The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-02-18
Mr.. Bridges s'SingIe Tax" Lecture.

evils OF the present SySVFnl vi taAaVioh'
How men of wealth contrived to avoid
paying their just proportion, and the
brunt iel on poor men. He claimed
that all paid taxes whether they had
any property or not the earth was
made for all and all had the right to
draw their sustenance from lt,-no
man had right to appropriate any
portion Of it to himself.
All wealth, he says, sprang from
three sources-landy labor and capital
nothing else. Land is being more and
more monopolized by the few, mach OF
it by foreigners, and rents are advan-
cling enormously in the large cities, on
account of this rent we have to pay
higher prices for our goods. He did
not explain how either rents or goods
would be lowered by putting all taxes
upon the lands; it would naturally
have the opposite effect. Nor how
this county could get revenue If the
tax on land was so high nobody could
afford to own it. It's high enough as
it is to those who can't get rebates.
He told how many persons had been
evicted in N. Y. City for not paying
rents, but did not say whether from
the lands or tenement houses. Would
it not be as we'll to abolish houses as
we'll as ownership of the land. He
drew an object lesson from the land
lords Who were extorting in Seattle dur
ing the rush to the Klondike. How
poor people were forced to pay exorbi-
tant rents but agnin left us in doubt
whether for the land or houses.
But what want to know is how
"Single tax" is gong to remedy the
evil
The truth is, "Single taxi was the
drawing card and populism the real
object. We who went with the desire
to understand the single tax theory
were treated to a harangue on the
gospel of discontent. The speaker &C
know!edged he did not fully compre
bend the single tax theory himself
and Mr. Todd who has been enlighten'
ing the people elsewhere on the same
subject made like confession. "They
be blind leaders of the blind"
He had much to say about non-res
ident land holders. The owners OF
these unremunerative lands which he
proposes to confscate have been pay
ing taxes thereon for many years
Would it be more than half way hon
esty to refund these taxes before con
fiscation? He is not the first MAJ
that proposed to slay the goose tina
lays the golden egg.
AS a member of the state board o
equalization he has sworn that thes
lands of which he knows nothing, wer
assessed Ill per cent too low. Tn
agent of the N. P. r. r. with an equa
:, Disregard for the truth or honesty
goes before the court and makes oatl
that land assessed at about the same
rates were at least that much to high
These reformers always go far ava,
to find their rascals and their ideals
They might find some examples of tn
former among those who suck The
same quill with themselves withou
, going to Ohio. Nor would they hav
to 60 to Illinois to find a place wher
foreigners could not acquire title t.
: lands.
Yet this Cadmus whose heart blet
for the sufferings of humanity and
whose soul yearns for the honors ant
emoluments of office confesses that
he had the opportunity he would be a
rapacious as the worst of them.
1t is true the subject OF taxation i
a perplexing one. 1t is true, Their
are many evils in the world. Grea
inequalities exist. Huge monopolie
prevail. The poor are oppressed
Trusts are instituted and wrongs anc
wrong doing are the order of the da,
have as much sympathy for poo
people and as great desire to see tn
$ wrongs of earth righted as any popu
list. l deny that the speaker advanc
ed single feasible idea for betterin.
, the conditions.
, Fault finding is the easiest thing II
: all the world. Would it not be better
] to tell the people to make the most @
things as they exist rather than t.
5 persuade them that they are the vic
e TINS of rank conspiracies. Many O
e those poor people crowded in tene
s ment houses in the great cities woul
y not exchange for veritable garden G
e Eden if they had to tend it. Peopl
d should not be taught to dwell con
d stantly on their wrongs or envy tn
wrong doer for either in time or ete1
nifty all the wrongs Of earth shall u
rlghted by higher power than man.
l. w. w.
q The populist press of the state