Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-28
Applied Logic Urged
For Social Problem
To the Editor Of The star:


Some day our efforts 10 solve the
social problem are going to be sincere.
So far the powers that be have deluded
themselves into the belief that they per-
sonally profit by humanity's present
alignment. When they become enlight-
ened enough to perceive that the for
tunate" and the successful invaria, ly
suffer as much because Of our antique
fiscal regime-only in other wayS-aS
do the poor and the lowly, all persons
will pull for the installation Of q state
Of permanent good times.
Now, the farce of pretending our
social evils have no antidote Is likely to
become more and more an indictment
Of those conservatives who refuse to
wake up. Their attitude Is scarcely
more defenSible than that OF those fatu-
Gus souls who ignore the very existence
OF any social" (governmental) evils.
I venture to assert that when our
lords d masters get through feeling
around with every conceivable court
plaster palliative for the cure Of ''un-
employment" ETC., they will get their
dander up and their coats OF and apply
hard and fast logic in q big way TO the
job-for the first time in the history Of
the world.
Va COuASC, tAL1OuS philosophers ALu
prophets have done so, with the result
that our Statesmen" will only follow in
the footsteps Of those obscure thinkC }
who from time to time challenged q
stone-deaf world with inspired sparks
of wisdom. II our Congressman could
by any chance be taught the elementary
rules Of logic, they might be able to
grasp the following structure Of pure
reason-absolutely irrefutable, provided
we stick to the said rules.
BY the sure process Of elimination"
all systems of coSmic reform can be
quickly reduced to three. Needless to
forms. 1t Is a waste Of time to prove
the obvious fact that the worlds
troubles are economic. There are, then,
only three outstanding plans for social
amelioration which logically attempt to
show the cause Of unethical wealth dis
tribution, our specific, prime economic
trouble. These are Socialism, the single
tax, and money reform.
Investigation Of the above soon re
wards us with o modus operandi for
choosing the right plan for human sal
walton. All three are seductive and
have many adherentS. They are 50
convincing that the keenest savant alive
would find 1t impossible to refute any
one Of them from the conservative,
status quo point Of view. The only way
logical reform plan can be refuted Is
by the application Of better reform
plant Many an argumentative duffer
belonging to the conservative school has
found out this elementary truth-much
to his disgust.
Albeit, here is an original digest Of
the three most impressive and likely
reform ideas now before the world:
nia1 0nT1tnndg
tools of production" resulting in an
unearned increment, profits" Is the
disturbing factor in human affairs; the
single tax philosophy claims that mo-
nopo1y Of choice portions OF land, re-
sulting in an unearned increment,
rent" is the malignant influence;
money reform AYERS that monopoly OF
money gold money!, resulting in an
unearned increment, interest" Is the
cause Of all the distempers Of civiliza-
ton.
There Il no possible question about
the existence OF unearned increment.
Even the most reactionary financiers Of
our generation use this expression, not
fully realizing perhaps the danger to
their own philosophy of admitting any
form Of income Is pure graft-Since
there Is no ethical Justification for I'M
earned money, Of any sort or under any
designation, in a typical democracy such
as ours.
Our task Is simplifed as soon as we
examine these three great reform ideas
with regard TO their relative merits and
ease Of adoption, and 1t Is almost Grim
inal stupidity to bother with any other
betterment plans, for logic proves the
peril Of not conhning ourselves TO the
field Of all-comprehensive reform.
I am q money reformer because
after literally thousands Of verincationS
and reverifca tions-I find Socialists
cannot prove that profits, generally
speaking, are unea<ned; that single
takers, although they can prove ground
rent Is fundamentally unearned, can
not prove the single tax would be an
equitable adjuster Of social conditions,
and, finally, because no one has ever
been able to prove that even l per
cent Of interest year Is earned in any
way, shape or manner; and because 1t
Is readily demonstrated that interest
can be nationally eliminated by just,
sound, sensible and ethical alteration
of the flsc. Abolishing rent would not
abolish interest, be 1t noted. But abol-
ishing interest would ultimately cause
ground rent to disappear. Single takers
dismiss this whole line Of thought with
the absurd contention that interest Is
nAEuIh1. ABd4IlB ulOLlCy ACAOAAA 40 AZ
form by boon and not by deprivation.
And we certainly have had quite enough
Of the restriction and deprivation kind
Of Improvement"
Months, years, or possibly centuries,
from now the best minds" no doubt Will
discover in their own conceit a process
Of thought identical with the above.
One thing Is certain-the real ortgina-
tors Of great cosnic messages may ex-
pect only the cross Of martyrdom. They
are lucky If they escape severe punish
ment for trying to make the whole world
happy. Their one reward is the salts
faction Of finding and knowing the
truth.
But all humanity suffers with them.
Rome burns" while our politicians nd
die, and it Is my fervent hope that the
dawn Of human enlightenment Is al
ready breaking through the long night
Of greed, ignorance, disease, chaos and
despair. F. G1A1CH.