THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT.
MAY 14, 1903.
HABITS AND CUSTOMS
Judge nail Show The! r laflneace an Opln-
i Ions Natural Law of Taxation
.'"We come into , this .world 'with
minds ready to receive any impres
Blon. To the eyes of infancy all is
new; one thing is no more wonderful
than another. In whatever lies be
yond common experience we assume
the beliefs of those about us, ana it
is indeed difficult for us to disre-;
gard :the accepted opinions of ouf
times. 1
'The vast majority of us would as
unhesitatingly believe that this earth
is flat, supported by a huge turtle, in
a community where that opinion pre
vailed, as we now believe it - is a
sphere circling around the sun. No
tneory ib too laise, uu iauiv tOQ au
surd, no superstittion too degrading
for acceptance when it has become
embedded in common belief.
"In this tendency to accept what
we find, to believe what we are told,
is at once good and evil. It is thus
that social itdvance is made possi
ble; that each generation obtains, the
hard won knowledge of preceeding
generations; and that errors and per
versions thus received- enslave us;
that tyranny "is maintained and su
perstition is perpetuated."
Polygamy is unnatural, yet it seems
perfectly natural when it is generally
accepted. Chattel slavery contravened
the Declaration of Independence, yet It
was regarded as right and proper
where it existed. So with many other
unnatural things that are accepted
without question.
There are two qualities of human
nature that it is well to call to the
mind also. The one is the power of
habit the tendency to continue to do
things in the same way; the other is
the possibility of mental and moral
deterioration. The effect of the "first
in social. development is to continue
habits, customs, - laws and methods
long after they have lost their orig
inal Influences; and the effect of the
other is to permit the growth of in
stitutions" and modes of thought from
r which the normal perceptions of men
instinctively revolt
As society advances, the dlsposi
tion to continue , previous social ad
justments tends to grow stronger and
stronger. Hence we cling to the habit
of supporting the same political or
ganization long after it has accom
plished its mission and regardless! of
the principles advocated. The , most
glaring wrongs are perpetrated and
sanctioned in its name, andthe very
idea of justice is blurred by the habit
ual toleration of Injustice.
In this " way a republican govern
ment may easily and rapidly grow
into a political despotism, in which
our public servants become public
bosses and the masses of the people
mere slaves to their caprice, and the
most grievous wrongs practiced upon
them will excite admiration rather
than indignation.
But mental habits which make such
a state of things seem natural are
breaking up r superstitions and fears
which prevent its being questioned
are melting away; beliefs which make
the masses content with such condi
tions are dying out; and while every -thing
tends to awaken a sense of natural-
equality under . the laws to
arouse the aspirations, and ambitions
of the whole people, to excite a keen
er. and keener perception of the gross
injustice of existing inequalities of
privilege and wealth; yet, at the same
time everything tends to the rapid
and monstrous increase of these in
equalities' under our present system;
Never since great estates were eating
.out the heart of Rome has the world
Been such enormous fortunes as are
.now being accumulated by monopoly.
i Under such conditions we are slow
totapnreciate the fact that the. gar
ment of taws, customs and political
institutions "Which each' plane of civ
ilization weaves for itself, is constancy
ly tending to become too tight, like a
boy's pants, so to speak, . as civiliza
tion advances, if unaccompanied l7
changes in social adjustments. , . , ,. j
To, tax land values the unearned
increment, 'as Jefferson called itis
no mere fiscal reform; it Is a con
forming of the most important social
adjustments to natural laws. - It 13 the
only natural system. .': To those. who
have never given thought to the mat
ter it may seem irrelevantly presump
tuous to say that It is the evident In
tent of the Creator that, land , values
should be the subject of taxation, Ye$
to .whoever does think of it, . to say
this will appear no more presumptuous
than, to say-that the Creator. has in
tended men to walk on their ,feett8nl
not on their hands. . ru u )
Man, in his social relations,; is as
much include! in the creative 'scheme
as man in his physical relations. Just
as certainly as the fish was intendei
to swim in the water, and the bird to
fly through the air, and the rabbits
to burrow under the ground, was man
intended to live with his fellows on
top of the ground. He is by nature
a social animal. And the creative
scheme must embrace the life and de
velopment of society, as truly as it
embraces the life and development of
the individual Our civilization can--not
carry us beyond the domain of
law. Railroads, telegraphs and labor
saving machinery are no more acci
dents than are flowers 'and trees. ''
Man is driven by his instincts and
needs to form society. Society, thus
formed, has certain needs and fuu.-l
tions ; for which revenue is required.5
These need3 and functions increase
with, social development, requiring a
larger and larger , revenue. Now, ex-!
perience and analogy, If not the in ?
stinctive perceptions of the human!
mind, teach us that there is a natural
way of satisfying every natural want,'
otherwise animal life could. not exist.!
And if human society is included in
nature, as it surely Is, this must ap-
ply to social wants as well as to the;
wants of the individual, and there"
must be a natural or right method of
taxation, to. raise revenue to satisfy'
the wants of . society as ' there is a!
natural or right method to provide
food and raiment to satisfy the wants
of the individual. "'"; j
The value of land the unearned in
crement of land values only arises
as . in the Integration of society tha
.need for sonn public or common rev
enue begins to be felt. It increases
as the development of society, goes oi,:
and larger and larger revenues arc
therefore required. Taxation, of land;
values does not lessen the Individual
incentive to production and accumu
lation, as do other methods of taxa
tion; on the contrary, it leaves per
fect freedom to productive forces and J
prevents restrictions upon production
from arising. It does not foster mo
nopolies and cause unjust inequalities
in the distribution of wealth, as do
other taxes; on the contrary, it has
the effect of treaking' down monopoly
and equalizing the , distribution of
wealth. It does not beget the eva
slon, corruption and dishonesty that
flow from other systems, and can be
collected J with greater certainty and
economy than any other tax. In shorj:,
it conforms to every . economic and
moral requirement As justice gives
to the individual what he produces by
his mind or his muscle, then what
can be more in accordance with that
principle of justice than that the un
earned increment of land value3.
which is not created by individual ef-;
fort, but arise- from the existence and
growth of society, should be taken
by society for social needs?
This is the natural law of taxation
or rent: "As individuals come to
gether in communities and . society
grows, integrating more and , more
its individual members, and makin?
general interests and general condi
tions of more and more relative im
portance, there arises, over and above
the value which; individuals can . cre
ate for themselves, a value which Is
created by the community as a whole
and which, attaching to land,- becomes
tangible, definite and capable-of com
putation and appropriation. As so
ciety grows, so grows this value which
springs from and represents In tangir
ble form what society , as a whole
contributes ' to production, as distin
guished from what is contributed by
individual exertion. By virtue of nat
ural law in those aspects which it is
the purpose of the science we cal
political economy to discover, as It Is
the purpose of the sciences which we
call chemistry and astronomy to dis
cover other . aspects of natural law
all social advance . necessarily contri
butes to the 1e crease of this common
value; to the growth of this common
fund."
! Here Is a provision made by nat
ural law for the increasing needs of
social growth: here is an adaptation
of nature by virtue of which the nat
ural progress of society. i3 a progress
toward equality, not toward inequal
ity; a centripetal force tending to
unity, growing out of and ever bal
ancing a centrifugal force tending t)
diversity. Here is a fund belonging
to society as a whole from which,
Without the degradation of alms, pri
vate or public, provision can be mada
for the weak, the helpless, the aged;
from which provision can be made for
the common wants of all as a matter
of common' right to each.
And, when we consider the phe
nomenon of fhe natural law of taxa
tion, it reveals to , us one of those
beautiful and beneficent adaptations
in which more than in anything elsa
the human mind recognizes evidences
of mind Infinitely greater and catches
glimpses of the Master Workman.
j But by permitting Individuals to ap-'
proprlate this fund the unearned In
crement which nature plainly in
tended for the use of all for the us
of society, we throw the children's
bread to the dogs of greed and lust;
we produce a primary Inequality
which gives ilse in every direction to
other tendencies to inequality; and
from this perversion of the good gifts
G
to eerie;
Special Hay Combination J
We Pay the Freight
We will deliver the following $10.00 combination to any town in
SS the state of Nebraska, freight prepaid by us, any time during the EE
month of May, 1903. Reference; Firgt National Bank or The In-
SS dependent . EE
2 50 lbs Best Granulated Sugar......... f 1.00 EE
rs . 20 lbs Choice Prunes, New Crop ...... . .50 EE
S3 25 Bars Good Laundry Soap. ; 1.00 ' ; 3
5- 2 lbs High Grade JapanTea.... ...... .... ....1.00
5 10 ibs Giifc Edge Coffee ......... ... .... . . , . . . ; . . . . . , . 2.00 " ss
S3 ,. 61bg Fancy Bright Apricots .. .75 5
EE 1 , 4 lbs Fancy 4 Crown Large Raisins ................. .50 EE
2 . , 3 cans Beatrice Corn... .25 ES
ZSZ ... 331bcanscans Tomatoes............................ .25 EE'
2 . , 6 lbs Fancy Head Rice.... ...... .... .50 EE
EE 1 Can 16 oz. Cream of Tartar Baking Powder..; ,25 rr
SB. . 3Pkgs. lOcSoda...... .25 E
V 3 Pkgs 10 Corn Starch.. 25
EE 3 Pkgs 10c Gloss Starch. .25
1 lb Pure Black Pepper.. ....... .25 EE
. 1 Bottle Lemon Extract.... .10
EE 1 Bottle Vanilla Extract...,; , 10 EE
j 2Doz. Clothes Pins................. . ...... .05 EE
ss 3 cans early June Peas:...,,.. .25 ZZ
5 All the above for $10.00 EE
EEs . Orders for customers outside of the state of Nebraska EE
SS -- add 75c to pay part of freight. ' EE
Branch & filler Co.
s Cor. loih and P Sts. Lincoln, Neb. - 5
EE What we Advertlse we Do. EE;
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of the Creato", from this ignoring an 1
defying of His social laws there arise
in the very heart of our civilization
those hbrrible and monstrous things
that betoken social putrefaction.
As we have' made, and are still
making,, enormous advances on .ma
terial lines, it becomes necessary that
we commensurately advance on moral
lines. Civilisation as it progresses Ac
quires a higher conscience, a keener
sense of justice, a "warmer brother
hood, a. wider, loftier, truer public
spirit Failing these, civilization must
pass into destruction. It cannot bs
maintained on the ethics of savagery.
The social and political problems
that confront us are darker than they
realize who have not given thought
to them; yet their solution is a ' mere
matter of the ' adjustment of social
forces. Man masters material nature
by studying her laws,, and in condi
tions and powers that seemed most
forbidding, has already found his rich
est ' storehouses and most powerful
servants. Although we have but be
gun to systematize our knowledge 5f
physical nature, it is evident that she
will refuse us no desire if we but
seek its gratification in accordance
with her laws.
And that faculty of adapting means
to end3 which has enabled man to
convert the once impassable ocean
into his highway, to transport him
self with a spedd that leaves the shal
low behind, to annihilate space in th?
communication of his thought, to con
vert the rocks into warmth and light
and power and material for a thou
sand uses, to weigh the stars and
analyze the sun, to make ice under the
equator and . bid flowers bloom In
northern winters, will also, if he win
use it, enabls him to overcome social
difficulties and avoid social dangers.
The domain of law is not confined to
physical nature. It just as certainly
embraces the mental and moral uni
verse, and social growth and social
life have. their laws as fixed as those
of matter and motion. Would we
make, social life healthy and happy,
we must discover those laws and seek
our ends In accordance with them.
This fiscal reform is not to be se
cured by noise, by complaints and de
nunciation; by the formation of par
ties or the making of revolutions; but
by the awakening of thought and the
progress of ideas. When there is cor
rect thought right action will follow.
Power Is always in the hands of the
people. What oppresses the masses Is
their own short-sighted selfishness.
JOSEPH HALL.
Capltan, N. M.
Field & Andrewi, Attorneys, 408 Rlohartf '
Blck.
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that at a regular meet
ing of the Board of Trustee! of the Village of ,
College View, Nebraska, held on Saturday, May '
2d, 1903, the following estimate of the expendi
tures of the Village of College View for the fig.
cal year commencing May 5th, 1903, wai made,
to-wit:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Chairman and
the Board of Trnstees of the Village of College
View, that the estimate of the probable amount .
of money necessary for all purposes to be raised
in said Village of College View for the fiscal
year commencing May 5th, 1903, together with
the various objects and purposes of expendi
ture, is as follows: iv-
1. For general purposes $80.00. , ,
2. , For streets and alleys $100.00, ; . . l'
8. For fire protection $400.10. v ; v ;
4. For street crossings,sidewalks and bridges i
$200.00. , , ,M7.f f
Total estimated expenses for the fiscal year !
commencing May Etb, 1903 $7IO.0.
Total revenue of the village for the fiscal year.'
endingjlaay 5th, 1903, $590.87.
Approximate amount of funds on hand May
6th, 1903, $350.00.
WILLIAM DIMOND.
Chairman of Village Board.
DAVID J.WEIS8,
Village Clerk.
Dated College View, Neb., May 6, 1903. -
Another Irrefutable proof that Mr.
George was right is the fact that ev
ery system of aristocracy, whether an
cient or modern, rests upon landlord
ism. A "nobleman," a duke, count
or earl, without a rent roll, without
a landed estate, is a nobody, can op
press none, may have to drive a hack
for a living, as some are actually do
ing now in London. It is not the title
but the grant of land conferred with
it that hurts. W. H. T. Wakefield.
MEIER & MJEI P, ATTORNEYS, LINCOLN
NEBRASKA.
Notice to Unknown Heirs and Devisees of
Julia Oliver, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given to the unknown heira
and devisees of Julia Oliver, Deceased, that on
the 20th day of March. 1903, an action was begun
In th District Court in and for Lancaster
County, Nebraska, wberain Otte William Meier
is plaintiff and Fred L. Bumpter, and the Un
known Heirs of Julia Oliver, et al, are defend,
ants, that the object of said aetlea is to fere
close a tax loin and certificate of tax sale for tha
taxes for the years 1898, 1899, JW0 and 1901, on
Lot numbered four (4) In Block numbered
twenty-one (21) in Havelock, Lancaster County,
Nebraska, and for the sale f said premises to
satisfy said lien. Yon are required to answer
the petition of the plaintiff in this action on or
before the 15th day of Jnne, 1803, or forever
thereafter keep your peace.
OTTO WILLIAM MErER.
Plaintiff.
JfreU'Jt auepuei u, X.a vy r, JLtLuliarcU BlUg,,
Lincoln, Nebr.
NOTICE
,., -
To George H; Secrest, ,
Take notiee that on the 23d day of April, 190
Bertha Mark Seerest filed her petition in tha
District eourt of Lancaster ceunty, Nebraska,
against you, the objeat and prayer of which, arc
to obtain a divorce from the bonds of matri
mony with you onthegreund that yon have wil
fully abandoned her for mere than two years)
last past, and on the further ground that, belna
of sufficient ability to provide maintenance for
her, you have grossly, wantonly and cruelly re
fused to do ao. .
You are required to answer this petition pa
or before the 22d day of June, 1903. 1
Dated May 5th, 1903. - s
BERTHA MARK SJZCBKST. , .
WANTED SEVERAL INDUSTRIOUS PER
sons in eacn state to iravei ior aouc iuy
llshed eleven years and with a large capital, tol
call upon merchants and agents for successful
and profitable line. Permanent engagement
Weekly cash salary of Ji8 and all traveling ex
penses and hotel bills advaaced in cash each
week. Experience ot essential. Mention, ref- ,
erence and enclose self-addressed envelope.
THE NATIONAL. 334 Dearborn St., Chicujjo. .
Tor your Farm, Business,
Home, or property of any
kind.no matter where lo
cated. If xou desire a quick
sale, send us description and i
T - i , price, florwunwruiuui"
nets Agency, N 313 Bank of Commerce Bldg.,
Minneapolis, Minn. J
CASH
Under the single tax system taxes
are not paid to a landlord as rent,
nor to government as a tax, but to tho
taxpayer himself because It relieves
him of that much other forms of tax
ation. W. H. T. W.
a