The morning times., 1897-01-10
SINGLE TAX.
The Times undertakes no response
bility for any views expressed in
this column.
Genuine Reforms.

Genuine Reforms.
Mans moral impulses naturally Lead him
to desire TO propagate morality by invent
ing various methods of imprcssing his moral
thoughts, feelings and desires on others.
Hence a great variety of methods have
naturally been devised and advocated.
Ana, as with mechanical inventions, those
plans recognizing and respecting flnda-
mental natural laws are positively hurt
full.
Thus so-called moral reforms naturally
divide themselves into two great classes
genuine and bogus, true and false, real
and imitation. Yetthe advocates of these
two opposing, antagonistic kinds OF reform
are inspired by the same fundamental de-
sire to increase morality and benefit inau-
kind. All reformers honestly seek the
same ultimate end, and differ only as to
the methods of reaching that end.
As protesting Christians, for centuries,
burned millions Of their fellow-men as
martyrs at the stake, simply because they
differed about the way of getting To the
heaven they all desired ultimately TO
reach, SO reforIEers have antagonzed ana
condemned each other about the way of
upliftingmankind, which they all ultimately
wished To do.
Hence, instead OF fiercely antagoniziag
each other, all reformers should amicahly
DISCUSS their various methods and unite
at least on all harmonious lines of effort
10 reach their common end. Fearing
fair, free and fun discussion is confessing
the weakness of your own position. The
right courts investigation; error evades
IT, Truth invites debate, error bush
whacks.' Single-taNers never evade dis
cussion. They invite it, This is strong
indication that the single tax is right.
Bogus Reforms.
BY deludng earnest inquirers and di-
verting valuable effort from proper chan
nelS, false feforms often do more harm
than good t9the human race. Effort that
rightly applied would have upliftcd hu-
niaDity is thus worse than wasted. II is,
therefore, necessary To expose the errors OF
false reforms. Bogus reforms ignore the
universal equal rights or all men in ali
generations. They teach that kings and
aristOcrats really had more and greater
natural rights than their fellow-men.
This ignores the very foundation of human
rights. For, If all men have not equal
natural rights, how can we limit the al
legged superiority OF one mans nights over
a nothers? There would be absolutely
no basis or starting point from which to
measure rights, and consequently no meas
uring OF rights whatever, in which case
the very word rights" would lose its
aiming and cease to exist.
The idea that some supernatural power
can fightfuIly give some men more and
others less than equal natural rights is
alSn For ono man
ceives more than his equal rights must
other men receive just that much less
tlian their equal natural rights, and no
power, whether natural or supernatural,
can alter this fact. The doctrine of the
divine right of kings meant the proper
tionate forfeiture of the equal natural
rights of his sub jects.
Acknowledging superior rights even of
the supernatural or its agents means il
proporticnate forfeiture of our own and
our Children's equal natural rights.
Such false philosophy as that the so
called supernatural can invade and Trans
fer our natural rights TO its favoritcs leads
to much injustice. The District Commits
sioners recently passed an order forbid
ding the newsboys to cry their papers on
Sundays Though the Declaration of In
dependence prociaims the equal rights Of
all men to life, liberty and the pursuit
OF happiness this order virtually denies
the poor newsboy right to life'' if he
can't get the where with to sustain it
otherwise thai by using his voice on the
same day that the well-paid minister is
freely permitted TO get his by using his
voice. Such action ignores the very foun-
dation principle Of our republic" -"equal
rights TO all, special privileges to none''
To give one class of men, on any day OF
the week, more than equal rights is to
give other men just that much less than
equal rights, whether done in the name OF
kings, aristOcracy or religion.
Justice Regarding Religion.
The United States Constitution distinctly
says: Congress shall make no law re-
specting an establishment OF religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or
abridging the freedom of speech or of
the press And unless our Commissioners
are greater than Congress they can't con-
stitutionally make any such law, either
Laws granting orthodox Christianity
and its religious days special privileges
that are denied TO Seventh Day Adventists,
Jews, Mohamnedans, BUddhists, etc, and
their religious days, to that extent ''es-
tablish'' Christian orthodoxy and prevent
the free exercise of other religions
Such laws are therefore unconstitutional
Hence the Commissioners order favoring
the orthodox Christian Sunday as against
the a Adyentist and Jewish Sunday, and the
holy days OF all other religions is clearly
unconstitutional. But Ignoring mems
equal natural rights TO natural opportuni-
ties leads TO ignoring their constitutional
rights in other matters. One Injustice is
precedent for another. One wrong is
the fUlcrum for perpetration of many
others Hence true single-taXers oppose
wrong in all its forms.
Denying some men the equal freedom on
all days alike to moderately use their voices
in the pursuit of their legitimate vocations
not only robs them of their equal natural
right to earn an honest living, but
''abridges' their freedom of speech"
which the Constitution forbids.
Restricting the newspapers natural, le-
gitimate, everyday method of circulation,
through newsboys civilly crying it, cor
tainly 'tabridges the freedom of the press"
which the Constitution strictly forbi.ls.
For, without the freedom to circulate,
there can virtually be no freedom of the
press"
To command respect, laws, like men,
must be just. Repeating all the unjust
laws and preserving only those which
are just will greatly increase respect for
and obedience to law
UNFOLDING injustice in the name of law
fosters disrespect for law and propa gates
anarchy. Certainly ne ewsboys have no
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