The independent., 1903-05-14
GREETING

To the Single Takers of America:
dence Of your skill in welding tina.
weapon said to be mightier than the
sword. Aside from this item and one
or two others land the advertising)
substantially every word in this is
sue-The Henry George Editions
from the pen of a single taxer.
To the disciples of Henry George
who have SO kindly assisted in maxi
ing this special number the pro-
nounced success, which it is undoubt-
edIy, the thanks of the editors and
business manager are hereby rendered.
Iht Independent for nearly fifteen
years has ciiampioned the cause CT
the peoples party; and it will con-
tinue to 90 SO. Its editors sincerely
believe that the questions of money.
land and transportation are the three
of paramount importance, and that
they will never be settled until they
are settled right. That no permanent
relief can be had so long as private
corporations are permitted to exercise
the sovereign power to coin money
and regulate the value thereof" or so
long as the avenues OF transportation
and transmission of intelligence ara
owned and operated by private cor
porations. ...s.
How the land question should be
settled has never been clearly enun-
ciated in any populist platform, and
although many populists are single
fxxy hoy hxy M a
on this question. The platform adopted
at Sioux Falls, May 10, 1900, says:
with Thomas Jefferson we de-
clare the land, including all nat
ural sources of wealth, the inalien-
able heritage of the people. Coy
ernment should SO act as to Sc
cure homes for the people and
prevent land monopoly"
This, it is urged by single tax pop
ulists, can mean nothing else than
settlement of the land question ac-
cording to the philosophy of Henry
George. In any event it is plank
that, especially in the west, has been
overshadowed by the questions OF
money and transportation. And this
edition of The Independent will af-
ford it's populist readers an oppor-
tunity to study and decide for them
selves.
The suggestion of Mr.. E. T. Weeks
of New Iberia, La, in his article en-
titled "A Question of Morals will
merit careful study, especially in con-
nection with the suggestion of Mr..
James Bartley Of Amsterdam, N. Y,
in his article, "Jeffersonian Clubs"
The Independent of March '26, 1908,
wherein he urges that the land and
labor reformers of the east unite with
the money and transportation reform
ers of the west, and nominate Hon.
Tom l.. Johnson for president.
1t being evident that the evils OF
indirect taxation will not be abolished
by a mere change from tweedledee
protection to tweedledum for revenue
| only; and that the trust problem will
not be solved under private ownership
of transportation and transmission of
intelligence, there is food for serious
| thought in the suggestions of these
gentlemen.
The Independent bids God-speed to
the disciples Of Henry George. No
men are inspired by loftier motives
or higher ideals. If the single tax
is to succeed finally it must first prove
a success in the smaller taxing juris-
dictions, and for that reason every
effort should be made to secure local
option in levying taxes and thus give
| it a trial. The Fairhope example
means something, but a whole county
should try it, Or a whole state if pos
| sible
So many more manuscripts having
been received than we could possibly
use in this number, we have decided
to devote page each week hereafter
to the single tax and thus make use
of all the valuable material on han1.
T. H. TIBBLES, Editor.
G. @. De FRANCE, Associate.
f. d. EAGER, Business Mgr.
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