Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-25

| to individual and corporate greed i'm
mense values which belongs to the
people and then strangle and rob i'll
dustry and thrift, for the support oil
government. We grant privileges to
| respectable grafters who dictate the
teachings of our public instructors, so
that when political economy dares to
make clear the simplest truths whicl
run counter to vested wrongs, it is gag
ged and bound by those who profit b
this injustice. Aye, we live in lana
| of freedom, where all men are equal
When man steals to support sick
wife and children, we railroad him to
prison for life, but when jury of ou
| freedom and equality loving citizens
is asked to indict bunch of grafteIs
who stole millions, the jury brings in
a written apology with the Indictment.
asking pardon because they had to in
dict, saying that they couldn't help it
Do we yet wonder that socialism
grows?
We will not employ a man who has
done time for stealing pair of boots
in winter, but when multimillionaire
who has wrecked a bank has served
his three months sentence, we place
the golden crown upon his head. We
see poor harmless socialist preach
ing on street corner and we send
him to the works for six months. but
We say nothing when a rich ward heel
er makes his spiel on the same corner.
| Many, mot to say mosD of the judges
of our courts, our clergy, our govern
| ing officers, and our substantial citi-
zens have the sign of the dollar stamp
ed indelibly upon their brows. In days
but We of today adore the gold in the
calf. But enough. l hope the exam
pies of New Zealand and Germany viii
be acceptable to Mr.. Osborn as work
ing models as far as they so. He asks,
How and by whom, is the amount OF
the tax to be ascertained?' | reply
by the assessor, same as now. Contin
uing Mr. Osborn asks, How or by
whom is this tax to be appOTtioned
justly among different tracts of Ian
in different parts of the country
This question is out of place The sin
Igle tax is method of raising revenue
which is in strict accordance with all
natural laws. How the people should
Ispend their public funds is not for me
to say. The funds will be expended
Icy,C
depended is a question which the PEG
pie must answer There are numer
Gus ways, and little reflection viii
suggest them to the mind of any mar
who is familiar with the science o
Egood government. A word as to far
mers and the single tax.
The farmers of this country are pay
ing between two and one half ant
three times, more than their fair shar,
of taxes. The average farmer who doe,
not understand the single tax think!
lit will hurt him because he confuse
land with land values" But thong.
the farmer owns a great deal of land
he actually owns comparatively little
of land value. According to the las
u. S. census compilation, the farmer
own less than 20 per cent Of the Ian,
values of this country, but they pay be
tween 60 and 10 per cent of all taxes
Estate and federal, direct and indirect
Think of it, they own only 20 per cen
of the land values, yet they pay 60 o
20 per cent of the taxes. Is this no
robbing industry for the support o
government? 1t is easy enough to un
derstand this when we consider tina
a lot with 20 foot front in the heart o
, any of our big cities has more of Ian
:, value irrespective of improvements
than has many a fine farm of 200 acre
+ or more. Under the single tax there
, ffore, the farmer would pay but 20 pc
cent of the taxes, which would b
; about one third of what he pays now
, and hence, instead of crushing the fa1
r mer as the present system of taxation
f does, the single tax would fall heavil
| on the congested wealth of the i'd
t holders of special privileges.
: Very Respectfully,
4 GEORGE P. KNAPP.