Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02

Yet We know that such general prosperity
is not The case We may loos on every
band and see more poor than we could ten
Or twenty years ago II is q startling truth,
that while the wealth of the nation has 50
n1rvelousy increased IN the last twenty i've
years. the general distress has Increased
az tbs same ratio. i is serious question
that lonfronts the patriot, fur there uever
was q nation or a civilization in The his
tory OF the world that was able to with
stand the concentration Of Its wealth in the
hands Of the few. The concentration Of
wealth has destroyed every such civilization,
and the same conditions will affect America
just the same asthey did the civilizations OF
Egypt. Greece or Rome.
The people, the Industrial classes are the
foundation stones OF nations. What Civili-
cations can tramps and paupers build up
And, on the other hand, who can point
TO a civilization Instituted by mil
lionairese The tramp is the complement OF
the millionaire" so it is the medium class
neither the rich nor poor-that found
empires. We speak for the distressed, and
thereby for ourselves Let US take Carlyle's
warning: Vain is 1t TO suppose that the
misery Of one class can be kept separate
a1d apart down in that class. BY infallihle
contagion il rises upward and upward till
it reaches the very highest. till all has
grown miserable. palpably false and wrong,
and poor drudees lingering on meal husks
and boiled grass, DO, by circuitous, but sure
methods bring kings heads to the block"
Now, then, why is 1t that all the progress
Of the world, and especially Of the United
States. has been accompanied by 60 much
poverty and distress? Why is II that all this
enterprise, machinery, department stores,
railroads and the thousands OF things that
/ m. liz ahr ~ rF,t k1
people, do in fact, prove 50 destructive OF
their welfare? The answer is, briefly, this:
All enterprise is reflected in the value Of the
land, enabling tn sc who have the land Cthat
is, the land on which this enterprise is cen
tered TO exact tribute on the enterprise Of
| others, while themselves contributing moth
ing at all TO the general welfare.
! Here is an example that will apply to
every department Of enterprise: This is
cobbler's shop. The cobbler by his earlier
methods can make one pair OF shoes in ten
hours. Here, now, is set Of machines that
enables him to make ten pairs Of shoes in
the same length of time. What is the re-
suit? Simply this: Ten times the amount
Of trade formerly done is now centered in
this cobbler's shop, which means that there
is ten times much demand for that par
| ticular spot Of earth on which the shop is
! located. This means that its value is in
| creased tenfold What has he who owns this
! land done to 50 enhance it's value? Nothing.
What is he entitled TO? Nothing. Under the
! present system Of taxation what does he get?
| All. Where is the justice there? He who
| produces nothing gets nothing beyond his
| actual necessities, while he who produces
nothing gets all, or nearly all. On the other
/ hand, he who by his skill and industry does
what everyone wants him TO do is fined for
] l,s- :. ILL
his tools, his raw material and his manufac-
tured product. He sees the injustice and re-
fuses to pay the fine (or tax. He cannot
refuse TO pay the tax gatherer SO he shifts
! the tax TO someone else And onto whom can
he shift it? Onto him who buys the shoes,
the tax at last falling on him who is least
| able to bear it, and relieving him entirely
who is best able 10 bear il all (since he re-
| ceives without prcducingp-the lord Of the
! land. Without mentioning another example
| ! respectfully request the thoughtful reader
to examine for himself into every enterprise
and see II this is not true OF all on every
| hand.
Concentration Of industry is the order Of
our age But under our taxation system the
more 1t is centralized the less burden Of
taxation it bears, shifting the main burden
onto helpless shoulders. Under the system
l have but hinted at las I would prefer the
reader 10 reason it out for hirnself) the con-
ditions would be exactly reversed. II would
relieve those who are now burdened and
who receive SO little advantage from govern
| nent, and lay II upon those who are now
prosperng on the labor OF others and who
| receive most OF the benefit Of government
Under it the Standard Oil company and other
gigantic corporations could not monopolize
the natural resources of the earth, paving a
nominal tax at SO much per acre" but they
would pay 10 the people Cthe natural heirs
OF the EARTH, through their government, a
just compensation for the use OF the earth,
according 10 the real value OF the oil fields
they mopopolize. Under this system trust
could not afford TO close up all but few of
its factories, restrict the output Of manu-
tactured articles, fixing the prices, throwing
thousands Of people out Of employment, as
they do now, for a factory standing idle
would be as expensive 10 maintain as If in
operation, SO far as taxation is concerned.
Hence, no trusts could exist, al any rate
they could do no harm.
Large tracts Of land now held idle for
speculative purposes would be thrown open
10 settlement and industry, creating an IN
limited demand for all kinds OF labor,
skilled and unskilled, enabling those who are
the producers 10 be absolute masters Of their
skill. And those who sought 10 live upon the
labor OF others, all forms OF gamblers, from
the race track tout 10 the speculator IN land
would find themselves in difficult position
They would turn themselves to honorable
pursuits, becoming better citizens and i'm
proving the moral character OF the nation.
LAURIE J. QUINBY.