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22 THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT. MAT 14, 1903. use of the earth, but they were una ble to apply the principle. That this principle, was freely recognized in the earliest ages of society is not now dis puted by any reputable writer upon archaic la w. Professor Maine in his "Ancient Law shows it very clearly, as does also Laveleye. It is admitted in Washburn on Real Property, and, in general, wherever touched upon by any standard writer upon the subject Blackstone 1q his Commentaries says "There is no foundation in nature or z - tural law, why a set of words upon parchment should convey the domin ion ot land" (BL Comm., Book II., Co. 1), and he shows further that in the beginning there was no right of private property in land, but only a possessory right. (See, also, Will ianv. Real Prop.. l"Lh ed.. p. 6; Speeches of John Bright, Vol. 1, ed. of 1868; Froude, Hist of Ireland, bk. J., ch. 2, sec. 6, p. 131; and Hist of England, vol. 1, ch. 1, p. 20; Locke, Essay on Civ. Govt, sees. 25 and 34; Voltaire, Diet Philos., tit Droit Ca nonique, sec. 2, Oeuvres. vol. LIV.. p. 138; Prof. Alfred Wallace, Land j Nationalization, ch. viil.. p. 229; Her bert Spencer in 1850, Social Statics, eh. ix.; Gerrit Smith, Speech in Con gress, 1854 (Speeches Gerrit Smith, p. 232); Sismondi, New Prin. of Pol. ! Eeon., (1820), bk. III., ch. 5, p. 2U2 (2nd French ed.), Essay on Landed Prop., Pol. Econ. (English ed. of 1847), p. 161; John Ruskin, Munera Pulveris (1863), ch. 5, sec. 131; Prof. Simon! Newcomb (Land and Labor Question) North American Review, July, 1870, p. 151; Thomas Carlyle, Past and 'Pres ent, III., 8. m.) ' In all ages learned men have almost universally conceded that all men have an equal right to the use of the earth. But if nobody had ever conceded this right if everybody had disputed it that fact of itself could not destroy the validity of that right Natural rights exist regardless of what men may say either for or against them. 'Men do not create them, and men can not alter them. They belong to man by virtue of his birth into this world, and are inferred from the very fact of his existence because necessary to life itself. To quote Jefferson again: "Men are born free and with equal oppor tunities; not equal in mental force or physical endurance, but opportunities to live and labor upon the earth and enjoy the fruits of their industry. " ' Jefferson states the truth precisely. Without equal opportunities there can be no such thing as equal rights. Now. if the soil originally belonged to mankind, and not to a few, how and wnen and where did mankind part with that right? They did not part with it Mankind cannot yield up a natural right, and if they attempted to do so they could not thus barter away the rights of their children, for, as . David sang in the 115th Psalm, the earth hath He given to the chil dren of men." ; How, then, is this natural right to be asserted? It must be done through the single tax.. It can be done in no other way. And the transition from wrong to right would be easy, t could be made without, disturbing a single land title. Those who possess land would still possess it and would continue to sell or devise it at their pleasure, just' as they do now. But the ground rents, which are values created by. society, and not by the land owner, would be turned over to spciety every year in the form of taxes to the government This single fund would provide abundant revenue. ' Sixty-five per cent of the annual land values of the United States, ac cording to reliable statistics, would be sufficient for ail purposes, national, state and municipal. And as growing population increased the expenses of government it would also increase the values of the land, thus producing an - inexhaustible natural fund lor public purposes, always ample to meet the public needs. It would be a natural tax, and it is the only natural tax, founded in the fundamental principles : of natural law. No man could then - afford to, hold land out of use lor spec ujative . purposes. The great centres of population, where land values are highest would yield the most . rev enue, and In the remote rural districts, " where land values are low, the tax . 1 would be.but nominal. All other taxes would be abolished The great masses 1 of population, which by flocking .to " the large cities create the stupendous land . values there, . would , thus pay their taxes by the mere fact of their 'existence: for the values which they : make would be sufficient for; all pub- lie purposes. Labor would pay its taxes by the mere fact that It, has ' labored. We know that there Is more squalor . . and misery In the Immediate vicinity of land that is worth a nunarea tnou sand dollars an acre than where land ia worth twenty dollars an acre. Why -..Is this? Because the men who by struggling and crowding together like cattle in a pen, have made tnis iana worth its enormous value, are shut out from any participation in the val ues which they have created. Labor Is robbed of its own. What is the remedy? It Is plain. Let this crowding, jostling mass of pent-up human creatures keep every cent that they earn, let them retain every dollar of the property they may honestly acquire, but let the land val ues, which the common efforts of all have produced, be taken for the com mon purposes of all. This is the sin gle tax. ' This system would secure to the child of the humblest laborer, or the orphaned waif of the street, as much a share in the value of the million-dollar corner lot as the person or corporation who holds the legal title to the land. But the legal pos session of that lot would not be dis turbed. The person holding the legal title thereto would still enjoy the ex clusive possession and use of the ground, but he would no longer enjoy the fruits of other men's toil, for val ues added to . the land by the public would be taken by the public, for pub lic purposes. ' We hold that eery man has the absolute, sole and 'exclusive right to the gains of his own. industry; that each man has the indisputable right to follow any honorable - occupation he may choose, and to retain alt that his efforts will bring him. 1 We believe that all men have the equal right to earn all they can and keep all they earn. .' .' 1 "- . These rights are. recognized under the present system by name; but by name only. Every man who opens a little store, must know that when he pays his merchant's license he is pay ing for the privilege of doing the work of selling goodsl He is fined for en gaging in an honorable and useful oc cupation. Every business man is taxed for the privilege of doing busi ness, just as if his right to engage in business were indeed a privilege in stead of the natural and inherent right which we all know it to be. If a man build a dwelling house, he is taxed for his enterprise. If he con struct any sort of improvement, how ever beneficial to the public, the first mark of public gratitude , he receives is an increase in his tax assessment And this is how it works: When the merchant pays his license, and the taxes upon his stock, and the rent for his store if he be a renter he puts all these into his expense items, and then charges enough for his goods to reimburse him for his outlay and yield him a fair profit for his investment and fair wages for his workl If a landlord improve one of his houses and is required to pay a larger tax because of his improvement, the ten ant ultimately pays the tax in the form of increased rent A tax upon mprovements, as well as all other personal property taxes, may be shifted. Labor pays it all in the end. This is why we say that a tax upon mprovements, upon occupation and upon any kind of personal property, is a tax upon human Industry. Moreover t is a tax upon consumption the most unjust tax of all; the larger a man's family may be, the more house-room he must have and the more food aid clothing he will neect or his family, and thus, ordinarily, his rents and all of his living expenses will be greater than those of the man who consumes less. When you tax consumption you ta abor, for you tax the produce of la bor, and thus decrease the demand for what labor produces. If this is not a tax upon labor, what would you call t? You not only cast upon the shoul ders of the toiling and producing classes the whole burden of maintain- ng the government, but you rob labor of employment, and thus render it ess able to carry its burdens. What ever decreases the demand for the produce of labor; decreases the de mand for labor Itself. . The single tax would increase con sumption by. removing . the burdens now fastened upon, the consumer. It would encourage labor by setting it free. It would add fresh Impetus to production, awaken new stimulus to enterprise, and revitalize tne spirit or industry throughout this great federa tion of states. It would toll the death knell of every monopoly, and ring out the glad tidings of the emancipation of labor. It would herald the dawning of a new era of freedom and progress. the like of which the world has nevei seen. Strike the fetters from th limbs of labor, open to all men ths opportunity to produce all they can and enjoy all they produce, give to each the chance that belongs to all and suffer none to limit the chances of others for success in life. ; This is the purpose of the single tax. the most far-reaching reform ever devised for the good of humanity. It is the- most effective reform ever pre-; sented.' to - the people. The benefits which will come of all other reforms will be lost without the single tax; for without it, although a temporary relief may be had, idle land owners will ultimately be the only gainers, and the landless will in the course of time pay out all the benefits they have received. In increased and increasing rents, and in taxes on their labor. The present land system will pro duce serfdom. In this country Just as surely as it has produced it elsewhere. It is doing ft now. The present sys tem of indirect taxation is deceptive, and therefore dangerous, for It con ceals what should be known, and lays its insidious grasp upon the fruits of labor and touches with paralytic touch the hand of industry, like the stealthy approach of a disease whose presence is hidden until made known by the harm which it has wrought Serfdom steals upon the people unawares. They never know it until revealed by the clanking of the shackles at their feet But the unjust laws which bind the. people today are stronger than links of iron, and their clanking may not be heard; but it is there; it is everywhere in the world where the many toll for the few who spoil. The single 'tax is coming. It is borne upon the wings of Truth, and it must come. , The American people cannot much . longer close their eyes against it Justice, I know, is a plant of slow growth.' For centuries it has been struggling? upward toward ths light Countless generations have wa tered it with their tears. It has been torn, bruised and trampled on for ages. But it has grown, and will grow, for it bears within it the germ of Immortality. SPEED MOSBY. Jefferson City, Ma Special subscription rate to single taxers, 5 months 25c. Nebraska Farm and Ranch Life Nebraska has the proud distinction of the lowest percentage of illiteracy am ng her people of any state in the unit n. The climate is unsurpassed and the great resources of the state are ;ust beginning to be developed. On the rich fertile prairies of this great state is found the most produc tive soi.' in the United States. Scien tific analysis of the soil and the cli matic influence1 on the same, made by tie department of agriculture at Washington, proves conclusively that Nebraska soil is absolutely inexhaust ible and will never wear out On every hand are found comfort able and commodious homes, rich and well tilled farms, high grade choice live stock; our people are happy and contented, progressive and prosper ous. , In the western part of the state ia" found the great cattle industry, oc cupied by many thousand , small ranchmen; here with the nutritious grasses and the mild winters cattle are fattened for market without the use of grain. In the eastern part of the state is found great wheat, corn, oats, rye, and alfalfa fields; highly improved farms and exeat orchards of apples, pears, peaches. ana an Kinds of small fruit. And there is still room for a hnn. dred thousand families in Nebraska. wniie tne prices of real estate ar3 advancing rapidly, as vet thev are nnt unreasonably high. Any one looking ior an ideal rarm or ranch or good Dusiness opening will profit by writ ing at once to Weber & Farris. TJn. coin, Neb., stating what kind of property they desire and how much money they wish to invest One cent for this bisr editon. nostac free. Why not send a hundred to nose wno will read it 7 Bibliography The following does not purport to be anything like a complete list of the books which treat of the single tax philosophy. Persons interested in the subject can secure a large amount of literature free from the various clubs and leagues named under th head of 'Organizations" elsewhere in this issue. The Independent School ot Political Economy has a number of books on single tax which circu late among Its members; for some of these books a small charge is made as rental, until the cost price is finally recovered, when they become "free" books. On "free" books (which in clude all donated to the school), the borrower is required to pay postage on to the next borrower. The leagues in Boston, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Chi cago, and Philadelphia, have a fine assortment of small pamphlets which they distribute free. - ' BOOKS. By Henry George: Progress and Poverty, 12 mo., cloth, $1; paper, 25c Social Problems 12 ma, . cloth, $1; .paper 25c '- , ; ; j. ....., Protection or Free Trade? 12 ma, cloth, $1; paper, 25c The Land Question, paper, 20c Property in Land, paper, 20c The Condition ot Labor, paper, 20c. (The last three named bound to gether in cloth, $L) - , A Perplexed Philosopher, 12 ma, cloth, $1; paper, 25c The Science of Political Economy, ' 1 vol., 8 vo., $2.50. Miscellaneous Papers, selected from ; Mr. George's most famous lectures I- and essays by his son, Henry George jr., 8 va, cloth, $2.50. ., The Life of Henry George, by his son, x Henry George, jr., cloth only, 8 il lustrations, $1.50. .. . "The Theory of Human Progres sion," by Patrick Edward Dove, writ ten a generation in advance of "Progress and Poverty," champions single tax from quite a different standpoint than George The book which Benjamin Tucker unjustly ac cused George of plagiarizing. Cloth, $l; paper. 60c. 'i-'-rt:;-.: "Natural Taxation," by Thomas G. Shearman, written by an eminently practical man. Cloth, $1; paper, 50c "Letters to Farmers' Sons," by "Pa Chase," paper, 25c ' "Shortest Road to the Single Tax. Selections from George and Shearman. Paper, 10c - "The Story of My Dictatorship," anonymous; preface by William Lloyd Garrison. ,, Paper, 20c "Government,' by John Sherwin Crosby. Paper, 25c . "The' Single, Tax," by Louis F. Post Paper, 25c The Independent will furnish any of these books on receipt of price, or they may be had of any of the single tax newspapers or magazines, clubs, associations or leagues mentioned in this issue. Write to any. ot them. There Is a world of good literature to be had on the subject De France. Some land in New, JTork city Ja worth $500,000 per acre per annum, the owner can easily appropriate tha product of five hundred farms yearly. Special subscription rate to singU taxers, 5 months 25c. The single tax, instead of doing violence to the right use of land,- as serts and vindicates it Tell your, friends about the Henry George Edition. American farmers sell their what in a free trade market, after paying enormous freight rates, and ara forced to buy in a market highly protected. Five months trial trip, 25c. , Give us this day our daily coaL Western Farmer; Give us this day our daily corn. Pennsylvania : Miner. Lord, we thank Thee for an abund ance. Land Speculator. .. Page 6 "The Philosophy of Free dom" weekly hereafter. It is something grander than ben evolence; something more august than charity; it is justice herself that de mands ot us to right this wrong.- Henry George. You furnish the list of names we , furnish and mail the Henry Georgj ! Edition for $t per hundred. 320 Acres in Adams County . No. 704. Three and a half mites from Hastings, 240 acres under plow, all in cne body, is nearly all smooth, level land, best black loam; the re maining 80 acres excellent blue stem and buffalo grass pasture and hay land. Fine ash and walnut timber. along, the creek;' 6-room house, barnj cribs, granary, well; 160 acres in finS wheat and balance will be In othei? crop. Rent is one-third and goes to the purchaser. Price $tf,300; $5,000 cash and balance in five years at 5 per cent Farm owned by an estate and to settle the same must be sold. Land will raise in value from $5 to $10 per acre this falL Weber & Far ris, Lincoln, Neb. , ; Page 6 'The Philosophy of Free dom" weekly hereafter. . ' The strongest proof. of the truth of Henry George's system , of political economy lies In. the fact that there is no substitute for it No man has ever devised a system of economic, adjust ment to take its place,' to do what it will do, to eliminate the evils of rack renting landlordism, and adjust tax ation In proportion to .public benefits received, that will establish economic democracy and make 'equal rights for all and special privileges to none a living reality. W. H. T. Wakefield. Protectionists are- very consistent. The only thing which they profess to protect la labor, and that comes In free of duty by. the ship load... .Special subscription rae to single taxers, 5 mouths 25c a