The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-11-05
The Philosophy of Freedom
An Open Forum for Single Takers
THE DODGE WAKEFIELD DEBATE
Mr. DODGE'S SURREJOINDER.

MR. DODGE'S SURREJOINDER.
Unless Mr.. Wakefield will admit the
single tax to be fraud, in which case
agree, always with the editor per-
mission, to debate socialism or any
other issue with him, as single tax is
orr subject, and | am not nearly
through with my objections to it; we
must stick to our text. Why will he
twist plain statement from their OBJ
yious meanings? Let him read my
definition of value, and then state
that contend that the individual who
uses land, alone gives vclue to that
land
To test the single takers conten-
tion that the community as a whole,
by its mere presence and needs create
the land values, we must take sup
positions case. This city OF Chicago
. has a pretty large community and
land values are pretty high. Now,
suppose that this industrious, striving,
scheming, pushing crowd should go to
a more advantageous location and be
replaced by all the loafers, tramps,
hoboes and paupers our country con-
tains, to be supported here by public
charity, the community would be just
as large, II not larger, their needs
would be the same, but where would
the land values be? Again, what am
contending for is, that it is the spoila-
ton OF labor which Is the basis OF the
value Of all those privileges and as
such are not an unearned inc 'ement
NJ h,,t oht IN ~
am well aware that the prospect of
exploiting prospective labor is almost
as potent to boom the value OF those
privileges as Is present exploitation
thereof To quote me, then, as ask
ing: IF dollar Of wealth can be
produced from mine before labor
had been applied to it," when my
plain statement was, IF no labor had
been, or ever would be, applied to
those mining lands, could a dollar of
wealth acrue therefrom," is very like
setting up man of straw, and then
knocking the everlasting daylight out
of him. Let him play fair, whatever
he does.
| only mentioned the three billion
dollars of fictitious wealth as one
method by which labor is exploited,
the variations of which are legions. A
few years ago, for instance, Philip
Armour cleaned up seven millions in
one pork deal, here on the board of
trade. How could the single tax stop
these legal and illegal robberies, which
the authorities seem to be unable or
unwilling to deal with now? Don't
say the single tax would do it, but
give us the Inodus operandi | might
say taxing moonbeams would do it,
but would that be any proof thereof?
In his first paper, Mr.. w. accuses
me of lodging the question of taxa
ton and contends that 1t is the pri-
mary object of the single tax to OBJ
tain an equitable system of taxation.
He thereby shows himself to be very
poorly informed disciple of Henry
George, who distinctly states in his
writings that seeing poverty going
land in hand with progress made him
first study the subject, when he dis
covered that land monopoly Is at the
bottom of the phenomenon. Then
from reading treatise on the subject
entitled lie Impot Unique" written
by Frenchman in the eighteenth
century he was led IT, believe that
taxing away the land values would
remedy the evil Hence, the reverse
of Mr.. Wakefield's statement is the
truth.
But let that pass: let MS see how
equitable and just the single tax would
be as fiscal measure. AS the com.
munity is an aggregation of individ
uals banded together for mutual ben
eft and as such Is bound by laws
which all must obey. and as thes,
laws will not enforce themselves and
moreover, as certain functions car
either not be looked after by the In
divldual at all. or else only In per
functory manner. therefore govern
ment Is necessary 10 carry them Int
effect. Hence Is derived the justle,
of taxation. being payment for ser