The morning times., 1896-05-10
SINGLE TAX SYN oNYMOUs WITH JUS
THtE-

SINGLE TAX S YIN 0NYMOUS WITH JUS
TICE.,
Single tax is only another name for jus
tice, and those who advocate it simply
have keener, clearer conception Of justice
than their opponents. Could any Of the
fundamental aims Of the single tax be
proven UNJUST its most ardent advocates
would doubtless thcnceforth oppose il as
vigorously as they have hitherto defended
1t. The TACT however, is that its would
he critics. unable to sustain any OF their
obJccuohs to 1t, have been almost COM
pietely silenced.
Recognizing the fundamental princjplc
or the Declaration>ot Independence that,
by virtue of their BIRTH all men are equally
entitled TO life, liberty and the pursuit
Oh happiness, slngle-taxers simply promul-
gave ana elaborate this selfsame doctrine.
iiiey recognize men suniversal equal rights
or certain generations restricted by the
more than equal rights OF other generations
For III one generation is given more than
equal rights other generations must re-
celVe Just that much less than equal rights.
rms is Just as self-evident as that to give
one man more than equal liberty neces-
sarily lessons the liberty OF others. As
wen ignore The equal rights OF man with
eIoSe ol MS own generation as ignore his
equal flShts with those of other genera
LlOns Tor some generations could thus en-
slave other generations as readily as some
individuals could eusave other individuals.
carried TO its full logical conclusion, true
democracy, republicanisln, America nsm, de-
nIalds universal equal rights for all men
with those OF all other generations
Denying the ''divine right of kings TO
rule their contemporaries necessarily in
wolves denial or their obviously lesser right
10 RUE countess unborn generations by
debating with whom they shah ma Ike terr.x
before receiving permission to live on or
use tne earth. Yet. respecting their land
grants and the succee ding titles ia sed
| thereon, virtually comedies them such an
| unjust right 1t is useless to deny one with
| out denying the other A natural right to
| life, and only purchasabe right to the
natural opportunities by access to which
| only can men sustain life, is self-evident
| sci self-contradiction.
UNIVERSAL EQUAL RIGHTS.
With universal equal rights, each genera
| tion OF Hlen can have only an equal life
| interest with all others in the earth,
And, though one generation might Justly
! sell its own life interest in the earth
! II could not validity sell the life interest.
| OF future generations any more than thief
can validly sell any other stolen property.
For buyers purchase only as good titles a s
| sellers have to give, and none but the real
| owner can give 4 valid title. without his
| original sanction, every succeeding trans
| fer, like the first, must likewise be invalid.
| Though transferred through 10000 differ
| ent hands, the rightful owner NAV Justly
seize his stolen property wherever found.
| Even though might made right that
| right necessarily expires with expira ion
! OF the might Hence such titles expire with
| the individual or generation that esta blished
and maintained them.
| Declaring that might constitutes right
| is virtually saving that ''whatever is Is
| right and, necessarily, that whatever
| was was right. Instead of regarding right
| as an eternal, immutable principle of
| Justice, this weather-vane idea of right
makes it the football of every human whim.
| Instead OF being an advance guide by which
| to steer future human action, right
would thus become only a mere sequence
by which TO Justify the most infamous
| actions.
| JUSTICE ABOVE LAW.
AS right stands before and above might
| so Is justice higher than and prior TO
| law. Justice is the eternal, immutable
| ideal toward which We strive, while Jaw is
| only more or less imperfect formulation or
| naturalization of that high ideal. Be
| cause OF its near approach TO justice law
| deserves our most profound respect. But,
|
| debar all future improvement OF our laws
| II law aud might constitute justice and
| right, then chattel slavery was right, the
| burning of witches. the torture of martyrs
by the inquiSition and even the CrucifiXiOn
| of Christ Himself were Just and right. And,
| fright then, such Cruelties would be equally
| right today, if justice or right is eternal
| aud immutable. Likewise. If wrong today,
they were equally wrong then, regardless
I,t Il
fact that laws differ in different cities,
states and nations. and at different times
In the same towns states and nations. i'll
disputably proves that laws are not alwa VS.
just.
Every Legislature convened to enact. alter
and repeal law is itself a prima faCie
owledgment that existing law is not
fully Just. Every ballot cast for such leg.
isIators is recorded acknowledgment by
each voter of this SelfSame fact.
GENUINE PHILANTHROPY
Genuine reform is the truest philanthropy
As the reputation of an Individual suffers
for association with evil companions, so the
public respect for all la W declines in proper
tion To the percentage OF bad la ws we main
tain The true friend OF both law aDt
humanity is he who endeavors to have jus
Ia VS. supplant the unJus
| The effort, therefore, to have our Law
reco gnZe the universal equal rights O
all men, instead of only their partial equa
rights is undoubtedly a long step in The
ri ght direction. For, whatever be tn,
standard of one mans rights, every othe
man ever born must necessarily possess
an equal right. Hence, for one man or Sc
of men to assume rights denied to thei
fellow men of other generations, is t
usurp, invade and ignore equal rights.
And all laws uphOlding such invasion like
wise ignore mans equal rights, as d
also the men who uphold those laws.
AS man here, step by step, slowly ant
painfully. recognized more and more
clearly mans equal rights, abolishing
polygamy, slavery and other enslaving re
strictions, so the single tax is simply one
more step toward universal equal rights
D. w G.