The record-union., 1898-09-14
AN ISSUE NOT oBsCURED.

AN ISSUE NOT OBSCOhEO.
Despite the fact that Candidate Ma
guire protests that the single tax is not
in issue in this campaign, and that he
defensively struggles to make this APP
pear, it remains that his success would
be, and logically, construed as q single
tax triumph. Against that it Is simply
impossible to project sincere denial.
Men are often the creatures and sub
jects of forces over which they have no
control. Mcguire can no more set against
the tide in this matter than he can deny
his allegiance to the single tax absurd
ity, thing which he does not under
take to do, since it would stamp him
once and forever as an unreliable wit
ness for any purpose whatsoever.
Some Of his supporters are so far sem
sible Of the logic of the situation that
they have undertaken to defend the
single tax idea in his behalf, and to
advance the thought that the wise way
out for Mr.. Mcguire is to boldly and
unf1inchingly come out from the under
brush and make his fight as a single
taxer pure and simple. We confess
that 1t would be wisdom on his part
to do so. But greed for Office will
continue to restrain him from adopting
the manly course. He is not prepared
at this time to openly advocate as a
campaign issue the indiscriminate
plunder of all landed proprietors. For
if Mr.. Mcguire is follower of Mr.. Hen
ry George. the original prophet of the
abandoned the Democratic party he
does not believe that landed proprie-
tors should be dispossessed by purchase
by the State. On the contrary, Mr..
George distinctly repudiates that sug-
gestion, and affirms with vehemence,
Let US not buy them out; let us use
force and turn them out That is a much
more direct and easy way" he says
in his essays on the subject, and Mr.
Mcguire has practically said the same
in his monographs and speeches time
out Of mind. Mr.. George adds: There
should be no concern about them
the landed proprietors.
This is argument that fatters pas
sion as Mr.. Mallock has happily put
1t 1t appeals to the very opposite of
the sense Of justice. II proposes to un-
do at one stroke what the single tax
advocates hold to be an existing in
claimed by Mcguire that rents would
be lower-in fact, there would be no
rents, and land would be ever so much
easier to get. But this is mere theoret-
ers into tenants of the State would not,
as Mallock has shown, make them ten
ants at will, because the Mcguire ar
gument is that under the single tax
the tenure would be f1rlner, more Sc
cure than now.
The idea is that occupiers OF land
would be tenants of the whole people
while practically occupying the position
of owners. If one owned land and the
Mcguire phantasy were tried, the mans
tax would be rent paid to the State,
and he would have no more to pay if
he planted it to crops than If he al
lowed it to lie fallow. But suppose he
erects a mandatory upon 1t, or great
ly improves one part while not improv-
ing the other, the value of the whole
would rise of course, and he would
still be in possession with no increase
of rent because his Improvements can
not be taxed Meanwhile others would
willingly pay more for the land, and
thus new value be taken on.
Under the Mcguire plan the highest
bidder to the State would fix the value
of the land. But the occupier might
not wish to part with It. He might
wish to remain and enjoy the fruit of
his industry. AS he could not be evict-
ed, the increased value and desirability
of the land would be his How, then.
would this increase benefit the fellow
too poor to pay a land tax? How
could he more readily than aow get
into possession of land?
On the other hand, if the occupier OF
land became unable to pay his land tax
he would be evicted by the State pre-
cisely as is done by the private land
lord and he would become as homeless
under the new as under the old system.
But Mr.. Mcguire does not propose to
discuss these questions in the cam
paign. He puts them behind him and
election would in no wise advance the
cause Of the new economy for which he
deserted the Democratic party because.
as he put it. "self-respect" forbade his