Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-03-17
TILE SINGLE TAX.

THE SINGLE TAX. 8
Encouraged by their success in car
r,,i,e the taxation amendment to VIC q
tory in the last state election the CON
stitution tinkers now boldly admit tnat G
tbe, have been using the initiative and E
as a means to single emu {
that they have been advocating ana
snpnorttng popular legislation all these 2
wears entirely as vehicle for foisting
IN the peopIe their theory Of taxing
land values. At meeting Of single
tavers held in Portland, Tuesday night, I
w S. U'Ren is quoted as saying:
II read Progress and Poverty ID
1889 and I went just as crazy over the
ai,,.-ia tax idea as any one else ever
ala knew I wanted the single TAX,
and shat was about all did know. But
he world refused to be agitated lot I
what / wanted. In 1892 learned
what the Initiative and referendum ~,
and then / saw the way to the single
tav So I oult talking the single tax,
hecauge / saw that the first JOB was 10
oat the initiative and referendum.
After getting this bold confession
ont of his system, Mr.. U'Ren proceeds
IN tel<the steps that were taken to de-
ceiye the voters III thS A"9'
He says:
"All the work we have done for dl-
rect legislation has been done WIN tle
single tax in view, but we nave not
faIEed singIe tax. That was not the
kind Of fight to make. we rely upon
the nrfnted word, and we discuss anu
advocate the questions actually befoTe
the people to be voted on, but we 10
not go outside the record
The Observer does not recall ever
having read a more shameless ana
brazen admission Of scheme to de-
ceiye the people. They did pot go
"outs,de the record" No; they pre-
nared an adroitly- worded amendment
n the constitution in which the words
"s,npIe tax" were carefully avoided,
but which had for its sole object the
foIsting Of this revolutionary ana
dangerous system upon the state ana
they gave the measure cunnlnsly-
prepared title which led the average
voter to believe that the principal op-
iect sought was the abolishment OF the
unnonuIar poll tax. 1t is safe to say
that thousands of voters supported thls
amendment with no other object IN
view-little dreaming that while Yot-
ing against poll tax they were open
ing the way for the odious single tax
1--WE rely on the printed word says
Mr.. U'Ren, and in this instance as IN
all other U'Ren laws, the printed
word" had been SO cunningly framed
as 10 convey no suggestion of the real
object of the measure. The title was
az usual, the sugar coating on the pill
How much farther are the people
of oregon going to follow this man
U'Ren? What have they gained Dy
following such leadership? Is oregon
more prosperous than its sister states
which have none of the U'Ren fads or
faneies? Are the U'Ren laws reducing
our taxes? Are they promoting the
commercial and Industrial growth oil
our state? The Observer thinks not
and it believes a majority OF the vot-
ers of Oregon will agree with Its opin-
ion.
UrRen has long played upon the
nreiudices and passions of the people
but at last his game stands forth In
All of its nakedness. 1t has been 9
game of sophistry and deceit. Whl'
nretending to be working to give the
neople more power. he has sought tf
deprive them of the power they have
He would deliver oregon as a prey t'
INSCRIPTIONS political cut-throats D!
taking the election Of state and count!
officers out Of the hands OF the peopl'
and giving the Governor sole author
ity TO appoint them. He would plac
the whole burden of taxation on tn
shoulders OF the farmer and the smal
home owner, and let the railroad com
panies. the wealthy manufacturer
corporations and the money changer
go scot free. He would favor the rlcl
tax dodgers by the enactment Of a la'
that would relieve them OF even tn
worry OF dodging. He would misiea
the voters by his cunningly-worde
ballot titles. and then boast that II
not always good policy to let the pee
ule know what they are voting 10
We carry our measures by suckln
10 the printed word" exults u'Rer
I'VE do not explain them 20 the pee
pie: We do not call attention to n
carefully concealed Jokers:' we nev'
20 outside the record"
only great man can wisely an
modestly demean himself in the hot
OF victory-and U'Ren Is not grea
lie ls Oregon's political Uriah Hee
He carried his single tax amendpei
by strategy and deceit, and now. husl
ed with success. he boasts of his GU
ming. but this very boastfulness mi
prove his undoing The voters Of %
eeon are not yet through with q
single tax. and they viii doubue
have somethine to say on the suhje
al the next election. The reign
u'Ren Is nearing its end. Already o
can begin 20 see signs Of the returni
dawn Of the day Of common sense.