The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-11-01
Former Advocates
SI1g|e 1QI IOReluCe
RIg1 Cost Of GTlIg

Following 10 part OF an address de.
liyered by George P. Hampton at the
Conference on the High Cost Of Liv.
ing held at Washington, D.. c., July
81. Mr.. Hampton is editor of the
Farmers Open Forum, which is the
bulletin of the Farmers Non-Partisan
League and its affiliated organiza-
tons, including the Rural Credit
League Of America, the National Mar.
keting Committee and the Farmers
National Committee on Tax Reform.
His clean cut analysis of the real
problems facing the producing farmer
and the worker in the city is worthy
Of carefully consideration.
There would be no problem of the
high cost of living IL there were no
monopoly Of the natural resources Of
the earth. This being true it follows
that the way to reduce the cost of
living is to abolish this monopoly. The
reason for monopolizing a natural re-
source is to compel those dependent
on that natural resource to pay trib-
ute to the monopolizer. In essence
this is identical with the tribute ex-
acted from commerce by the bucca-
neers of all ages. 1t is this monop-
oily tribute, which must be paid be-
fore the workers can have a cent,
that adds to every product of human
labor an excessive and eXtortionate
price, while the workers struggle to
make ends meet on steadily declin-
ing wage. Under these circumstances,
no matter how much money wages
may advance, there will be an actual
advances more rapidly than the wages.
The monopoly of our coal lands has
produced our millionaire coal barons;
of iron mines our iron and steel
barons; of copper mines our copper
barons; of land our land barons; of
trade and transportation our trade
and transportation barons; and
through the monopoly of our water
power still other barons have been
added to the group Of those whose
enormous incomes are made up of
tribute which our present laws enable
them to compel the workers to pay.
The outward and visible sign of that
tribute is the rise in the cost of liv
ing.
Democracy Being Destroyed.
We fight for world democracy while
the steady rise in the cost Of living
is proof that democracy is being de-
stroyed at home. A democracy is a
government of, for and by the people,
in which the earth and all its natural
resources are held as an eternal her
itage to be shared in equally by all
Democracy must destroy privilege or
privilege will destroy democracy.
The remedy for the high cost of
living is simple. Destroy land monop-
oily by tax on land values (Singl
Tax, and wherever the value Of a
natural resource-like that of our
coal, iron and copper mines and oil
wells-cannot be- adequately reached
by land value tax, have the govern.
menL take JUGH over anu Op6TdtC
them for the common good.
The honest, direct peasants Of Rus
STA blazed the way to economic
democracy by restoring the land to
the people. Unless we are equally
sane, fundamental and honest we
shall lose the greatest opportunity of
proving to the world our sincere be-
lief in real democracy. The present,
congress should cease inventing meth
DDS to extort more of the meager earn
ings of farmers and other workers
by insidious, picayune and predatory
taxes upon coffee, cocoa, sugar,
freight rates, and all the necessities
of life, and tax land values-the only
method of raising revenue to finance
the war democratically without rob-
bling the workers.
This is democracy, and all Ameri-
cars are pleading for democracy in
loyalty to the ideals of President viii.
son. Congress surely will not refuse
democracy to America.