The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-22

Il seeks - Offset is argument, in fear
O. the eject IL may have upon fusion
!sts who are opposed 20 the single tax.
by adding: 1T appears 20 Us thai the
theory has some Fundamental errors
ard would be inadequate 10 secure all
the needed amount Of revenue" a
theory which has fundamental errors
Is scarcely worth Incorporating in the
constitution.
The Statesman says; This plank
simply calls fer giving the people a
chance TO vote on 4 constitutional
amendment. Is anybody going 20 argue
against the sovereign people exercising
such rigAi? Il so, goodhy democratic
government o. courss lot. nobody is
arguing against The sovereign people
exercising a right. Those who see the
mischief h!d1en beneath the oonstitu-
tionai amendment merely advise The
people 10 vote agains; It. The righ, 10
vote upon it is not only conceded. but
the people are called upon st the COM
ing election 10 exercise IL.
Then the Statesman intImates that
the real purpose is TO secure an ex-
smp:ion OF $500 worth Of personal prop
erty. Then why not say SO? The Re-
publican party is in favor of such a
reasonable exemption: and if con-
stituiional amendment to that effect
should be proposed II would support IL
The Statesman makes an appeal TO
the farmers in favor of single tax on
the ground that il makes IL unprotta-
bic for uon-residents and spsculators
to hold out great quantities Of idle land
10 be boosted into value by the labors
OF the resident farmers" This means
that the nonresident owners would be
compelled. instead OF paying taxes on
Improbable land. to enter into compe-
tition with the farmers, and Immediate
Iy there would be at least double the
quantity of Land put into production.
thereby greatly increasing the supply
and consequently tending to reduce the
price. But that is not the only object
OF the single tax.
Henry George very frankly states the
object Of his method of taxation. II is
to abolish private ownership IN land.
He says in his Progress and Poverty"
page 3o4: There is in nature no such
thing as a fee simple in land; there is
on earth no f..N' or which can rishtfully
make a grant Of exclusive ownership
in land. Let the parchments be
ever So many, or possession ever so
ing. natural justice can recognize no
right in one man TO the possession and
enjoyment of land that is not equally
the right Of ali his fellows. II
one man can command the land upon
which others must labor he can appro-
pirate the product of their labor as the
price of his permission t. labor.
Why should they who suffer from this
injustice hesitate for one moment to
sweep it away? Who are the land hold
ers. that they should thus be permitted
u reap what they have not sown?"
Again the apostle Of single tax says,
page sos: But IL will bc said: There
are improvements which in time become
indistlnguishab bic from the land itself.
Very well, then the title 10 the inn
provements becomes blended with the
title IL the land; the individual right
is lost in the common right"
1t does not matter what the Walla
Waila Statesman says about the single
tax; it is what Henry George says
about II that forms the inspiring mo-
tive OF the slnsle-tax movement If
chattei slavery be unjust. then Is pri-
waite property III land unjust" Are the
farmers Of Walla Walla county or any
other county, or is the owner Of little
farm anywher-. upon which he has
toilod h improve it and invested his
savings 10 own il, willing to surrender
private ownership 10 The common
right?"