform OF rcfo-ms-thc single tax.
For, unless this general reform precedcs
them, all other so-called reforms must ul-
timately fail. Previous articles have shown
how even the noble intentions OF such chari-
table Institutions as our missions result
only III enabling those furnished part of the
year with boarding, clothing and lodging
gratis. TO work the other part OF the year
cheaper than entirely self-supporting men
and women can afford to, thus uBdermin-
ing their wages and bringing them down to
the pauper's level besides taking away
their employment and eventually driving
them to need this very charity themselves
thus ultimately multiplying the number Of
paupcrs yearly.
II been sho own how taxing
vacant land heavier would drive more OF it
into use, thus increasing employment, rais-
Ing wages, and lowering rents, which would
naturally tend to yearly reduce the number
of persons driven to need charity. AS be-
tween these two methods OF dealing with
Indulgence, there can be no question of the
superiority of the single tax methods.
John b. Cough, the, famous temperance
lecturer, once graphically illustrated the
superiority Of ian ounce OF ofprevention'' over
pound OF cure Suppose said he,
you saw many kind-hearted persons
standing on bridge fishing mp, with
various lmprovised devices, n few of the
many struggling infants that some wicked
men were continually throwing in the river
above that point. Much as you sympa.
thiZed with their well eant endeavors on
the bridge, would you net urge them to
go above and prevent rhe-ncn from throw
ing them in. thus saving all the children
instead OF only the very few thus fisht-d up
out of1the many that sank before reach7
ing the bridge and the many others that
were swept by unrescued:'
Likewise, much as Siugle-taxcrs ma sym-
pathizc with Mr. Charles n. Crittenton.
and his co-workers, in their noble efforts
oh the Crittenton Mission Bridge below.
to save few of the many struggling
fallen women, floating by ON the rapid
river of life, they naturally ask: Why not
20 above, and prevent the women from
being thrown in?''
If prevention Is better than cure is il
not still noblcr to prevent women from
failing" than to let them fall and
then anerwa-d attempt their rescue? Men
and women are largely the creatures of
circumstance, and to change their surround
ing conditions is often o changetheir course
in life.
THE REMEDY.
As many of our religious organizations
have recently passed resolutions condemning
the Moham medan Turks, who. having
neither drunkards nor FALLEN women"
need none of our orga niZatiunS for reclaim
ing them; as Christian Armenians. ..when
smitten on one check, turn not the other
but, anarchist like, use dynamite, and.
as Bible believers, fill our iailS and peni-
tentiaries, TO the almost total exclusion
OF skeptics. something other than indi-
vidual religion must cause our Social evils
High rents and low wages ncccssitalinr
delayed marriages. doubtless cause MANY
OF both sexes to "fall."
And right here the question arises:
Why are there neither organizations nor
efforts nor talk of reScuing fallen men?''
Do Iuen never ''fall?'' Can women .-Iall :,
yet no men fall" with them? or is it
probable that for every fallen, woman
some male partner has also ''fallen?" Ger
tainly there can't be concerted effort to
ignore mans vices while advertising wo-
mans.
With steady employment, better wages,
and lower rents, would not many more of
bIth sexes marry and fewer ''fall?' Does
not the fear OF being unable to main,a n
a family under present low wages, high
rerts, and scarcity of employment delay
many marriages?
So long as the pecuniary wages of vice
are greater than those of virtue MANY
accept the former out of sheer necessity.
And, to lessen those in the occupation, with
out lessening the demand, is merely to
raise the wages thereof and tempt new
accessions to their ranks. Hence. present
social conditions force down another wo-
man in the place of every one OF the
''fallen" that is artificially uplifted; thus
ultimately contaminating two instead of
one.
Instead of superficial remedies. aimed
at mere secondary effects, why not remove
the underlying cause OF these evils, through
taxing houses, furniture, clothing and labor
products generally less and vacant lots
more. This would increase building, en-
ployment and wages. and simultaneously
lower rents. AN idle brain is Satan's
workshop and the davil finds work for
idle hands to do are old sayings born of
the discovery that industry is the greatest
known preventive Of vicein every form.
The true remedy thenis to encourage in
Il -, 4.
ness by increasing the taxes on il in allits
forms-idle land being the basis Of all
other forms of idleness. iIdlelan means idle
men. Using land employs men. The single