The Wahpeton times., 1918-10-03
SINGLE TAX EXPOSED.
"Farne's Can Have Shell Il W.
Get the Kernel."
Psepesltea S~sv,sd Undse By soAsS9
= oa,S47 In otats %
Misoeuei.

The sugar coated Single Tax doc
rtne proposed for adoption In the
form Of constitutional amendment, to
Be voted on this fall, under the At
tractive title exemption Of farm Inn
provenents," is exposed in its true
light in story Of the fight made BY
the farmers in Missouri against the
enactment of the Single Tax. The
story dscloses that .in Missouri the
single tax. az 1t always does. had the
support of the wealthy interests, the
holders of vast personal property
possessions. who. through the medium
of the single tax shift the burden Of
taxation from themselves onto the
land.
In discussing the doctrine the fol-
lowing is quoted from progress AMI
Poverty book by Henry George, the
original single tax advocate, pages 4O3
and 4O4. as follows:
~ do not propose either to pur.
chase or to eonfsseate private
property In land. The first would
be unjust; the second needless.
Let the individuals who now held
Il still retain, u they want 70.
possession Of what they are
pleased to call THEIR land. LIT
them continue 70 call Il Th4lR
land, let them and cell and ".
susath and dsvlss Il. We may
saseIy leave them the she'll, u wo
take the KERNEL.
Il ls not necessary %, senAseaSe
land; II 10 only necessary 70 cen.
nseate the rent. In this way the
state may bseems the universal
landlord without calling herselt
-" .t
thus, - Heory George .expresses n.
The whole purpose Of the Single Tsx -
ownership Of land BY the state.
The point Of the single. tax, % ap-
piled to the North Dakota political
situation. is found in the fact that the
doctrine was set forth in House Bill
~, supported by Governor Frazier,
and opposed by Mr.. Doyle.
In this analysis of the Single Tax a
letter is quoted, written by Jewell
Mayes. Secretary Of the Missouri State.
Board Of Agriculture. Jefferson City.
Mo-. who was in charge of the pub
LEFTY campaign in Missouri when the
fight was staged there In 1912. In
part. Mr.. Mayes says:
Saddle Tax on Farmers.
.1'he year 1912 witnessed the At
tempt to saddle the single tax onto
Missouri farmers.
-Four country men met one day In
Kansas City at the Office of the late
Senator George Falcon, early in the
summer. and then aud there We de-
cidsd to call state convention at the
capital to lay before the people the
truth about the propaganda, which svi-
6sntly was being finances BY Joseph
Dsas, millionaire soap manufactures
and single taxse.
The state eonven1oa Ia Je6erDon
CITY was largely attended, creating ths
Missouri Anti-Singls Tax League
which was organised h each eoogrss-
Asnal district and every county, tee
holding public meetings and distribst-
~ literature. Funds were raised fee
stats as1 csunty purpessA and q state
AsadauaFtsrs opened In KaaDas 0ey,
4 vigorous aud successful campaaRu
ssaducted thsssfrom.
Farmers Take Stump.
"FarMers who had never made 4
speech took the stump, and many q
1ssy orator was created over night.
and passion ran high.
Single takers Travelled over the state,
financed by the Fels fund, and in many
instances the socialistic speakers
aroused public opposition to the dan
ger point
"SinEle tax WAS studied in every
home. Single tax books were bought
and read. Anti-Single Tax booklets
aud books were written and printed.
Many lecturers against Single Tax
toured the state. Many newspapers
gave more space to fighting the propa-
Ianda than they used in political
effort.
"The State was aroused to fever
heat ut the thought Of placing all the
burdens of taxation on land. The few
farmers who ha dheld to that social
sfic faith awakened to the seriousness
of the situation and turned against the
Single Tax.
"lnterests" For It.
'S0ine IF the corporations and Ger.
ain big interests started out very.
Tery favorable to the Single Tax.
Certain public men who had contrib.
tied to The Fels Fund Fellers' hur.
led to cover. Candidates for public
,nice. who had previously gone on
'ecord in favor Of Single Tax. rushed
o either denounce it or withdraw from
heir races.
"Poll-workers. without pay. were or
Ianized at every country polling place
q Missouri. Armed with samples Of
he style Of the ballot, with 'Constitu-
ional Amendment No. Six marked
~