The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-10-06
asks Donnelly and he answers 1t /


these statements:
send you the single tax platform
which you will see fundamentally does
not agree to his definition; therefore
to answer his would be piece OF alb
surdity, for how easy it is to put up a
straw man and then knock him down.
Just one more statement of his:
BAH! The whole thing IS a villain
Gus, lunatical absurdity; so villainous
and SO lunatical that even the rich
who would like to see it brought about
and would profit by it, have not the i'm
pudence TO advocate it,"
He must have been terrible sore over
the drub5ing he got from the single
taxer at the St. Louis meeting to have
penned such a statement.
II the single tax was in operation
could the owners of coal lands in Penn
sylvania or anywhere else prevent the
miners from employing themselves
you know their occupation as royalty
collectors would be gone.
And again:
If the whole thing, the single tax is
"villainous" and 'lunatical absurdity'
why does he say Henry George lis a
worthy man with the best intentions
in the world" How can worthy
man be villain, etc.-Or a villain a
worthy manor any of his, Georges,
followers.
What is the matter with such men
as the "Donnelly'' stripe fighting
against the only remedy, mean peace
able remedy, for existing evils?
E.Z BUTCHER
Now really, we want to be fair and
do right, and keep our temper, but it
is hard to do so in the face Of such
nonsense.
Mr. Butcher "a good name for he
butchers common sense at terrible
rate), says the single takers propose
mot TO TAX LAND BUT LAND
VALUES"
Where is the difference? Is not ev-
erything taxed upon its VALUE? If 1t
has no value, whether real or personal
or mixed property, it pays no taxes
And if the land has no value, or the
single tax scheme deprives it OF all
value, how are you, by the tax on land
or land values going to raise all the
revenues of the government from 1t?
Nothing can come from nothing. You
cannot get blood from a turnip. You
cannot derive taxes from that which
is northeastern the whole idea Of tax
alton is that he who owns The property
and pays the taxes, shall have some
thing left for himself. after he pays
them. If he has not he will not pay
them.
How in the name of God, who is the
supreme father of common sense, CAN
YOU DISSOCIATE THE VALUE OF
THE LAND FROM THE LAND:
You tax the land and to fix the
amount of the tax you enquire it's val
ue. But if there is no land there can
be no value, and there cannot be the
value without the land. How can you
| tax the value of John Jones lot 10 in
block 5, and not tax lot 10 IL block 5?
! How would Brother Butcher make out
| the bill against an Intangible some
| thing that is floating in the air, anchor
| ed to nothing? And how could you
you cannot sell lot 10 in block s? I'm
| agine tax advertisement Offering for
sale the VALUE of lot 10 in block s.
with a statement that it is the VALUE
AND NOT THE LOT that is to be sold
Who would buy this ghost? You mis- ht
just as we'll offer for sale a mans "in-
sensible perspiration;" or his aura
which the theosophists say surrounds
every man, like an invisible cloud.
The man who would talk such non
sense should, for the good of she hui
man family, be prevented from marry
ing.
But he asks:
What shall we do with those who
are commencing to make home,
OR the unborn generations that are to
follow
Our idea is that it should be the
duty of the government, as soon as
one of its citizens marries, to provide
for him, and his unborn posterity, a
home. Make him pay for it, if you
please, by small installments, through
twenty Or fifty years-or give it to him
outright. 1t should be the theory o.
| the government that a republic cannot
he maintained except upon the basis OF
HOME-OWNERS, and for its own safe
(, ty, it should see that every family has
home; and that xSatherers ant
usurers and creditors; are forever forced
| OuI.
If he land belongs to all it belongs
to no one in particular. If it belongs
TO al no one man can appropriate {
part of it and have nome thereon
that another man cannot dispossess him
Of; and another nay hen dsposses:
The chap that disDossessed MIN; and s.
on to the end of the chapter. This ends
| homes and ends families, and ends civ
iii:ation. You cannc. raise famil,
Under the bushes, with somebody pck
ing you to move on.
It is all Internal nonsense; and any
| man who is by accident temDOraril,