The Philosophy of Freedom
An Open Forun for Single Taxers
Do vou want to understand the aims
and objects of the single tax? If you
do, you can obtain literature on the
subject free of cost by writ-ng to the
Brooklyn Single Tax League, 14C7
Bedford ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.
LAND VALUES.
Through the kindness of F. W. Ma
guire, of the Chicago Sjngle Tax club,
the editor is in receipt cf a copy e!
"Land Values,' the Scottish single
tax magazine (similar in size to The
Public), published at 13 Dundas fit,
Glasgow. .It i8 a 20-page monthly;
50c a year to American subscribers.
The April number is well filled with
news of Interest to land reformers.
Whilst another man has no land,
my title to mine, your title to yourd
is at once vitiated. Ralph Waldo
Emerson.
AN OPPORTUNITY.
- The following letter speaks for it
self. It may not be amiss to state,
however, that Mr. Herman addressed
the students of the Peru normal oa
December 1, 1897, that he is the au
thor of an article on the money ques
tion, published in the April number
of Why?, which The Independent ex
pects to reproduce at an early data,
and that he is an old-time single tax
lecturer, having spoken In many
states. What say Nebraska single tax
ers to Mr. Herman's proposition? Heie
is his letter:
Editor Independent: After further
reflection on the activity of your pa
per In the reform movement the
thought occurred to me that we might
be of mutual service in this work. I
will suggest a plan for your consid
eration. I wish to first call your at
tention to the enclosed circular which
speaks for itself as an introduction
and what my work has been. I carr o
to this state two years ago to cam
paign for the Australasian tax amend
ment, or what wa3 more commonly
known as the Bucklin bill. At pres
ent I am working at my trade and ex
pect to keep up my single tax work
as I can afford it, and the suggestion
I wish to offer to you is this: I wish
to make a trip to my old home, near
Cedar Rapids, la., this summer, and if
you wish to make a few dates through
Nebraska that I might take in, I
should be pleased to do so.
I have spoken in Nebraska before,
as the enclosed notices will indicate.
I wish to go from here to Cedar Rap
ids and back by way of Sioux City,
la., to Colorado again. I am not
concerned about pay, provided you do
not make too many dates for me. V.
I can get my traveling expenses out
of it I would be pleased; at any rate,
as I am going that way any way, I
will make a few points whether I get
anything out of it or not I am used
to starving and concluded long ago
that they can't killTne. I will speak
on the money question as laid down in
my articles in Why? or on the sin
gle tax. J. R. HERMAN.
505 Charles Block, Denver, Colo.
The greatest discovery of my life is
that the men who do the work neve
get rich. Andrew Carnegie.
GROUND RENT AGAIN.
Editor Independent: In The Inde
pendent of May 7 you ask, "If the com
munity has a right to make common
property of gntind rent, why not of
every other value that the commun
ity creates?" One answer is, that
the community does not create oth'-r
values in the same sense, or manner,
that it creates ground rent Of course
no object can have value unless there
are two persons, one who has the ob
ject and the other who wishes it. But
the community does not "create" thu
value of labor products. It only af
fords opportunity for exchanging
them. Land is not a labor product
Thevalues known as ground rent ar
largely the actual creation of the com
munity, as a community, through it i
efforts in building roads, lighting
streets, maintaining order, etc. Inso
far as ground rents or values are cre
ated by communal expenditure ther-?
can be no question as to the justice
of taxing those values to pay the ex
pense. There is another and stronger rea
son why ground rent belongs to the
community, that is, to the people as
a whole and not to any one individual.
Each man has an equal right to the
use of the earth, therefore each man
has an equal right with every other
man to the best location on the earth
that is the most valuable location
It. is obviously impossible for every
one to occupy the best location. How
ever, substantial justice can be se
cured by taking from those who have
the best locations the ground rent
which represents the advantage which
these people have over those occupy
ing the poorest locations in use.
A. C. PLEYDELL.
52 William st, New York.
WE WANT THE EARTH. '
"The earth hath he given to the
children of men."' Psalm cxv., 16.
We want the earth our fathers' God,
Enthroned In majesty on high,
Sent his creative fiat forth
And framed and fashioned earth and
- sky. -
He made provision grand and free
For all, His power had brought to
birth. '
The King of kings gave royalty;
He gave the earth.
"The Heaven of heavens," He said
"is mine;'
"This for my glory I decree,
But for these children of my love
The earth their heritage shall be.
By blessing of my sun and rain
Right bounteously shall It bring
forth
And all shall know the Father's name;
I give the earth."
We want the earth And who are we
We are God's children, great and
small.
The rich and poor and bond and free.
For He hath made and loveth al"
We daily prayr "Thy kingdom come;"
We cry to Thee in famine dearth:
"As Thy great will in Heaven is done
So in the earth."
We want the earth: we claim our
own,
Not charity's reluctant meed.
Our title issued from the throne;
The Maker's hand drew up the deed.
And so we claim the land and sea
By right of our most royal birth,
By God's immutable decree
We claim the earth.
ROSE SICKLER WILLIAMS.
THE SINGLE ' TAX A SANITARY
MEASURE.
Editor Independent: I have chosen
this phase of the single tax because I
am a physician. and the topic of sani
tation can never be considered a par
ty question.
Just now there is universal interest,
in the question of the prevention of
tuberculosis. A congress is shortly
to be held in Paris, France, to dis
cuss the best means of preventing this
terrible scourge aptly called tho
"White Plague."
Now,, medicine in all its branches
has advanced in the nineteenth cen
tury to a position that places it in
the front rank of sciences, but un
fortunately too much attention has
been paid to its study at the object end
of microscopes, and not enough to the
general causes incident to our social
state which occasion disease.
It is now quite generally recognized
that the housing of the people is tha
main predisposing cause of all con
sumptive case. In former times her
edity was considered the main factor,
but now we know that it is the inher
ited conditions which surround the
Individual rather than the taint in
the blood of the patient which occa
sions the great loss of life from tu
bercular infection. A change of con
ditions would therefore be the best
preventive measure which can be sug
gested. The single tax proposes to
exempt all improvements in dwellings
from all taxation for all time. Let ev
ery one consider carefully in his own
sphere of observation how such a pro
ject would work either in town or
country. Imagine a farmer who eith
er borrows money or has saved it ex
pending it to build over his dwelling
with all the modern means, of making
it disease proof and that he would pay
no more taxes at any time, than he
would if he continued to live in a
tumble down shack.
In cities the thing is easily under
stood. Abundance of capital can al
ways be secured to make improve
ments if a profit is in sight Now, in
nearly all large cities the moment a
man improves his house the taxgath
erer is after him, levying an additional
tax upon everything which he has
bought to save the lives of himself
and family. So it is in the country,
though my own experience is solely
that of a city man. Where is the
common sense of fining a man for
trying to save the lives of those dear
to him?
He who has thought of this subject
for years can hardly put his ideas into
words, so great is his indignatior
against the unjust law of taxation now
in vogue, which really has a murder
ous tendency. -
Volumes could be written upon this
matter, but I think it best for your
symposium to write merely a sugges
tion of the possible sanitary results
from the application of the single
tax. -
It is best that every man should
think it out for himself. We who un
derstand the theory know full well
that no means within human ken is
as likely to give all that Is needed to
.sustain life in the increasing abund
ance of food, clothing and shelter as
the single tax. The single tax will
let men produce the. food to nourish
their bodies, the clothing to protect
them from the inclemencies of the
weather, and dwellings in which theii
chances of health are so greatly in
creased that the imagination is ap
palled at the prospect and astounded
that men cannot at once see the truth
and as a unit demand that the law
be made to conform xto it.
As a true, measure of prevention of
disease the single tax stands foremost
among the ideas of our time in the
minds of all who know anything about
the subject. WM. N. HILL, M. D.
Baltimore, Md.
STATE INSURANCE EQUAL
FREEDOM.
Editor Independent: A recent is
sue of Public Pqlicy contains an ex
tract from Prof. George Gunton's lec
ture, "Are Trusts an Enemy to La
bor?" in which he urges insurance fo
labor by the national government.
The only proper function of govern
ment is to maintain equal freedom
Equal freedom means the absence of
privilege. With all privileges abol
ished, labor would receive natural
wages its full product Labor would
cease to be a weakling, dependent oa
the state. Then there would be le?s
need for insurance, while all would be
able to insure. If labor wanted in
surance it would insure itself withoui
any governmental patronizing.
Society is already 'too artificial; gov
ernment is too cumbersome. There
must be a reversion to first principles',
Adopt the single tax on land value1?
public ownership of public utilities
revoke all special privileges, remov 1
the heavy hand of government and let
giant labor work out its own salva
tion. A. FREELAND.
Mt Pleasant, Tenn.
COMPELLED TO DO AS THE RJ-
MANS DO.
I advocate now and have advocated
the abolition of all these forms of mo
nopoly, and yet I am and have beer.
a beneficiary of them all. If there is
any inconsistency in that it is not mv
fault I preach what I sincerely be
lieve to be the true and just social
condition the condition of equal
rights, of real freedom. Yet I must
live under such laws and usages as
the. majority of the people decree.
They say that these monopolies shall
exist; that bread-winning shall be a
scramble; that there shall be man'
poor among us and comparatively fev
rich. I do not believe that this is
right, and I am raising my voice
wherever possible against it. But the
people will not yet listen. They have
different views from mine, and they
hold to them. Now being compelled to
live in this state of things where lif i
is a scramble which the people will
not stop, I am bound to do the "best I
can for myself. And so I rush in
and grab all the monopolies I can get
my hands on, firm in the purpose.
however, to use the wealth so obtained
to teach the people how misguided
they are to permit themselves to bo
robbed in this way.
TOM L. JOHNSON.
A tax on commodities makes them
scarce. A tax on land values increases
the supply of available land.
WONDERFUL RESOURCES OF
THE WEST
If you are looking for a home and
want to visit the west you can do so
with very little expense as the
UNION PACIFIC will sell one-way
colonist tickets every DAY at the
following , rates from Lincoln:
UNTIL JUNE 15
$25.00 to San Francisco, Los Angeles
and many other California points.
$20.00 to Ogden, Salt Lake City,
Butte, Anaconda and Helena.
$22.50 to Spokane and Wanatchee. '
$25.00 to Portland, Tacoma, Seattle,
and many other Oregon and Wash
ington points.
ROUND TRIPS
July 1 to 10, inclusive.
$15.00 to Denver, Colorado Springs and
Pueblo.
June 1 to September 30, inclusive.
$16.75 to Denver.
$17.35 to Colorado Springs.
$17.50 to Pueblo.
-For full information call on or ad
dress, E. B. SLOSSON, .
General Agent
i,5oo Acre Hog Ranch
No. 709. The owner of this prop
erty is old, a widower and desires to
retire. 1,500 acres all in a body, 400
acres of fine timber, entire ranch un
der fence; this timber Is a never fail
ing source of income and will sell for
half the price asked for the ranch. A
small stream runs through the ranch;
600 acres, including the timber. Is in
pasture; 200 acres of choice bottom,
land; over 80 acres in splendid stand
of alfalfa, remainder all under culti
vation; the entire 200 acres of bottom
land will produce the very best alfal
fa. Good frame house, bearing orch
ard, large barn, granary, cribs, lots,
6cC. niso a tcnanieiit "house; four aiiJ
a. iid.il iiiii.k I if I T 1 1 viirifi rai man rr.nrn
- wu. rvVA uA.AVUA lUlTUi
Right in the heart of the very best
country in the Republican Valley.
Price of this ranch and farm complete
$18 per acre This is a money-maker
and will be sold on easy terms. This
Is a great opportunity for a farmer
who has sev2ral boys, or for several
farmers to buy this tract cf land to
gether. It 13 also an excellent invest
ment Weber & Farris, Lincoln. Neb.
x he European press is making many
sarcastic remarks about Roosevelt's
imperialistic speeches. One sentence
at which ' they direct their shafts of
sarcasm is his speech out on the coast
when he said: "The Pacific ocean dur
ing the century opening must pass
under American influence." : Th$y ask
why he cannot as well say when ha
comes to Boston or New York: "The
Atlantic ocean during the coming cen
tury must pass under American influ
ence." It apears to the Britisher that
his government having been perma
nently established in Hong Kong since
1841 and at other points on the west
ern shore of the Pacific will have
something to say about that great
ocean passing under American influ
ence. Although the - volume of money in
circulation has increased 54 per cent
in ten years, ex-Treasurer Lyman T.
Gage declares that , the present sup
ply, including gold, silver and paper,
is entirely inadequate and he there
for advocates its further increase by
the issue of asset currency. He speaks
for the leaders of the republican party
who have - wholly abandoned their
"hard money" ideas and are now go
ing in for an almost unlimited, issue
of paper. Paper money is all right
with them, provided that the banks are
allowed to issue it.
The readers of the president's
speeches have become very tired of
his repetitions concerning the virtues
of life. He spreads these preachings
ever public, private, civil and militarv
life and is forever talking about "do
ing things," instead" of "talking
things." He is especially hard on the
"cravens" that are afraid to "da
things." There are a good many men
who think that he had better hpsin
"doing things" to the nostofflee thieves
of high and low degree, instead of
wasting His time in these unending
sermons on the virtues and verities of
life. It appears to manv that tha
president is doing a good deal of
"hanging back" himself. If he is not
"crarven" he can find an abundant op
portunity at Washington just at pres
ent to "do things." The last defensa
madi at Washington is that all those
wno drew salaries and performed na
service as well as the eminent Mr.
Heath, who put his women on the nav
roll, are all out of the service now
and nothing can be done. That is a
makeshift It is in no wise proven
that all these looters have left the
service, and if they have, suits can be
Drougnt against every one of them
for the recovery of the unearned mon
ey. So let the president go to work
and "do things."
Music and the drama have alwava
been the foes of the oppressor. Th
authorities in the Philippines seem to
be having as much trouble with the
actors, playwrights and orchestras as
they ever had with the insurgents.
.iterature and music has alwavs been
more difficult to suppress than small
armies fighting for liberty. Taft and
Roosevelt have begun an impossible
tasK m tne Philippines. As fast as
one patriotic play is suppressed two
more appear to take its place. The
tneatrical censor in "our new posses
sions" has a harder time nf it than
his .brother in Moscow or St. Peters
burg.
Those readers of The Independent
who are interested in economical buy
ing of up-to-date and fashionable rtrv
goods should' write today for. tli9
Spring and Summer Fashions booTe
ust issued by Lincoln's most nrooTes-
sivr store, The FitGerald Dry Coodi
Co. The fashion look has 60 pages
profusely. illustrat3d and is sent free
to all who ask for it and mention Tfca
Independent