The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-28
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
An Address Read Recently Before
the AOuktOn Single Tnx Clnb


An Address Read Recently Bcfore
the Houston Single Tax Club.
with Americans thinking precedes acting.
To cause thought is the purpose of this
article. In times past we have thought
and acted until 1t is habit.
We thought Of religious liberty and Roger
Williams formulated our idea. Today We
arc leaders in oppression for religions
sake. We thought of independence; Pat
rick Henry gave voice to our cry and
George III removed his over-lorlship.
we thought of interference by foreign
powers with cur rights along this continent;
Monroe expressed our opinion. Today we
are respected by all nations and are looked
upon as a people of peace-a people VINO
are not easy to arouse, but when once
walked are great heaving. throbbng peo-
pie, with one heart. one mind; mighty to
perform.
We Thought of individual liberty; Abra-
ham Lincoln gave the final opinion on the
subject.
Today the United States are a unit on
tiae subject and brothers, who once
drenched the earth with blood, now s;eep
side by side in peace, comrades in a cause
to break the chains from others
Money has been spent to get these things.
Mere will be spent to maintain them. Taxes
result.
Why do we not act on this evil?
The necessity for freedom of trade is be-
coming clearer and clearer. The present
administration has been compelled by de-
If fr0p, To
internal revenue taxes. The question of
free trade is small beside the one of
freedom from taxation.
The internal revenue taxes have caused
complaint because of unevenness in their
weight, falling more heavily on some than
on others. This unevenness disturbs us for
we have family begun to think that ali
burdens and all benefits should be SCARED
by all. We want the balance pans of JUS
tice to swing in equipo-e.
Taxes cause us to see that direct ones are
better than indirect ones, because their levy
and result are seen and known. The in
direct ones are, unknown, their limit un
known, their extent unknown, except they
may cause deficit in revenue, and then
must fail back on the direct tax for help
We love things done above board-openly,
fairly and squarely (another habit, and We
take the consequences Of such actions un-
put down and out.
For thsse reasons the indirect tax must
60 Greater than this question Is that OF
relief from taxes.
Its accomplishment is wished by all for
there Is no business mind but that is con-
fronted annually with a notice of taxes
due. Suggestions for relief have been made
by lovers of humanity from time TO time.
Novels have been written to make men
trl statistical
papers and newspapers have been used TO
get this great loving world to see and
talnk of our higher nee5s and today the
cry from the sweat shops that 1T Is bread
we want" gives man pause.
The dying crowds. going inch by inch,
unable to satisfy their hupger-starying
bscause of want of work. The tread mills
that quench the lives OF children who, be-
cause OF small pay. are doing the work OF
older ones. and. who, by this means, help
family to die more slowly. makes us taink.
The remedy is simple, sufficient, Just.
II Is change in our mode OF taxation
making the yaltie OF the land alone tne
basis for TAXATION The list OF those who
like Abou Ben Adhem, love their fellow
man. is long, and thsy have caused change;
TO be made. The Sues and Dickenses stun
live.
when Bellamy sprea1s canopy over
b,,mming Boston 10 shelter its busy inhabi-
tants from the shower, he made the worl1
more kin. He made 1t wish to accomplish
his ideals.
Ruskin shows that our So called political
economy is really mercantile economy ann
strives to show that government should md
employment for the unemployed, thus
striking st the rootE OF the evil.
When Henry George so definitely showed
that the taxes we levy are unjust and that
- ur robbed the
weaker in a way that thinking man would
TO-DAY fight against WITH his iife-b blood, re
went further ans made IT. plain that we. the
pepple. have lawful and Just weapon to
riY,sr these continuing wrongs-the ballot.
In this. for humanity's sake, he was wo'h-
ing for humanity. :.
How differently thsse men went al ,ae
betterment OF mankind than the gensran.y
n speakers who apparently SHE track the
in,portant and real questions and substitute
81 me iasmagogy or side issue with whicn
they befool the peopie-for a time -.
put each taxpayer growls and growis
r4hen tsxraying time comes and for sea-
son wishes taxes wers in bahy hack
sous,rsing differen. must be tried Tor our
tsxes must continue 10 increase unaer our
present system, because rs we deveiop va
rious enterprises adenaant on auNans .',,e
civl;zation. tae outlay from the puoiio
trs,rlssIry must be greater and greater. ~
is rarely the case where increase OF p1eu'h,
tson am taxable improvement by way o.
business enterprise allows the rate OF laa
aJon 10 remain the same and yet bring m
creased revenue. h;.. a,
n The town has TO give the franenise Or
r,ght 10 corporate bodies In order 70 ger
streat irving, car lines, lights. savers tsie-
9ranhs or what not, the town loses ana tne
citizen rays enormous extra taxes unhnon :
inrly bee. o,se the various orgsniIali ~.
after getting TIE privilege from - .ns.r-