The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-21
just GOVERNMENT DISCUSSED.
Representative IidEeiy Argues for
Sir TuN

hepresenhatiNc ttIdSeiS Argues Tor
SINGLE Tax.
The third in the course of Sunday
evening lectures by congressman on the
relation of just government to good
citizenship was delivered at the Peoples
Church last night by Hon. L. H. RidgeIy
OF Kansas.
The particular phase of the general
subject touched on was the "concenua-
ton Of wealth-its causes and cure
Mr.. RidgeIy said that the true service
Of God was the service Of men. - am
one" said he, who believes that it is
the duty of the organization of society
called Il state to look after the welfare
and comfort of every human being with
in its confines. We may try to toss
this responsibility off. but ] say that
paternalism is ali there is of govern
ment"
The speaker read from the Eleventh
Census. showing that in 1899 there were
over twelve million families in this coun-
| try; seven million Of these families were
| occupying homes, but Of this number
! only 81 per cent actually owned the
homes they lived in
we have a system OF land titles, 3"
Mr.. Ridgley declared. by which we nave
made merchandise of the acres of the
/ carths surface, and we engage in buy
| ing and selling these acres. and a man
| who is shrewd enough and fortunate
| enough TO secure the largest amount of
them is regarded by the popular mind
as all right"
Alr. Ridsely then touched on the mon
| opoiy created by the patent laws. He
| thought that the same authorities who
granted the patent should fix price on
the patent, and set a royalty on each
machine made which should be paid TO
the patentee. This would prevent the
monopoly in this line.
Mr.. Ridgely said that he served
! through the late war. He received $13
| per month in paper money; he had saved
| about $500 at the end Of the war. and the
| first thing he was required TO do was to
pay a tax to pay for that paper money.
The bOndholder was not taxed" said
| he, but ! was taxed for everything that
/ had, and this same process is going on
! today.
There is now before the people of this
country a proposition to issue longtime.
| low interest-bearing bonds TO buy up the
! existing paper currency and retire it
| burn it up if you please. We might just
as well buy that much gold and sink it
! in the depths Of the sea.
Labor today is not getting 80 per cent
of the result, and capital gets the rest
| and we say it is not right; that man
who invests his money in factory is en-
| titled to fixed income not below a Ger
tain per cent on that capital, and we find
| that il takes 50 per cent of all the pro
| ducts in this country to meet this fixed
| income. Our education is such that we
believe II is right Now we viii suppose
that five men own the factory and one
! hundred work in il; the five get one-hali
and the one hundred the other half. The
| owners, then, are obliged to sell their pro.
| ducts on credit and this credit is secured
| by mortgages on free homes. We have
| multiplied these liens until today about
| Is per cent of our people have lost theil
| homes. Still. we are going on the same
| system. But until we find some better
| system we shall never find q return tC
| prosperity"
As a remedy Mr.. Ridgely suggested tina
after the amount necessary to keep tht
factory in good repair and paying lis
taxes. no more than fair interest should
be allowed for capital
Until the causes are removed which
make trusts and combines necessary
they will exist. The mistake of payinl
to capital an increase has been committed
by all civilized nations, and il has worke'
the same result, the Capitalization Of tn
wealth of the world"
AS means of getting out Of the pres
ent condition Mr.. Ridgely suggests tina
each State should set apart certain lands
which the people who are out Of worl
can 20 and produce their own living; tn
only rental to be required should be tina
the lands should be kept in as good con
| dition as when rented.
He also advocated the care and educa
ton by the State of the children within
its confines.
Mr.. Bradshaw was called forward ant
made a few remarks. He thought tina
this nation was In danger both from tn
concentration of wealth and also from tn
wretched condition Of the masses Of pool
people.
Eight per cent Of all the wealth of thi
country is owned by 250, 900 persons, an,
the remaining 20 per cent is distributes
among the 100000 Of people said he
The main cause of this condition, he con
tinued was the private monopoly OF land
and by land he said he meant natural op
portunities. Mr. Bradshaw was in favo
| of the single tax doctrine.