The independent., 1903-05-14


out from any participation in the val
ues which they have created. Labor Is
robbed of its own.
What is the remedy? 1t is plain.
Let this croWding. jostling mass of
pent-up human creatures keep every
cent that they earn, let them retain
every dollar of the property they may
honestly acquire, but let the land val
ues, which the common efforts of all
have produced, be taken for the COM
mon purposes of all. This is the sim
gle tax. This system would secure to
the child of the humblest laborer, or
the orphaned waif of the street, as
much share in the value of the mil
lion-dollar corner lot, as the person
or corporation who holds the legal
title to the land. But the legal pos
session Of that lot would not be dis
turbed. The person holding the legal
title thereto would still enjoy the ex-
elusive possession and use of the
ground, but he would no longer enjoy
the fruits of other mems toll, for val
ues added to the land by the public
would be taken by the public, for pub
lie purposes.
We hold that every man has the
absolute, sole and exclusive right to
the gains of his own industry; that
each man has the indisputable right to
follow any honorable occupation he
may choose, and to retain all that his
efforts will bring him. We believe
that all men have the equal right to
earn all they can and keep all they
earn.
These rights are recognized under
the present system, by name: but by
name only. Every man who opens a
little store must know that when he
Iays his merchants license he is pay
ing for the privilege of doing the work
of selling goods. He is fined for en-
gaging in an honorable and useful oc-
cupation. Every business man is
taxed for the privilege of doing bust.
ness, just as if his right to engage in
business were indeed a privilege in
stead Of the natural and inherent
right which we all know it to be. II
man build dwelling house. he is
taxed for his enterprise. II he con-
struct any sort of Improvement, how
ever beneficial to the public, the first
mark of public gratitude he receives
is an Increase in his tax assessment.
And this is how it works: When
the merchant pays his license, and the
taxes upon his stock, and the rent for
his store-if he be renter-he puts
all these into his expense items, and
then charges enough for his goods to
reimburse him for his outlay and yield
him a fair profit for his investment
and fair wages for his work. If
landlord improve one Of his houses
and is required to pay a larger tax
because of his improvement, the ten
ant ultimately pays the tax in the
form of increased rent. A tax upon
improvements, as well as all other
personal property taxes, may be
shifted. Labor pays 1t all in the end
This is why we say that tax upon
improvements, upon occupation and
upon any kind of personal property, is
a tax upon human industry. Moreover
it is tax upon consumption-the
most unjust tax of all; the larger a
mans family may be, the more
house-room he must have and the
more food and clothing he will neea
for his family, and thus, ordinarily,
his rents and all of his living expenses
will be greater than those of the man
who consumes less.
When you tax consumption you tax
labor, for you tax the produce of la
Dor, and thus decrease the demand for
what labor produces. If this is not a
tax upon labor, what would you call
it? You not only cast upon the shoul-
ders of the toiling and producing
classes the whole burden of maintain
ing the government, but you rob labor
of employment, and thus render it
less able to carry its burdens. What
ever decreases the demand for the
produce of labor, decreases the de-
mand for labor itself.
The single tax would increase con-
sumption by removing the burdens
| now fastened upon the consumer. 1t
| would encourage labor BY setting 1t
| free. 1t would add fresh impetus to
| production, awaken new stimulus to
enterprise, and revitalize the spirit Of
industry throughout this great fedora
| ton of states. 1t would toll the death
knell of every monopoly, and ring out
| the glad tidings of the emancipation Of
labor. 1t would herald the dawning