The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-01-05
This is morally wrong.

j But the doctrine of equal rights to
life and liberty implies something more
than equal rights to land. 1t implies
also equal rights to live in society and
i equal liberty in respect of the enjoy
ment Of social advantages.
Here, however. a difficulty arises.
How shall equal rights to social ~ad-
vantages be measured? The individ
ualist answers: "They need no meas
urement; let each take what he needs"
On the other hand the socialist an
swers 'They can not be measured; let
society own and manage all social ad-
vantages for the common good" The
single tax man has different answer.
He says that social advantages are not
only measurable, but in fact, are al
ready Systematically measured; that
they are distinguishable and habitually
distinguished. Again his argument is
simple and irrefutable. He points to
the phenomena of land values, showing
that they are highest where social adj
vantages are greatest, and lowest
! where social advantages are least; that
sh0E advance with social growth and
recede with sociasr Cline: and that
everywhere and always fiiFSvafue u0f
particular land. as land aiOne.> marks
the degree of social advantages-the
advantages of participation in social
life-in that locality, being high when
and where those advantages are tempt
| ing, low when and where they are few,
and nil when they are non-existent.
| Land values. them measure the ad-
vantages which any society as whole
confers upon the individuals that COM
pose it, upon each in proportion to the
peculiar social advantages commanded
by his own site. And since some sites
are more advantageous than others,
equal rights to life and liberty are not
preserved il the occupants are allowed
to appropriate to themselves the social
advantages which their sites command. |
They can not justly do SO on the plea
that the sites are theirs. for as we
have already seen, the land can not be |
owned without destroying equal rights |
to life and liberty. Neither can they
do so on the plea that these advantages
are produced by themselves; it is evil
dent that social advantages are pro-
duced by no individual but by all to-
getner. To secure equality of social
life and liberty. those who have the
more advantageous sites must compen-
safe those who are forced to the less |
advantageous, thereby equalizing social |
benefits among all who contribute to |
them.
To do otherwise. to allow the occu-
Ipants Of the most advantageous sites
to appfUr ss.ssastA themselves the social
advantages which tnys5 zs:tas COM
mand, is destructive of equal rights to
life and liberty, and therefore morally
wrong.
1t follows that equal rights to life |
and liberty demands that this value of |
social advantages, the value or ground |
rent of land. shall in morality and |
good conscience be taken from those |
who get most, for the benefit of those |
who get less. in order to eQualize the |
social advantages of all. And as the |
process of equalization can be con-
Quoted only through the agency of So
ciety, it is the moral duty of society
W dSoCSS I'D ACuUOlS III plOpOl tlOu W
the value of their social advantages
that is, in proportion to the value or
ground rent, both actual and potential I
that is. both what the Landowner"
actually collects and what he might |
collect if he allowed the land to be
used-and to appropriate it to the COM
mon good.
BY doing that equal rights to life and
liberty would be promoted in still an
other way. The common fund thus
raised would enable society to abolish
all taxes on production and trade, taxes
which would be justly regarded as or
ganized theft were they not supposed
to be necessary for the sustenance of
society.
AS we have seen. these taxes are not
so necessary. They stand condemned,
therefore, as invasions Of just property
rights. He who contributes a dollars
worth in any form to the market, has
q moral right to te'se a full dollars
worth In any other form out of the
market; and any one else who stands
by, whether with highwayman's pis-
tol or tax collectors warrant, to de-
Il