The morning times., 1896-02-06
TALKED ON SINGLE TAX
Mr.. Ralston's Lecture Before the
Social Science Club.
tion With the Modern and Con-
sidered Particular Phases.

The lecture last evening OF Mr. j. Fl.
Raiston, under the auspices of the Capitol
Social Science Club, at No. 23O Twelfth
street southwest, on the subject OF "The
single tax" was attended by large
and interested audience.
The meeting was presided over by
the Rev. A. NJ. Hilliker, president of the
club, who, in present ting Mr. Ralsten,
said neither he nor his subject needed any
introduction to the audience. The speaker
was received with much applause.
Mr. rs iston stated at the outset that all
the great battles for liberty in the world
We're brought about from unjust taxation.
Taxaticn is a matter the consideration of
which enters deeply into the affairs OF our
daily lives therefore il is no wonder that
'his country should be seriously considering
il as this time.
In ttr oden times, he said, taxation was
not bused on any system OF right or Justice
but was solely the prerogative OF the po wer-
full ana mighty. II such a system was
right and just then, he said, the present
system is right also, at least in theory.
He argued further that the dealings
between the State and citizen should be
upon the same basis as that between in
many Illustrations to sustain his position.
No large fortunes We're ever amassed by
individual industry, ali 'Sho have accumu
lated wealth, as we understand the mean
ing OF the word, have done so through
speculation in land, in the increase OF land
values. Our miilionaires are all of this
class, those who have done nothing to aid
in the increase OF land values. Instead,
they have stood In the way OF il dustrial
| development by not allowing any one to
use or occupy the land they called theirs
to establish industries unless they paid
fabulous prices for the privilege.
This is all wrong. you say, still In the
next breath you say that if a merchant
brings stock of goods into your city
to sell he must first pay tax of / 1-2
per cent on their actual value. In other
places the same thing has been done. so
that when they come TO be Offered for
sale to tie poor they are already loaded
down with half dozen special taxes.
hir. Ralston then explained the opera
tion Of the single tax in the town OF Hyatts-
Vile and closed by showing the great
benefits to all parties derived from the
Detroit potato patch plan. He referred
TO what Rosseau, the great French phiioso-
pher, had said OF the first man who plowed
furrow around piece of land. and ex-
claimed: Now it is my own and said
if some one tEen had disputed his right
to it the private ownership OF land would
no doubt have been abolished then and
there.
AT this juncture some one In the audience
exclaimed: ''Rosseau was an Atheist"
to which Mr.. RaIston quickly replied, re-
ligious differences of opinion have nothing
To do with the measure OF truth in matters
of this kind. This answer was received
with tremendous applause.
At the conclusion OF his address MI
Ralston was piled with questions by many
of the audience, all of which he answered
promptly and satisfactorily.
Among thequestionersw were Rev. DR.. Alex
ander Kent Mr.. Smiley and Mr.. Gooding
Mr.. D. Webster Groh gave short talk
explaining why some property should, and
Others should not, be taxed.