Evening journal., 1911-08-08
Peoples Column
MORE ABOUT ARDEN.
William ]. Hogan Takes Exception to
the Criticism of "A Single Taxer."


the Criticism of "A Single Taxer."
Editor of The Evening Journal.
Upon my arrival in Wilmington last
Friday. l was surprised to learn that
any Single Taxer would expose to
print such a TRADE of abuse as that
which appeared in last Wednesdays
issue of The Evening Journal, under
the heading, Wants Arden Probed,"
and signed a-la-nom de plume Ga
method employed when writer wishes
to conceal his identity, for one reason
or another. Sometimes through a
cowardly fear, or shame Of what he
writes)
But the moment l glanced at the
article the identity of the writer stood
out plainly. He might just as we'll
have stood manfully by his guns, sign
ed his name and told the whole
truth, leaving out vague statements
and asinine accusations.
1 have known this writer, "a Single
Taxer," for many years, and used TO
swear by his name until I found him
to be one who tried to pose for what
he was not.
"a Single Taxer" assails Arden as
not being a Single Tax colony now
and never To be exact, will quote
him: at is not now nor never was
a Single Tax colony" In the fifteenth
/ and sixteenth lines of the second
paragraph, while in the twenty-ninth
and thirtieth lines of the first para
graph he says: Personally, / know
nothing Of the place"
What a position for the man who
signs himself "A Single Taxer" to
place himself In. He denounces Ar
den as not being a Single Tax colony
in the same breath with which he
says, personally, know nothing Of
the place"
Indeed, his assault on Arden, which
comes as near to being a Single Tax
colony as the existing laws permit
since a person can acquire the pos
session, secure possession of land,
without buying it, simply by paying
the rental value of the land occupied
the very essence of Single Tax, and
all that Henry George ever asked for
all other taxes being eliminated, OF
course-and his attitude toward
Frank Stephens is as puerile as one
could well make it.
The Single Takers of Delaware. and
especially Wilmington, thoroughly
know G. Frank Stephens, and I would
venture to say that Stephens is prac-
tically reverenced by all genuine
Single Takers" His profound
knowledge of the Single Tax, his great
ability to PROFOUND the principles IN
volved in the Single Tax and his life
,, of self-sacrifce in advocating it.
make him real friend of the late
Henry George, one who conversed
> freely, thousands of times, with the
great leader, and one who read
p thoroughly digested Henry Georges
works and knows that religion or love
of any kind has naught to do with the
Single Tax.
Now. Mr.. Editor, I want to make
this statement plain, that there can be
no misunderstanding.
This person who declared that he
frequently conversed with Henr,
George might be able TO show tha
: he met Henry George once-just ono
when all Of US Single Takers me
: him. on the occasion OF his visit Z
l Wilmington during a series of lee
, lures during the winter Of 1896 in tn
, Opera House, but this buster, an ap
! parent attempt to show his own (sup
! posed) greatness, won't deceive an.
genuine" Single Taxer in Whining
ton. Many Of the Single Takers o
6 Wilmington, to my knowledge, hav
/ time and time again declared tha
|. he'd be all right on the Single Ta'
I If he wasn't such a bigoted religion
ist." do want religion KEEP
strictly out Of politics, for hav
learned, as Campbell, the poet, said
! when the church gets behind IN
throne blood and carnage follows 4
. in its wake"
I So the writer of that article des
! pises Frank Stephens for two rea
q sons First. Because Of religion
: faith, and secondly, because he is
e million miles the superior of the ma
who assails him-superior in ever
way.
Just what the social conditions a
Arden are should not be taken int
s consideration. If Brown, th
anarchist" came to the Single Ia
e colony he was entitled to a site Pre-
j. vided he paid his single tax-th
= rental value Of the land occupied
a and If he is a free lover, that doesn
lessen the value of Arden so far a
Z the Single Tax is concerned.
n l don't know whether "A Sing
a Taxer" ever visited Arden-probabl
= not-and If not, his absence was mol
: than made up for by the presence
, such men as John s. Crosby, Bolto
Hall and other sweet, lovable cha
: acters like them. For myself hay
!, known the critic to be a bull-in-l
= china shop always.
= Yours,
:, William ]. Hogan.
!. Camden. N. J., Aug. 5.