The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-09-08
AN UNTAxED HOME.
What the Single Tax Mean

picCo VI idNu' De IL Dig or little, on WHICH
the owner is master. which belongs to the
family In perpetuty, and upon which no
sher1n or constable or creditor or tax
gatherer can set his foot. Give this with
just laws. direct Legislation and an ade-
Quate money supply. chained to no metal
lie commodity, and mankind would expand
and become glorious beyond the dreams Of
the poets and sages: and the whole earth
eventually transformed into one continu-
Gus 'Ruskin colony
THE Peoples party should make the
home the cornerstone Of it's whole struc-
ture."
Exactly 50! But for some inscrutable
reason you have consistently and per
sistently opposed the efforts Of the
only class Of mon who have made this
doctrine the foundation Of their belief
the "single TAKERS" who have In season
and out of season insisted and persisted
that every man is entitled to the use
of piece of earth II he wants it. and
that NO man has a right to deny to
another such use. There may be sew
eral ways to skin a cat, but the main
object Is to get the skin. You may be
able to get land back into the hands Of
VIC pCOpAC Wy COuOO1uudClOu vi 81
estates" etc., but you can't make any
one believe it who knows anything of
history. The single-taxers believe their
way the most feasible. So long as we
are working for the same end, read up
on the single tax once more, Mr.. Dom
nelly-ln charity and kindness Of spirit.
AN ADMIRER
OF part of yOu-not all.
Now. In answer to our friend, we
would say that he totally misconceives
the single-tax theory. Instead Of giving
a poor man a home, FREE FROM
TAXES, 1t proposes to PUT ALL THE
TAXES ON THE LAND ON WHICH
THE HOME MUST STAND!
Suppose our friend has a modest cot
tage ON piece Of land in Duluth, (from
which he writes), in what way does
our proposition differ from the single
tax scheme, 50 far as his home is con-
cerned?
We say, increase the taxes on rail-
roads, telegraphs, telephones, banks,
capital and business and exempt the
homestead from all taxes, to the extent,
say. of two or three thousand dollars in
value
Then pass laws to exempt the home
stead from execution for debts; and to
prevent the owner from mortgaging it
under any circumstances whatever.
THIS WOULD INSURE THE FAMI-
LY A HOME FOREVER.
What is the single-tax proposition?
1. To relieve the railroads of all tax
es, ON all Improvements, depot build
ings, rails, ties, locomotives, and cars;
and all business and profits on stocks
or bonds, and pile all this immense tax
ON the land. including our friends home
In Duluth. The railroad would then
pay taxes only for it's narrow road-bed,
at the same rate as adjoining farm
lands are taxed!
2. To relieve the banker from all
taxes on his. capital, his business, his
profits. his bonds and mortgages, and
AAo DuAAu1A6o olu W CctA Ouly LIS lOL,
as if it was unimproved and bare. And
all the taxes which he should contrib
ute for the support of the government,
for the protection it gives his life and
property, Is to be shifted onto the land,
including our friends little lot in Du-
luth! The lot the banker occupies may
be worth $4,000; the building on it may
have cost $1,0OO,O00, and the rents may
pay interest on that sum, and in that
building the banker may do business
of ten million year. But all that is
to go scot-free, nothing pays taxes but
the bare lot, and our friend is to help
make up the deficiency
3. To apply the same system to the
manufacturer, the merchant, the capita
list, and everybody else, and pile tho
taxes all on the land.
And then, says the single-taxer, the
burden will become so great that the
rich people will be driven off the land,
will have to abandon 1t, and the poor
can then enter in and take possession.
Yes; when the heavens fall you can
catch larks! The poor man can have
the land for home, PROVIDED HE IS
ABLE TO PAY THE TAXES WHICH
THE RICH WE'RE UNWILLING TO
PAY!!!
For remember the taxes are not to
be taken off the land when the rich man
gives it up. They are to continue no
matter who owns it. If the rich man
won't pay the taxes and the poor man
cannot, the state will have to collect
them from the gophers and chipmunks,
who will be the sole tenants.
Bah! The whole thing is villain
GUS, lunatical absurdity; so villainous
and so lunatical that even the rich. who
would like to see it brought about and
who would profit by it, have not the
impudence to advocate it.
There then, "Mr. Admirer Of part of
us" is the difference between our theory
and Mr.. Henry Georges.
We propose that each FAMILY shall
have home and that it shall be theirs
forever, and PAY NO TAXES.
Mr.. George proposes that the owners
Of the land shall PAY ALL THE TAX
Els. That is what SINGLE TAX means.
There is to be no other taxes, on any
body or anything! And as you cannot
very we'll build houses in the air, or on