The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-03
The Single Tax,

To the Editor of the Journal and Courier.
A better illustration of confusion OF
thought and lack of ability to distin-
guish between things that differ than
the article in your issue Of the 18th on
the Single Tax, Is seldom found. In
this case we have Mental Scientist
giving out at the same time grand
truths, half truths. and absolute false
hoods 1t is the cheerful manner in
which he mixes these ingredients and
doles them out as what he would teach,
that | desire to draw attention to, and
not for his sake alone, but because am
aware that the followers of the social
ed New thought are very prone to hug
Just such sophistry, and welcome just
such illogical deductions from unwar-
rantable assumptions 1t Is very con-
venient when one desires an excuse for
things as they are, and Is especially val
liable when called upon, to address a
company of men who are enjoying spec
lal privileges at the expense of the rest
of the community. we had a splendid
Illustration of this at banquet given
in this city recently when an eloquent
minister decanted with great subtlety
on this theme, and won great applause
from his audience.
It is essentially the argument of the
sycophant and the selfish, and is
usually put in this way: Gentle
men, God made us all, but he
differentiated us somewhat, giving
to some of us brains, and to others
Drawn We, of course, are the brain
element. That Is indisputable, for are
we not in possession of all the intell-
gence, and most of the wealth? These
things are all the time lying around
loose, and we had the brains to grasp
our opportunity while others have let
them slip by, and 10 by some magical
method, into which it is not necessary
to enter now, we have been blessed be-
You'd our most sanguine expectations"
Opportunities, gentlemen, are lying
around us in heaps Just cast your eye
on Rockefeller Carnegie, Gould, Aston
Vanderbilt, and Hanna, all men of
achievement, men of brains like our
selves only more so. who know q good
thing when they see it and do not stick
at trifies.'
1t is the half truths in such stuff as
this that lead people astray, No one
denies that intelligence is all around US
and to be had for the asking. SO is air
and water. But we must be careful to
avoid confusion of ideas and to put this
it would stand thus: Intelli-
gence in a human being is a develop
rnent from a lower to higher plane of
activity, TO be able to develop freely
man needs three things air, water and
land. He simply cannot develop with
out a sufficiency Of all three,
one or tho other is worse than childish
ness, and impossible of proof. The
writer of the article referred TO says
that thought is the great producer of
wealth" The true definition of wealth
s. this: Natural products so secured,
combined, or altered by human
abor as to fit them for human satisfac-
ion 1t is not difficult to see that
thought does not produce in the econ
pmic sense, though it does guide the
and assists him in his work.
But the point we are making is not In
'egard to production SC much as to dis
rbution, and here il is that the new
hought people are showing us the re-
inement of cruelty, starting out with
he idea that they can attract to them
selves Whatever they like, they take a
curse of lessons in opulence and find
ne themselves growing richer imme-
lately conclude that their confused
not only brought it to them,