The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-09-11
"JUsT TAXATION"
Johnson's Only Definition Of It
Is the Single Land Tax.
DARE he ASK OHIO TO TRY IT.
For II Means, as Henry George Said,
Confiseation by Taxation Of All Pri-
sate Property in Lands and Bringing
In Absolute Free Trade.

Confiscation by Taxation of All Prj-
Sate Property in Lands and Bringing
In Absolute Free Trade.
What is this lust taxation" that
Tom johnson talks about? Is 1t only
one of those catch phrases, which one
OF his stump speakers at the johnson
state convention said were used to de-
ceiye the people in political cam
paignns. or does it have q meaning:
real, genuine. sincere meaning,
definite and precise? II 1t has such
a meaning. who can give that defini-
ton? Who ever heard any one
give such a definition that could
be quoted and referred to as authentic
and authoritative? Did Tom Johnson
himself ever say in just so many
words what he really means by "just
taxation?" He talks and talks, and
weaves words without number, bus
who can quote from any Tom John
son speech or writing the exact mean
ing OF his expression lust taxation?''
OF course there has been an abund-
ance of speech about the inequities
and the inequalities Of the Ohio sys-
tenn of taxation.- many of them i'm
bedded in the state constitution itself,
more than fifty years ago by good
men. now dead and gone. whose beau
tiful theories have proved in practice
delusive and a failure in every re-
spect- Many of the more or less gen
81 - T. Il
gard to these matters have been 60
clearly unconstitutional as to cause
wonder why a man Of his professed
knowledge should insist upon repeat
ing ruch manifest absurdities. But
through it all there has been no defin.
ite and clear presentation of any spe.
cific plan or arrangement the people
might make that would strike at the
root of the evils he expatiated up0r
and very often grossly exaggerated
"Just taxation" he has reiterated ovel
| and over again. like a parrot, or q
If there was some incantation in thu
mere reptition of the empty words
but never explaining it
And yet il Is due to Mr.. johnson
/ to say that just one thing has beel
| uniformly and continuously advocates
by him in the matter of public taxa
| ton. 1t is the same with him toda,
| as it was when he first became Q con
vert to the doctrine in question an,
| was persuaded to enter upon publi
life as an apostle Of that peculia
| philosophy. The single tax on lan'
| values proclaimed by Henry Qeorg
has had a powerful fascination TO
Tom Johnson He has repeatedly pro
claimed 1t as the only real remedy 70
all financial ills of mankind. From
his very first speech in the Ohio cam
paign at Lorain last year down to tn
close. johnson reiterated that the sin
g.e land tax was the dearest principl
OF his political faith. He never de
MED nor got rid of its fundamenta
declaration as plainly stated in Henr
Georges writings that the state mus
confiscate all land by taxing it out Q
the hands Of its present owners.
The single land tax. then. whe
everything else is stripped aside is nc
tually and only the lust taxation
that Tom johnson talks about Wit
it would come. too. the absolute fire
trade which Henry George advocate
as part of it, and the destruction G
the last possible shred of tariff protee
ton to all home industries. 1t wa
for these purposes that johnson whe
in congress offered his bill to sell a
American custom houses and thro'
open all our gates wide to everythin
from everywhere without one cent {
duties.
Taken together these two halves
the Henry George theories. are q
more beautiful than the theories tbs
were embedded II the Ohio constitr
ton of 1851, and nay prove In prat
tice even more destructive. Ever
Tom johnson vote. however. for hi
lust taxation is a vote for his theories
| The land holder will vote to tax hin
self out of his ownership of his lam
The wage-earner will vote to shut
every industry in the entire Unite
States and go without work or wag'
in the general crash. in the dim hoI
that some time. some how. son
where. after he is dead and gon
things may adjust themselves und'
| tohn.noss ..3usf tarafinn