The independent., 1903-05-14
SElFlSHNESS
The Essential Selfishness of the Single Tax
Prsposition-Ogreism Egoism-
Altruism-Pietism

ut1lFtfeu- DelOTe IH0 DIUUhlyu, IN. T.,
Single Tax league, April 10, 1908;
manuscript furnished for Henry
George Edition of The Independent by
e. b. Swinney, secretary of the
league.)
In view of the somewhat peculiar
and, perhaps to some OF you repellent
title of my lecture, and OF the fact
that | am personally not as well
known to you as are most of the
speakers who have addressed your
league, | will preface what | have to
say hy briefly defining my personal
economic appreciation of the so-cailed
single tax proposition, thus enabling
you, as think, to follow, without too
much doubt or ambiguity, the argu-
ment and object of my discourse.
/ am in favor of the appropriation
by the commonwealth of all ground
rent value. | would not except from
this appropriation any valuable land
whatsoever, whether owned or con-.
trolled by nation, state, county, mu-
nicipality, religious or charitable or
ganization, corporation, association,
partnership or individual. Ii, after
providing for legitimate communal
expenses, there should be left unex-
pended any of the proceeds OF thi;
appropriation, the surplus should be
paid out in cash, per capita, to the
men, women and children OF the com<
monwealth, for their own personal,
absolute use.
There was a time when such
scheme as this would have been most
repugnant to my mind There may
come a time, hereafter, when some
other plan of raising funds for COM
monwealth uses may seem TO me 10
be Preferable to this one. Ii ever
man should arrive at point where
his intellectual progress or conversion
is nc longer possible, he will have
ceased to be man, for the essence OF
manity is free agency in the do
main of the intellect.
I am not single taxer in the strict
definition of that term, for | am not
sure that would approve the Wlplng
out of all taxation other than the
ground rent value levy. For exam
pIe direct taxes aimed at the sup
rress;on or abatement OF nuisances,
as superfuity of dogs or organ
grinders, might righteously and ad-
yantageously continue to be imposed.
With this preamble will proceei
to my subject: ''The essential selfish
ness of the single tax proposition. =
MY object is in delivering this address
to satisfy a craving which possesses
me to be helpful, if can, in prac-
tical way, in imbuing my fellows with
the desirableness of the single tax
movement as a corrective of social
and economic disorder.
Different persons appear to be de-
cided by different influences in their
acceptance of single tax teachings.
This one admires them from the re-
ligious standpoint, and still another
from a standpoint of physical well
fare. What I shall try to demonstrate
is that whatever the apparent or os-
tensible incentive, it is, and in the
very fundamental nature of things
must be, an absolutely selfish one.
Unselfishness as motive for action
does not and cannot exist in sane
minds Moods generally alluded to
as unselfish are, when analyzed, per-
co1VoQ To p6 SELFISH III tllc hi6hOoe oS
gree, inasmuch as the subject of these
moods are found to be aiming In
yariably for the finest satisfactions.
To use a common expression, the
best is good enough" for them. For
example, the Scriptures say OF the
Almighty that for His pleasure we are
and were created. And why not? Ii
is not reasonable to suppose that He
created us with His pain or regret,
rather than His pleasure, as the OBJ
iective. Jesus declared that all power
in heaven and earth and a seat at
the right hand of the Father would
accrue to Him as some of the results
of His mission. The Christian OF to-
day hugs the New Testament text
which assures him that his Affections
in the flesh are only momentary and
that they will be compensated here
after by a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, and sings
with unction of the good time when
he will come into the possession OF
mansions in the skies and revel in a
land of pure delight, where pleasures
Danish pain. Egoistic selfishness
thinks that it can best achieve hap
piness by looking out first and always
for number one;" altruistic selfish