The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-06-29

people. And thus. to Rome in her
greatness, Cincinnatus-not money
became the type Of the "sinews of
war" The sinews, muscles and
nerves Of all just wars-i. e., for the
defence of home-are identical with
those Of the citizen. But these can
only be used to the full by allow
ing each citizen an interest in the
country which he calls his own. -.
1t is useless to point out that the
rural worker Is no better off than
the city operative, for, though NOM
inally free, actually he Is a slave;
and it is equally useless to point out
that most small holders fail, for the
failure of the small. holder results
from two causes; first, the injustice
of the conditions on which alone he
can use the land, and secondly, be-
cause he has been trained to slav-
cry and lacks the physical and NOR
al stamina to become free man
working out his own destiny. But
this second cause is only a result
of the first, and would disappear If
the first were removed. Give every
worker the freedom of right to use
the soil on just conditions. That Is
all he needs. 1t would benefit the
city wage Garner In precisely the
Same degree as the land worker. 1t
would, at the same time, relieve COM
petition and create new demand for
the products of the city; and, as a
last resort, every wage Garner. who
was dissatisfied with his wages could
fall back on the land for living. "
Thus, justice Of land tenure would
give to every worker freedom to
bargain for the wages he should re-
ceive; and thus wage slavery, with
all the moral deterioration that fol-
lows in its train, would vanish. This
is the great result-the end and aim
of all political and social action
that the producers of wealth should
be free men. All men, by the fact
Of their having been born into this
world, have an equal right to live,
and this implies that they must also:
have an equal right to the land, on
which. and by which, alone they can
live. Forbid a man the right to use
the land except on terms dictated by
others-th1s Is equivalent to for
bidding him to live except by the
sufferance of his fellow-men-it is,
in fact, making him a slave without
the right even to his own life. This
driving Of men into slavery without
any rights at all, is one inevitable
outcome of monopoly by few, of
the only means by which we all can
live. Dry up the springs of this
primal injustice, and all the injus-
tees and wretchedness and human
misery which poverty entails, will
die. And the way to attain this great
end is so simple!
All land values are created by the
community; hence the state, which
is the manager for the community,
has right to them. Let the state,
therefore, take what it requires for
the performance of public duties by
! q uniform rate or tax on all land
values. BY this simple and perfectly
just procedure, two results of the
very first importance will be achieved.
In the first place, the state will there
by supply itself. with ample revenue
for all its needs, without taxing: the
food or the industries of the people.
Secondly, every man will have equal
freedom with all other men, to as
much or as little of the land values of
the country as he is willing to pay
the tax on.
In this way an enormous field for
productive employment would become
available; the price of land would
drop to- its natural level; and not
only agriculture but manufactures,
building and all other forms of
wealth production would have free
scope for natural growth and devel-
opment. Having laid this broad and
sure foundation, the nation can rear
the fabric of its social temple-high
| as it Hkes-magnificent as it likes
colonnade and plaster, cornice and
architrave, turret and pinnacle; SCI
ence, art, literature, philosophy;
strength, character, domestic felicity.