Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1903)
HAT 14, 1903. I nil NLDnnorvn inuu unui.ii it WORLD LEADER OF IIEI'J CRUSADE. A. - , ' & o , V V i M L. JOHNSON, OP OHIO (Written for Henry George Edition of The Independent) ' , , to my mind no Herny George Edi tion of your valued paper would m complete without something about the man upon whom the mantle of Henry Geroge .has fallen; the greatest living single taxer; the world leader of this new crusade. Therefore, I send you the following as reported by ma from a speech which 1 heard -Tom Johnson deliver some few months ago. B yIN1Na Cleveland, 0. (Extract from an address delivered by Hon. Tom L. Johnson, mayor of i , KofnrA nn audience com- ItVlUU . uvivji flnsively of farmers r- enoaifiriff on the issues in etate and county for some half hour, tb- mayor, as . is his custom, called for ZJLtims. A venerable gentleman. with inns white whiskers arose and - Mr. sneaker. I have a sus picion, from what 1 have read in the tapers, that Alayor Johnson desires to place all taxes on land. Is this cor rect Some one else in the audience w Mn0l ont'r "Tell US aDOUC tne ve-t w Replying to the elderly man the mayor said: "Most emphatically? Nol moment, then con- ' tinnins. said: "But it you mean that I have a desire to place all taxes on in M!nM I answer most decidedi, Yes' If you want to hear about the t -rofn stav with you an? let my tent meeting in the city wait, while I say that if it were not for this idea, called single tax. I would not hi here tonight. This is the ieason that I am what I am, and mating the fish. hirh we are now in. A tax on land fco an nrliist aadJniquitous sys tern bat a tax on landvaTiies would be the best and fairest system that the world has ever known. Laws would bring about the taxation of land values would be of more ser- vice to numaL.ii.jf iuu. r vPt enacted. Farmers are larga nara of land, but not of land val ues. We have land in our city that sells at the rate of five minion dol lars per acre; have. any of you farmers i as. valuable as that? In New York city there is land that sells for f minion dollars per acre; s there any land in this neighborhood at that price? ----- To answer my friends question, I will relate a little talk I had one day with Congressman Pierson of Tus carawas - county, when we were It Washington together. Pierson. was a "farmer and he said to me one day: Tom, I cannot go your single tax, aa it would be a hardship on the farm ers and they already have more thaa their share of the burden of taxation.' ; i aid: - 'Look here, Pierson, if I thought the single tax would Increase the farmers' burden I would not stand for it for one -minute. In fact.' if . I did not know it would be the great est blessing to the farmers and to the workingmen In the city as well, I never would advocate it again. I cai show you that the single . tax will - lighten the farmers burden as com pared with the present method. Let - me ask you some questions,. to see If we can get at the facts In the .matter. 'How much, Mr. Pierson, of the present tax burden do you think the farmers bear? 'Well,' he answereJ, the farmers constitute over half the population of the United States, and I should say that they pay at least 60 per cent of all taxes.'. .'Very well, let's call it 50 per cent to be safe,' 'No, no,' said Pierson, 'that's too low, They pay more than 60 per cert, rather than less.' 'AH right but to be safe, let s call it 50 per cent 'Now, Mr. Pierson, I want you to tell me how much of the value of land the farmers have in the United States? Please take into consideration all th valuable coal lands, the iron," silver. gold, copper and other valuable mines the water power privileges; the ra" roads and their rights of way and ter minals, including street railroads, telephones and telegraphs, - for thes are built on the most valuable land?; all the gas and electric lighting rights of way, built on land of great value; all the city lots, some of which are worth more wan a whole county of farming land. I want you to take all these into consideration, and then tel me how much of these values' in the United States the farmers have.' Mr Pierson replied: Well, I should say, less than 5 per cent I said 'Call it 10 per cent to be safe.' Oh no, no; that's entirely too high; that's double.' iWell, we will caU it 10 per cent anyway. Now, don't you see that if the farmers are paying 50 per cent. that if all the taxes were raised by a iingle tax on land values the farmers, since they have but 10 per cent of these values you say 5 per cent would pay less; that their taxes would be reduced five times? That instead of paying one-half as now, they would, under that plan, pay but one tenth?' 'I declare, Tom, I never looked at It In that light, and I guess you have got me.' "So, I say to you farmers here to night, that this single tax, of which I am proud o be an advocate, would be to the overburdened farmers and workingmen ' the greatest boon, the greatest blessing, the greatest God send that any country ever knew. I wish you good-night" For copies of this tract, other sing tax books and pamphlets, or any in formation on the philosophy of Henry George, write the OHIO SINGLE TAX LEAGUE. Cleveland, O. SOCIALISM SIN6LE TAX A CompariMn by William lUUy Iioy4 t ' Atlanta, Ga.- The single tax would restore that which has been lost through war and usurpation. Land Is the gift of God to men not to a few but to alL - . , "Not to destroy but to fulfill." As a measure looking to universal peace I would do away with all tariff taxes, I would abolish pri vate ownership of land; so that trade, land, and men, might be free! THE MEANING OF "SOCIALISM. Today . socialism Is the term by which we describe the belief of mil lions of men and women who hold it to be essentially true, and its adop tion a human need. . This is their statement: The so cialistic theory la based on the his torical assertion, that the course of social evolution for centuries has ben to gradually exclude the producing classes from the possession of land and capital, and to establish a new subjection the subjection of workers who have nothing to depend on but precarious labor. The socialists main tain .that the present system (in which land and capital are the property of private individuals freely struggling for increase of wealth) leads inevit ably to social and economic anarchy to the degradation of the workiogman and his family, to the growth of vice and idleness among the wealthy classes and their dependents, to bad and unartistic workmanship, and to adulteration in all its forms; and that it is tending more and more to separ ate society into two classes, the mil lionaires confronted with an enorm ous mass of proletarians, the issue cut of which must be either socialism, or "social ruin. To avoid all these evils, and to secure more equitable distribution of the means and appli ances of happiness, the socialists pro pose that lani and capital, which are tha requiaiteB of laborx the sources of all wealth and culture, should become the property of society and be man aged by it for the general good. WHAT IS "SINGLE TAX? Briefly stated, the single tax con templates the abolition of all tax up on the product of labor, and the sub stitution of one tax upon "the value of land!" , The state should appro priate the total rent of all land, thus relieving Improvements. The under ; lying principle upon which this action is based Is "Land is the gift of God to man, not to the few, but to alL No man made the land, therefore no man can rightly own it to the exclu sion of others. Here we differ from the socialist who proposes that land and capital, which are the requisites of labor, shall be come the property of society." Thus the claim of the single taxer : Is in cluded in the demand of the socialist; yet our difference Is radical, and not reconcilable. For a cardinal principle of the single taxer is this: "Every man is entitled to possess the fruit of his own labor." The advocate of the single tax asks for the earth only; the socialist de mands much more. Clearly both must wait Meanwhile it is well to inquire into "the merits of the lesser demand. " Authorities agree that present sys tem of taxation is inadequate. Thera must be a change. The effort of the state to uncover hidden wealth has failed, and must continue to fail; but a tax upon land value would be eas ily collected, would be Just, and would stimulate improvements by relieving them from taxation. In New Zealand a beginning has been made, and much of the burden of taxation has been lifted from the peo ple and placed upon the land by re lieving personal property. The ex periment, so far, has been successful, and the world's best , thinkers watch with interest the outcome. : It 13 not proposed by conservative single taxers that any violent revolu tion should be inaugurated, but rather a gradual movement to relieve . the products of labor from taxation. At present we endeavor vainly to tax men.upon what they possess; the improved system would require men to pay for what they use that U land. , Nearly every great fortune that ha3 been acquired by individuals la due to the Increased value of land, the re sult of labor by the community; th commanity should share In the ben efit A flow of oIL a discovery of coal, or otter valuable products, should ben efit the public instead of the individ ual or the corporation. All of this indicates some of the advantages which would come to the public if we recognize and put in prac tice the great truth, "The land be longs to the people." The recent increase of the standing army of the United States is Intended not only to carry out the policy of the administration abroad, but to en able the authorities to hold in check th3 spirit of discontent among the rtwr Tiers in our large cities where the aggregation of wealth Is the greatest. If we were called upon to point out the place where men are deprived of thm comforts of life In the greatest, de gree, we would not select the wilder ness, but In the heart of the great cities may be found the greatest suf fering, the most hopeless and abject poverty. Nowhere Is the call for re form more clearly , heard than in our centers of population. The danger which menaces the government and people of the continent Is that spirit Of anarchy which demands relief. If so much of their demand, which is justly founded The possession of land" -were conceded, there would be peace, the armies could be reduced or disbanded, the consumers would be come producers, a burden would be lifted from an overtaxed people. In asmuch as the abolition of all tax upon the products of labor would cause the absolute freedom of trade between the nations of the world, the disappearance of tariff tax and custom houses, so it would hasten the time when the brotherhood of man would be fully . recognized! The single taxer does not expect the immediate coming of the millennium with the adoption of his favorite the ory. It Is less important that thero should be haste than that men should be induced to move in the right direc tion; the rate of progress is of Iesj importance With the single tax In successful working, our own ever-present race question would be adjusted, wholly or in part, and the migration of the ne gro (if such migration seems a need) would be made easy of fulfillment! The lands of the world would be open to him. If our primary truth be in deed truth, it is certain to prevail. War and usurpation have deprived men of the natural rightful, posses sion of the land and Its products, but as we realize the full intent and ecope of tne -goidBU rule" we shall restore, and men will again possess the land, and for all the children there shall be. peace and plenty! Writing of sin gle tax, Henry George says: . "The truth that I have tried to make clear will not find easy acceptance.' Will It at length prevail? Ulti mately, yes. But in our own times, or in times of which any memory of us remains, who shall say? 3 This is not the message of the pes simist who despairs, nor yet of the dreamer, but rather that of the in spired prophet who fortells that which shall be! WILLIAM RILEY BOYD. Atlanta, Ga. Doyla A Berg Attoraaji, Browaalt Black, . ' Llaaala. Haa. ''" NOTICE 10 KOK-RE8IDINT DEFlIfDlNT ANDDNKNOWM EIIBS. . To Sermsa Moneka, sad the s&kwRra btinr e( Sophia Haraer, aanataa, aaraaaaattt Tan. mad iuh of on. ara hereby notified thai on the 2d dr of April 1903, the plaintiff filed his petition i the Dietrict Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska, against Heraaa Moaeka, and the other unknown neire oi sopnia uaner, deceased, snd the State of Nebraska, allegm tht erer since the year 187?, be has been the owner of the soath half (S. tt) of the soathweat qaarter (3. W. hi) of amotion one U m township eibt(8) range fire (5) East in Lancaster Coanty Nebraska, and still is the owner and in poesao sioa of said premises ; that during tba year una, he purchased said real estats from tba Chiaago, Bttrlington A Qnincy Railroad Company; that daring tne year uim, nenarrieu cupuia botswi now deceased, and that said Sophia Herzer was his wife during the year 1878, when ha par ehasMi said real estate: that prior to the pnr chase ot said rsal astata, is consideration of "Lot and affection," ha agreed with said Sophia Herssr that she sbonld hold the naked legal title to said real estate, daring the term ( hr lifetime, with the ei press nnderstaad lng, however, that prior to her death, said Sophia Herxer wonld eoawy the legal title to eewl real estate to thaolsintiff, and that daring all ot tba time that said Sophia Hersar shoald hold said legal title that she sbonld bold said seal estate in trast for the plaintiff, and plain, ttff alleges that aaid Sophia Heraer agreed wit the plaintiff to to hold the title to said real ev tate, and upon the conditions alleged thai thereupon this plaintiff eattsed the ChJaagOi Bnrllagtea & Qaine? Railroad Conrpasnr to rate a contrast in writing to said Sophia Ler ser, abligating itself to conrsy said premises by warranty deed to said Sopnia Heraer srpon tha payment ot the parobeee money of aaid real eg. tate. Plaintiff alleges fn bis petition that when he, married said Sophia Kerser she had no prop erty ef her ewa except only a easall Mae in eaah no part of whieh was used fei tha purpose ef ptrchssiagsaid real estate; that tha plaintiff, himself, personally, paid all ot the money for said real sstate to the Chicago, Bnr ;iagUn A Qnincy Railroad Company on the 18th day of March 18, and at said time said Rail read Company, by warranty dd, conveyed aaid premises to said Bophla Serset. wbieb, deed was- filed for record in the offiee of tha Register of Deeds ia Lancaster Conaty, Ne-. braska, en t 6th day of July liWI, at I A) p.m. sad recorded in Book 21 of Deeds at page 211 1 that aaid Moohia Herzer died in Lancaster Cennty, Nebraska on the day ef intestate, aad wttboot issne, and that the only heirs at law was the defendant, Herman lloneka, who is a brother of said Sophia Heraer. residing in Germany, and that if there are any other heirs of said Sophia Heraer that their namss and residences araanka own to the plain tiff, and also that the name and residence of Herman lloneka, the above named defendant ia onknown to the p'aintlff, and that he it net certain that Herman Honeka is the correct name of the brother of said Sophia Heraer, bet that be has made diligent search for Heraaa Heneka.andthe other unknown beir ef Her man Moaeka aad he haa been nnable to learn either their names or their reetdeaees, and that they are anknowa to him at this time; that he doee tit know whether the father and mother of said Sophia Heraer are living, and doss not knew their residoocec although he ha made diligent search to learn their names and resi dences, bet that he has failed to Ieete either, and both their nam's and residence are na keewn te this plaintiff. ' That a beat three years prior te the death of raid Sophia Herxer she was insane and incapa ble ef maklae; a eenreyaaes of said premises to this plaintiff, and thee became ef said insanity and ta gootkav fMioa. wet said aremipee ertt conveyed te this plalatiff prior to the death of said Sophia lerser. and that eve since the year 1373. be has eeetinaeswly had passu sion ef said rsal estate in an. open, adverse, notorious ana peasesote imr, u w uuiwi iuui said years ha haa farmed the same and fa proved the sasaew 1 - ' ' That aver siaee kfsreh IS, 18S& at the time the Chicago, BBTiingtea Qnlnej Railroad Com paay ezecated a deed to said Sophia Kerxer for said premises, he has eaeh year paid te the Coanty of Lancaster, and 8tate ofNebraaka, alt ef the taxes aeoniag on said real estate, for whieh pJatatiff holds reeeipta. That the State ef Nebraska elaime to have some interest in said real estate which plaintiff . Plaintiff prays for- a jodgmaat ef the envrt decreeing that the state of Nebraska has no in tereatof any kind whatsoever in and to said real eesate, aad decreeing also that the above namsd, Herman afoneka. aad anr aad all nn known heirs of sophia Herxer, deeeaaed, have ne Interest of any kind whatsoever in and to said real estate, and that plaintiff, rranx Her sar, be decreed to be the real owner of said rest estate, and that the court will enter adeeree qraletin- title ia bim, and for sack ether and farther rslief as to the eeort may seam proper. Yon are hereby required to answer this sail petition on or before the ?th dsy of Jnne 1909. FRAJit HKRZER, FUisttiff. By Doyle A Barge, His Attorneys. ' ,