The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-10-27
THAT ENTERING WEDGE"

For several weeks THE ISLANDER
has been publishing, among its legal
notices, the proposed amendments to
the state constitution which are to be
voted upon at the general election this
fall. Every voter should read them
carefully. The dangerous element in
the first is the proposition to confer
upon all municipal corporations in the
state the right to six and determine
by majority vote of the qualified cleo
tors voting thereon the class or classes
of property upon which taxes for mu-
nicipal purposes shall be levied, which
tax shall be uniform as to persons and
class.
This is the much talked of "entering
wedge" of the single tax idea, and the
danger which turks in it can be more
clearly comprehended in the light of
the supreme courts decision that for
purposes of taxation every school dis
trict is municipal corportion. It is
obvious, therefore, that the fusionists
propose to invest every city, town and
school district with the power of local
option in matters Of taxation, and the
extent to which exemptions would be
carried under such authority can be
readily imagined. The fusionists have
been growing holder and more insatiate
in their demands in this direction since
their first legislature played out its
comedy of errors and its members rode
back to their homes on free passes Gun
wept. unhonored and unhung." This
Is quite conclusively shown by the de-
mand on the subject of taxation made
by the fusion joint conventions at
Ellensburg, at the dictation of the
single tax leaders of the state, and
which finds expression in the follow
ing plank of the futionist platform:
1--WE demand the submission to the people OF
the state of Washington of constitutions,
amendment that will permit exemptions from,
taxation Of personal property and improve
ments In and upon land"
This county was represented by sew.
eral delegates in that convention, and
the present chairman of the fusionist
county committed Mr.. Void, was q
member of the committee which
framed the platform. In recent in.
terview with Chairman Mclaughlin,
OF the futionist state committee. thai
gentleman is quoted as saying:
II am single-taxer, and in common viii
every other single-taxer In the state, favor IN.
passage of q law exempting personal propert,
and improvements on land, az mentioned in RI,
plank In the Eilensburg platform. We single
fa<ess don't expect to change the present sys
tenn IT one fell swoop. What we hope to ac
compiish ts to have our system, that of IN.
single ax.worked into the laws of our stat,
slowly and by degrees. If the amendment
which we demand in the Eilensburs platform !;
adopted and laws are passed carrying It Int,
eject It may be regarded as a step In the dire
non Of single tax. The s;,o,
taE means the taking of rents from real prou
erty, according to its rental value, which is ere
ated ~ the community in which the pronertv ,
located and never by the individual owner. an
giving them to the community. as against n
takin{ away from any one that which he Ser.
afes himself by his brain or hand. We res1;v
fhat to do this at one fell swoop would amorr
50 conhscation It II onr purpose, however. 1
ssowly ana IN = series Of years gradually destro