The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-01
Single Tax, the Detroit Times
and the Beatitudes.

and good-tempered pages the soul Of
Henry George and Joseph Fels goes
marching on. makes this friendly refer.
ence to The Detroit Times and It's policy
in its issue Of February 10th:
Mr.. Schermerhorn is to be congr1tu-
lated upon the success of his novel un-
dertaking. His example will tend to en-
courage others in greater effort toward
better journalism. Each demonstration
Of this kind will help to convince editors
Of other papers that sensational news
columns and dishonest advertisements
are not the sole means Of success. But
the question may be asked, Has Mr..
Schermerhon completed his expert
mentf To bar from his news columns
lewdness, vulgarity. and RIGHTEOUSNESS,
and from his advertising pages quack
medicines, liquor, cigarettes, and all man.
commendable; for it brings us nearer TO
the spirit of the Beatitudes-but not
tquite to them. These virtues are In q
sense negative; and it is not sufficient
that a man should merely refrain from
doing evil. He cannot reach the full stat
ure of man until he does good. The
man who speaks chastely, lives temper
ately. and refrains from doing those
things that were condemned by the great
Master, and yet who should see a bandit
prey upon helpless neighbor. or who
should see cunning and unscrupulous
man wrong his fellows, and do nothing
to aid the victims, would still lack some
thing of the spirit of the Beatitudes.
mir. Schermerhorn solved the difficulty
in the way of his business fellows when
he refused Objectionable medical adver-
tisements, and still more when he threw
out liquor and cigarette advertising; let
him now try one more experiment. Lat
him consider the greatest commercial
value in the country, value that is pro-
duced by the activities of society as .
whole, but which Is monopolized and APP
propriated by part of the people, to the
inexpressible hardship of the remainder,
and ask himself what the Master would
have advised under such a circumstances.
Let him take a stand for the enactment
Of law that will establish the right Of
every man to that which he creates, act
ing as an individual. and also to that
which he creates, acting as one OF the
community. In other words, let him join
in the effort to secure law that win
take for the use of society, as a WHOLE
the land values that are created by 90
ciety as a whole, and that will removU
all taxes from the products of labor, 90
that the individual creator Of wealth viii
have the fun enjoyment of all that he Gre
ha of
| by Mr.. Schermerhorn may cause some OF
his subscribers to leave him, and others
to withhold legitimate advertisements;
but if he wishes to put himself in COM
plete accord with the great Masters
teachings. he can do no less. And II he
does do this, there is the same hope that
it will succeed that there was from his
past experiments"
The Public is fine spirited and unafraid,
as ever, in finding something to commend
in our adventure in newspaper ideals;
but IL goes wrong In getting the premise
for its gentle admonition to US about
preaching the whole gospel, from neces-
sarily incomplete reports of what the
publisher Of The Times had to say before
the Chicago Sunday Evening Club.
As a matter Of fact, the espousal Of
progressiveness all the way from direct
legislation to single tax has been vital
and at times costly part of our process Of
Testing the Beatitudes." We haven't
emphasized the land question as much
as other reforms that seemed to us cap
able of earlier realization, but we have
not overlooked the grave disparity and
injustice which the single tax seeks to
correct.
But--shall we say Il softly?-since
some Of the ameiiorative programmes we
have rushed in for have come to pass.
with resultant half-failures and disap-
pointments, we are not as hopeful as we
have been that the tax system that
seems everlastingly just and logical and
workable will bring In entirely the happy
day we love to depict In our rhapsodic
foretellings.
When one compares primary elections
and tariff revision downward as accom-
pllshed facts with editorial descantin9s
upon their benefits to mankind; II doesn't
leave US In as cock-sure frame Of mind
as we were won't to be In the embattled
days Of whole hearted advocacy Of cor.
receive legislation.
Not that we are weary Of well-doin9.
far from It: but little more disposed to
look for less virtue In any panacea than
we It's fiery proponents claim for N