JUNE 11, 1903.
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
9
THESIHGLK TAX .
That the single taxers have just
reason to be proud of their work in
connection with the Henry George
Edition of The Independent, I believe
is conceded; and I give a hearty sec
ond to the praise accorded them by my
brother, Mr. Tibbies.
As was said last week anent the
forthcoming Karl Mars: Edition:
"Jefferson democrats, Lincoln repub
li:ans, Karl Marx socialists, Henry
George single taxers, and Tom Wat
son populists can all agree that 'equal
rights to all special privileges to
none' is what they are all striving for.
.Tier. disaTeements are- over the best
.methods of securing the' equal rights
and abolishing the special privilege 3.
Accordingly, whatever criticisms are
made of the Henry George phiiosoprij
of freedom will be in the spirit of in
vestigation to ascertain the truth, and
not a prejudiced attempt to discredit
it
Without entering into a metaphysi
cal discussion of Mr. Post's definition
of "value" which in the main I re
gard as correct I consider his open
ing speech in the Post-Clark debate
(Henry George Edition, p. 2) the most
convincing I have ever read. "What
we tax," he says, "is neither property
nor the values of property, but men''
.a proposition that The Independent
has asserted many times in its discus
sions with the single taxers.
Men are taxed. But upon what ethi
cal ground? Plainly, either upon abil
ity to pay, or in proportion to benefits
conferred. Present systems of taxa
tion violate both of these canons ami
conform to neither. Mr. Post makes
a distinction between "benefits" and
"advantages." One's education is a
"benefit" conferred by society, but it
cannot be "swapped" directly ' for
bread and meat and is, therefore, not
a tradable "advantage." a weu paveu
street is a "benefit" to every person
who travels over it, but the traveler
cannot secure coal and kerosene ii
exchange for the "benefit" he derives
and. hence, it is not a valuable "ad
vantage." ; But the owner of abutting
the street, had conferred upon him
by society a tradable, valuable "ad
vantage," for which, Mr? Post argues,
he should reimburse society. This is
t n a rr til n ii' uf. i" -'--'- - '
benefits" canon of taxation is th
benefit one which can be exchanged
for the labor-products of othes? Is
it merchantable,, marketable, trad
able? " -
- Men being taxed, it follows that all
taxes are really income taxes, no
matter whether specific or ad. valorem,
Or hOW caiCUiaieu, uecauoc
be paid out of income. It is not de
nied that some taxes will not "stay
put," and. that; the nominal taxpayer
shifts his burden to the shoulders of
another or others. But all taxes final
ly come out of the incomes of the
real, ultimate taxpayers.
Although paid out of income, the
payment is made in a roundabout way.
That portion of the income whkh
must be handed over to government
as taxes must, in. nearly all cases, be
converted and transformed into a spe
cific thing coined money; and this,
no matter how great the sacrifice may
be, owing to a plethora of the partic
ular things constituting the given in
come or a scarcity of the thing exclu
sively endowed with power to cancel
tax levies.
Being calculated in terms of money,
and payable only in coined money, the
single -taxed fanner would be obliged
to sell his oats and corn and hogs and
cattle just the same as now, and to
buy coined money with which to sat
isfy the claim of society against him
for "economic rent" Although in
terms of dollars and cents his single
tax might be tLQ same during a per
iod of years, yet the actual percentage
of his income taken to pay taxes could
vary greatly. A decrease In the sup
ply of coined money would require an
increased portion of his corn and hogs
to pay his "economic rent" In the
course of time, no doubt, the economic
rent would decrease; but it would las
behind the fall in prices of farm prod
ucts. Studies In the incidence of taxation
(its ability to shift or refusal to "sta7
put") doubtless point to a tax upon
land values only as the fairest meat's
of computing what each should con-'
tribute to the support of government.
But so long as government compels
men to secure a given thing and that
only with which to satisfy a tax levy,
no matter upon what basis it may bj
calculated, no radical cure of present
evils can be effected which disregards
the sovereign - power to "coin money
and regulate the price thereof" and
permits'that power to(be usurped an
exercised by private persons. ' The
power to coin money and the power t j
tax are correlated a fact which", sin
gle taxers are prone to ignore. t
...A more extendad study of populism
especially of the questions of money
and transportation, would be benefi
cial to single taxers, just as a study
of the philosophy of Henry George has
been of benefit to populists.
r C. Q. DE FRANCE.
Henry E. Allen, who replies to Em
est Crosby's article in the Henry
George Edition, uses a neatly printer
envelope in his correspondence con
taining this Inscription: ; ;
Henry E. Allen, fruit grower, .
Benton Harbor, Mich. South Mail
Route- Pearl Road . . . We will
always have monopoly; but we
can decide whether it shall be
public, like the postoffice, or pri
' vate like the oil trust. So, let the
nation own the trusts.
SENATOR ALLISON
There, is no place in the hearts of
men, or in history except as a warn
ing, for men who have no principles
They may ride on the tide for many
yeSrs by truckling to every interest
that will work for their own advance
ment, but at last the fabric out of
which their ' seeming greatness Is
woven suddenly falls to pieces and
there is nothing left but dust. . Such
a man is Senator Allison of Iowa, who
has never taken a decided stand on
any question. He is always on tin
side, in a half-hearted way, of the
powers that he thinks will keep him
in office. Ten years after he is dead
no man among the common people,
except the few who have lived beslda
him, will know that there ever was
such a senator. And Allison is to
draw the tariff plank of the Iowa re
publican state platform. Every in
telligent man trows now, just as well
as he will know after it has beei
published, what tho nature of thr.t
plank will be. Twb'Iowans got into a
dispute about the character of Sena
tor Allison. Said one of them, Sam
Swopes: "He's a trimmer, he is. Why,
that man, he never made a statement
in his life that wasn't qualified. " 1
don't know where he stands. No
more do you- He don't know himsel.
And you've elected him senator." All
of which was flatly denied by the
other, Ike Peters. A crowd gathered.
Swopes wagered $10 that Peters could
not bring the senator to make a
"plain, definite, unvarnished state
ment" in fifteen minutes of conver
sation, and the senator was soon
brought into the company. There 1
passed at the moment a flock of
sheep just from the shearer, and Pet
ers started in with the following re
sult:
"You know something about sheep
yourself, don'tyou, senator?" There
was even a little compassion for
Swopes in his tone. It seemed such
an unfair way of taking a fellow
citizen's $10, even such an exasper
ating fellow-citizen as Swopes.
A pause ensued. Allison looked
thoughtfully at the flock.
"I was raised in a sheep country,"
he said cautiously at last
"Ten dollars, Peters," muttered
Swopes vindictively.
The crowd shouted. Allison lookeJ
bewildered, peters was red and sav-
GROCERIES OF THE BEST
POSSIBLE QUALITY AT THE
LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES.
it
fin
rvn
JJS
All grocery orders an accepted under our binding guarantee that, if tha rood we Band yon
are not satisfactory in every particular, they can be returned at oar exprnie. and we will refund
your Dour without delay. Ve not only am ran tee to rive yon a better quality of foods, for tha
tame price than you ran get elsewhere, bat also guarantee you a are saving in time and trans
portation charges, if yon dtsire to tf core the best possible value for your money, yon will Bond
ns yoar order. Note Send ns your order on say ordering blank for anything, and we wilt guar
antee to bill the order at the lowest possible prises.
TEAS
There are many re sons why yon should send
ns your tea order, but the great reason is to be
found in the quality of the goods we give you.
Our bargain, tirecn Jupau, a very good drink,
perlb. 3fc;31b. 1U.
Our Westeru Leaf, a good draw with a delicate
flavor, per lb. 4S!e; 5 lb. &2.00.
Our Superior Mm Dried Japan, desirable leaf,
Onr Clean Leaf Haslet Fired Japan, imperial
draw, per lb. 48c; 3 lbs. $I.S5.
"Over the Ocean Fr.sket Fired Japan," an excel
1 lent tea, pr lb. 5o ; 3 lbs ftl.to.
Young Hyton. Dig "H" brand, fair style, a good
. steaper, per lb, 32c
Young Hyson 8uperfine none better for the
price, per lr. 4'c '. s " '
Taney Young Hyson, warden grown, per lb. 6foj
51bs.J2.6U;101bs.fl0.
Gunpowder, old ro'iaUe, an honest draw, green,
per lb. &rc;3lb. !(.
Gunpowder, Liayden Bros, finest, a pood drink
at a moderate price, I er lb. 44c; 5 lb. $2.00.
Our true Nankin Mojuuo. the perfection of tha
Gunpowder 'lea, none better at any price, per
lb. Olio; 10 lbs. SfiMAi
Haydeu Bros. Oolong, black, a plain draw, per
lb. 33c; 10 lbs. IV 0.
Tha Sun Harvest Ooloeg, King of Black
Teas, packed ami import id for the liig Store
by the Ceylon & India Tea Company, our price
per lb. 6rc; 10 lbs. $ 00. '
Hayden Pro. Enplisii breakfast, good enough
for anybody, cheap enough for all, rer lb. 4.5c;
10 lbi. ?4.0l'.
Western Star of India, a fancy quality, per lb.
: v75c. : .; ... . ,
Queen of Cey!on, first crop, garden grown, per
lb. $1.00.
Light of Aia, a $1.00 tea, onr priee per lb. 85c.
Hayden Bros, special eylon and 1 odia Tea Sift-
ings, first crop, gm den grown, not better, per
lb. 22c; 5 lbs. 2.W.
COFFEE Green
Onr Coffees are alt of the best roib1e quality
and should not be compared with the cheap
f rsdes offered by other lion-.es. State whether
igbt or dark color is desired, backs JZ' lb.
fcjrtw laula
Hayden Proa, Rio, ordinary, per lb.. . 9o 10c
Bay den Bros, b io, prime, a good dark
brown, per lb.......; 11c 12o
Ssydea Bros, ilio, estra !wt Oold. - ,
en. per lb 12c 13a .
Hayden Bros. Rio Golden Qaeeo, gar
den grown, per lb .......14c 15
Hayden Bros. Diemond"R" Java, ex
tra choice, per lt. ......lCc 17e
Hayden Bros. O K. Java, a heavy
drinker, prr lb ...18c 19o
Hayden Bros, private grown Java, a
good quality.. u1 20c 21 C
Hayden Bros, genuine Mocha, a 3Cc
coffee, per lb 21c 22e
The Western Srecial.Vlb sack H.00.. Zi
Polished Mocha & Js vs. a bargain, lb.lOc 12e
C FFEE-Rousted Bulk
80 AND 100 POUND SACKS
All'fresh roasted daily by the most BjUi, uwsm
expertcoffco rca'ters in America. -u
Big"H" Rio. agodvalue at bar
gain price, per lb ...9c 10c
Golden Hen, a special value, per lb.. 11c 12e
Hantos Pride, a slronsrdrinker, pcrlb.!2c 13o
GovernmentSfundani Mochn A Java. 14c Ho
Liayden Kros. Special Mocha & Java.Lt'c 22c
Omaha Mixed Mocha A Java, per lb.2:;c . 25e
Garden grown MrthnA Java, per lb.. 2rte 28
(4 n'ine private gard ngrowa Mocha. 30o 32c
Big"H" Golden licaii special. An extra fine
coffee, per lb , only 3rc. . " t
Farmers Kelei-t, special brand, a good reliable
coffee, per lb He.
rife a til
only 18c.
Boutewi
iend coffee, a 25c coffee, our price
Big "H" brand packsge Coffee, lib pkgs, lb 12o.
SEND IN YOUR ORDERS.
HAYDEN BROS,' "o m aha"."'
age. "''Fifteen minutes ain't up yet,"'
he snorted viciously,
"Sheep " have just been sheared,
haven't they; senator?" he suggested,
desperately, reluming to the charge.
Again Allison looked over the flock
with that reflective air.
"They do look as if they had from
this side," he admitted.
'Ten dollars," repeated Swopes. Ho
got his money.
Such men as Allison made imperial
ism possible and have brought on th?
present awful contest between capital
and labor which has swept the land
with Strikes and the end of which vo
man can tell.
POPULISM IN ILLINOIS
A majority of the legislature of II
linois, composed of men of all pa.
ties, united during the last session
and enacted some distinctive populist
legislation. To. do it they had to
drive the republican speaker from hia
desk with clubs and chairs on account
of his refusal to call the yeas an J
nays and for declaring bills passed on
a viva voce vote, when there was' a
large majority opposed to them. The
principles underlying this legislation
were first declared In the Omaha plat
form.,. Among, other things, the leg
islature of Illinois enacted:
1. Every city shall have power io
own, construct, purchase, and operate
street " railways within Its corporate
limits.
2. The city shall have power ; to
lease the road3 for not longer than
twenty years upon terms prescribed by
Its council. ,
3. The city shall not-operate tha
roads without a referendum at which
three-fifths of the voters favor mu
nicipal operation.
4. The city council shall not lease
the roads for a longer time than fiva
years without a referendum if ten
per cent of the voters demand it with-
n sixty days after the passage of the
ordinance to lease.
5. The city may buy or build roads
by issuing interest-bearing "street
railway certificates," payable out of
the revenues of the system, or, with
he approval of two-thirds of the vot
ers, may issue ordinary city bonds.
6. Every city owning or owning
and operating street railways must
keep and publish the accounts thereof
n such form as will show the public
the exact income and expenses, mak
ing reasonable Jlowance for inter
est, for depreciation, and for the los;s
of taxes which a privately owned road
would pay.
7. The act si: all not come In Jforce
in any city except with the approval
of a majority of the voters.
When such laws as these are final
ly In force, they will make life eaeli.'
and happier for uncounted thousands.
Thei terrible drain on the thin purses
of the poor for street car fares will
be greatly reduced and the money
thus saved from the coffers of the
franchised millionaires will go to add
to the comfort of thousands of humble
homes. Those, who enjoy those com
forts will perhaps never know that
they obtained them by the sacrifice
and work of populist speakers, writers
and voters, but nevertheless that will
be true. It is a comfort to many of
us who have come all the weary way
over the trail, to think that our labor
has not been In vain. Many a toil
ing wife and little child will be hap
pier for the work that has been done.
While we may all be thankful for the
results accomplished, yet every pop
ulist should remember that the mis
sion of populism has not yet been ac
complished. It has only just begun. .
Perry Heath and others of the higV
officials in the postoffice department
who have been charged with boodling
are very profuse in their statement.3
and criminations of those making the
charges, but not one of them so far
has made a statement under oath. It
would be well to place some of thesu
officials in a position where a false
statement would be perjury. Now
they can talk without restraint and
with no fear of punishment for any
false statement that they may make .
Through the power of the trusts the
cost of Jiving has advanced 49 per ,
cent The "full dinner pail" has not
materialized. The only advantage
that labor has secured is that now
nearly all can find employment while
formerly hundreds of thousands wero
relegated to forced idleness. Where
one in a family could formerly get
work, now three or four are employed.
The result is that capital takes all
tha Increase of wealth resulting from
invention, the discoveries of sclenco
and education. Against this distribu
tion of wealth there is a growing pro
test As the years go by it will In
crease. '