The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1909-12-10
THE WORLDS ONE PHILANTHROPIST
Wiiam Marion Reedy in the ST. Louis Mirror of November
II, 1909

A man named John Stewart Kennedy, OF whom
- before died New York the other day. leaving fortune Of
M religious and forth Upon his memory poured
forth much praise And for honesty Of his motive can only
k praewortfy has right to do he will with own
vded his disposition of his wealth does harm others
If in order though that gifts like those of the late
Mr. Kennedy welntenoned though they be do con-
;ons the donors wish ameoate Charity does little good
What the people need justice that pending
enlistment justice there many who Them char
v NAV help soe but much permanently The spread
education and of religion desr able end too but educa
m seems be efcacious towards morality making living
and religion put many people seeking happiness now
with the promise of felicity very uncertain hereafter great
deal Of the money given phlanropc ends these days wasted
uon the symptoms upon the disease OF poverty weced
The one man in world who me have the right
sort of philanthropy Joseph Fels the Naptha millionaire of Ph
dbhia and He deyotng his wealth the propaganda
of philosophy that has for its end the restoration to the people of the
opportunity get along the world He does not aim first to edu
cate people, make people pious His idea that if
made truly of poverty they would seek education and they would
become as we say 'good" Give decent living decent
home decent clothes and he will be clean through This
isn't Socialist doctrine either for Rev. David s. Phe of the ST
Louis Watcfman "frumous opponent OF Socialism and exponent
Of Roman Catholicism expressed this very thought the other day
sermon to an organization of Roman Catholic women.
Mr. Fels established funds in England Australia Denmark
United States for the propagation of the Henry George
M for poverty That remedy consists the institution of gov
nental system taxation that will nothing but land values
Of each community All wealth other than land value the crea
of individual effort Land value is the creation OF community
effort As the result of community effort it should be taken to
pay expenses of conducting the community As land values under
existing systems taken by the individuals who have been able to
land the tax would simply transfer those land values to the
public treasury from private purses If all such land values were
taken from the people who have tem there would be no object
holding land save and all the land privately held but
by the people kept from using It
1aDdXa
be free because the results of labor would be the laborer own
And if land free all who would use IT. the earth would DC
productive of wealth for everybody And everybody had HIS
share of the wealth he produces and had not to surrender |
of that wealth for the right live and work upon land hed Y
others there would be time in which all could procure edcao
attain to culture and be good and decent and happy
Mr. Fes money therefore, given get at the roots OF pow
a disease crime Instead of taking OF the poor the
diseased the vicious and the criminal Mr. Fels philanthropy would
prevent manufacture poor the diseased the vicious ana W
criminal The Fels proposition is prevention rather than cure
But it is impractical says some one Not at all. III ui''
we partially apply it separating land values ana improve
ment values in taxation In New Zealand the idea IS la' az
anced In Germany the system of taking the community Vae m
the community in process of Inauguration and IN Great britain W
land lords be taxed the values OF their holdings u
ton of which they have contributed nothing
But saws some one this means spoaion of the rich
thing 1t does not mean taking from anybody OF
that rightly belongs him 1t takes for all only the Weai
ALL It puts end to the spoiaton OF the many Dy W Nv"
does not take any any land he uses 1t Simply ~
the land that the land lord puts in his pocket wtno
created penny it Mr. ospeh Fes would reinstate 'e
aarge the possession values they create ana e "
hndua in possession of the last denarHS and every "0
ne WINS from the earth by his toll ,fu
Compared for efficacy and purpose with the gifts OF Roceee
Carnegie Sage and other phantopsts the gift OF FeS IS ~
Superior is designed to show the people the way y O
may back into their own It will pauperze NOBODY =
Ong about independence instead Of manufacturing
will enable people to educate themselves and make te
ad of being lifted into scopnantc comforts by the scrf OF tne
necks
cao - lepn reis uoes u - ~ ts nothing more than