The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-07-16

as anybody, and / for one give them
the fullest credit for honesty and sim
certify, yet the means by which they
seek to remedy the existing evils is
worse than the disease.
Any theory, social or otherwise, to
be successful must be in harmony with
the laws of nature.
To ascertain these and conform to
them must be the first effort Of any
reformer.
To confound the German social dem
ocrats with the socialists of the United
States results either from a complete
ignorance of the aims of either party
OF from willful perversion of facts.
The social democrats Of Germany
have long since abandoned their Utop-
ian illusions; they now seek OILY the
really obtainable and have the infex-
ible courage to obtain; neither ridicule
threats of prison nor police oppression
swerves them from their path or even
checks them for moment, and their
progress is steady among all classes
IN Germany.
Liebknecht and Bebel are not vi
eionaries, but hard-headed, practical
and courageous men of indomitable
Lurpose. They are nearer in their
demands for reformatory measures to
the demands laid down In the populist
platform Of 1892, than they are to the
teachings Of Lasalle or Marx, much
Iearer.
The single takers, or followers OF
Henry George. are undoubtedly hon
est men who sincerely seek better
ment OF social and economic condi-
lions, but their philosophy is one-sided
and but half truth. The foundation
of their creed is that land values are
exclusively due to society, and that
the unearned increment belongs by
right to society alone, and should be
the only source of taxation for fed
eral, state and municipal governments.
On this foundation they build N
their vivid imagination Utopial
state of society, free from all physi-
cal, mental or moral ills.
Alas, their theory applied in prac-
tice would result in something alto
gether different from the Utopia of
their dreams.
They make the fatal mistake in be-
lieving, first, that only land values
are due to society, when in fact all
enhanced values of products of hui
man labor are due 70 society; second,
that to tax the products of human
labor is to impose fine on human
industry and frugality.
These are grave errors and fatal to
their expectations. SIS
Surprising / raise 5000 bushels of
wheat on my farm here and am living
so great distance from society that
I cannot transport it there to sell the
surplus: that surplus above my indi-
vidual wants would be worthless. The
value of any product of human labo-
in excess of the wants OF the producer
is due to the force of demand from
society and consequently due to So
ciety; therefore, according to their
theory, that part of value of the prod
uct due to the demands of society
should belong to society-a proposition
they deny.
They fare no better in their theory,
that to tax the products of human la
Dor is to impose fine on human in
Ouotly
They don't seem to be able to see
that human industry is the only thing
that can be taxed. A piece of land
urban or rural, can produce no rev.
enuo without human exertion, without
human industry; it is not in the final
analysis land value, but human in
dustry and frugality which are taxed.
But supposing their theory became
the policy of the state, will argue it's
application only from rural standpoint
the standpoint of the farmer.
If the state owned all the land, it
would lease it to the applicants II
the demand for a certain piece of land
was great the rent would be high; If
the demand was small, the rent would
be low. If by my industry and the
application of scientific methods | in
crease the productiveness greatly, the
demand for this piece of land would
increase correspondingly and might be
increased to nelrly the entire pro-
ductive value of it; then it would fol-
low that would have to offer the state
as much rent as others would be will
ing to give or lose my lease and be
Gispossessed
Would the state he taxing land val