The record-union., 1898-11-06
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions on SUBJ
jects OF Living News
Interest.

Kern Echo: If there ever was man
married body and soul to an idea it is
Judge Mcguire to single tax. 1t is
closer to him than a. loved political is
sue-it blends with his religion He
feels and knows it to be the great cure
Tor all the pains that shoot and linger
In the body OF society. Land, he elo-
quently pleads, Is the bountiful gift Of
God to his children, the source of all
wealth and therefore should pay all the
taxes Should the Judge play lucky
and get elected is there any one fool
ish enough to argue that this cherished
Idea will not be given encouragement
even at the expense of other demands
ON the Executive? Men deeply imbued
with one idea cannot always play the
demagogue.
A CONCISE ARGUMENT.
Tulare Register: Suppose we admit
that. the present system of levying
and collecting taxes is not quite what
1T should be. Suppose there are tax
shfrkers on earth, and that rotten
practices" have developed at times.
What then? What assurances have
we that Maguire's one political and eco
nomical principle would prove better
He and his disciples assume so, but
where has the matter been tested Who
would fix rental va1ues?'' Not the
present land owners surely. Who
would collect and apply the rental
money? Probably the same stripe of
men as do the taxing and spending
now. Our present laws are just and
perfect in theory, the weakness being
owners escape now, might they not
under the single tax? Human nature
VIII not be changed. And if they do
escape will not the burden rest heav-
Ter upon the small land owner? And
if the small holder finds his rental"
rate so high that he cannot afford to
pay 1t, while somebody else stands
ready to take the land at the rate
named, will former titles be any pro-
lection? Not according to Mr.. Ma
cures views The former owner will
nave to pay what is demanded or get
OF. Ii he is compelled to go would not
that be conf1scation? Henry George
wanted the kernel but cared not who
holds the shell Mr. Mcguire SCOTS at
the idea OF private titles to land. Do
not those ideas SAVIOR of confiscation?
is 1t worth while to- encourage such
views or to lend aid to anything so
obscured in doubt? The election of
Mcguire would encourage single tax
ers everywhere and discourage invest
ments IN California. Is it not a. good
plan to hit the whole thing while we
have a chance?
SCHOOLBOOK RING.
Petaluma Argus: Only a few Years
ago California was a rich field for the
operations Of the schoolbook publish
ers or the East, and as the population
OF the State increased, the agents of
these concerns increased in like pro-
portions. Every Board of Education
was continually importuned to change
the textbooks then being used in the
public schools, and such changes be-
came so frequent, and the expense to
parents resulting therefrom became so
ourdensome, that at last the people
determined to throw off the domina-
ton Of the publishing houses, to estab-
lish book publishing plant of their
own, and to thus protect themselves
from the exactions Of a combination
Of publishers that was fast assuming
the proportions of a gigantic monop-
oily.
This uprising of the people against
extortion resulted in the establishment
OF the State series of school textbooks
now in vogue, through which such an
immense saving to the people has been
accomplished. The establishment of
the system met, however with the de-
termined opposition of the combined
publishers, and in every stage of its
development it's friends have had to
protect it from their malignant attacks,
both open and covert Indeed, the
evident determination Of the monopoly
to prevent or break down the establish
menti of the State system became so
manifest that the people placed a pro-
vision in the Constitution protecting it
from the possibility of any future Leg
islature that might be brought under the
influence of the combine or it's agents.
Since that time the efforts of the
plotters have been united in an en-
deavor to discredit and depooularize
the State books, and to cripple and
destroy the States ability to publish
them economically. or at a cost to the
people that will continue them in pop
this, and at the same time to conceal
effort is being made to break down the
doors, and to thus render 1t impossible
for the State to continue the econonn-
ical publication Of her books.
MAGUIRE AND SINGLE TAX.
Oakland Tribune: Do what he will,
Mcguire cannot shake from his neck
the milestone Of single tax that is
dragging him down below water, de-
psite his frantic efforts to rid himself
of 1t. For man to have a hobby that
he cannot inflict on any one but himself
is harmless enough, but when any in
dividual is in a position where he Is
able to thrust his notions on others he
becomes a menace to the community.
Mcguire stands before the people tos
day as the apostle of single tax He has
followed faithfully in the footsteps or
Henry George, the exponent of the doc
trine, and for many years past he has
been crusading with the object OF con-
verting the people to his theories. 1t
was not until he became candidate
for Governor that his voice was ST.
Ienced on the subject, and even then
it was only quieted at the solicitation
of his party managers and pohtlcai
friends who realized that with such an
issue injected into the campaign naughr
but Overwhelming defeat could come TO
them. The result has been that Ma
guire has for the time being kept his
pet subject in the background, though
that he has for a moment abandoned 1t
no one who can recall his crusades IN
its behalf in the past will believe.
CANNOT SUPPORT FUSION.
San Diego Union: Whatever one may
thinr of tbe doctrines of Populism, one