The Wahpeton times., 1918-10-17
SINGLE TAX EXPOSED
IF armers Can Have Shell If Wa
Get the Kernel"
Propositions Showed Under by 5c9,137
to &C 9i7 in State OF
Missouri.

Proposition Showed Under by 5c9,137
to SC 9-t7 in State OF
Missouri.
The sNrar coated Single Tax doc
trine proposed for adoption in the
form of IL constitutional amendment, to
be voted on this fall, under the at
tractive title exemption of farm i'm
provelnents." is exposed in it's true
light in a story of the fight made by
the farmers in Missouri against the
enactment Of the Single Tax. The
story discloses that in Missouri tho
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 403
and 404, as follows:
~ do not propose either to pur- :
chase or to confiscate private
property In land. The first would
be unjust; the second needless.
Let the individuals who now hold
Il still retain, II they want to,
possession Of what they are
pleased to call THEIR land. Let
them continue to call II THEIR
land, let them and sell and be-
queath and devise It. We may
safely leave them the she'll, II we
take the KERNEL.
II is not necessary to eonflscate
land; It 10 only necessary to con.
f.seate the rent. In this way the
state may become the universal
landlord without calling herself
Co."
Thus, as Henry George expresses Il,
the whole purpose Of the Single Tax Is
ownership Of land by the state.
The point of the single tax, as ap-
piled to the North Dakota political
situation, is found in the fact that the
doctrine was set forth in House Bill
a. supported by Governor Frazier,
and opposed by Mr.. Doyle.
In this analysis of the Single Tax
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
licity campaign in Missouri when the
fight was staged there in 1912. In
part, Mr.. Mayes says:
Saddle Tax on Farmers.
"The year 1912 witnessed the At
tempt to saddle the single tax onto
Missouri farmers.
-Four country men met one day In
Kansas City ut the office of the late
Senator George Falloon. early in the
summer, and then and there we de-
cided to call state convention at tho
capital to lay before the people the
truth about the propaganda, which evi-
IDENTIFY was being finances by Joseph
Fels. millionaire soap manufacturer
and single taxer.
'sThe state convention In Jefferson
City was largely attended, creating the
Missouri AntiSingle Tax League
which was organized in each congress
sional district and every county, for
holding public meetings and distribut-
Ing literature. Funds were raised for
state and county purposes. and IL state
headquarters opened in Kansas City,
vigorous and successful camDai1n
conducted therefrom.
Farmers Take Stump.
'Farmers who had never made q
speech took the stump, and many q
fiery orator was created over night.
HScntinlent 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.
"Single tax was studied in every
home. Single tax hooks were bought
and read. Anti-Single Tax booklets
md books were written and printed.
Many lecturers against Single Tax
toured the state. Many newspapers
gave more space to fighting the propa-
ganda than they used In political
effort. .x
"The State was aroused to fever
heat at the thought Of placing all the
burdens Of taxation on land. Th, i"w
farmers who ha dheld to that social.
istic faith awakened to the seriousness
of the situation and turned against tho
Single Tax.
"lnterests" For It.
''SOme Of the corporations and Ger.
tain big interests started out very.
very favorable to the Single Tax.
Certain public men who had contrib
uted to The Fels Fund Fellers' hur-
ried to cover. Candidates for public
Office. who had previously gone on
record in favor Of Single Tax, rushed
to either denOunce it or withdraw from
their races.
'Poll-workers, without pay, were or
ganized at every country polling place
In Missouri. Armed with samples of
the style of the ballot with 'Constitu-
tional Amendment No. Six marked