Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1893 — How to Get a Revenue. [ARTICLE]

How to Get a Revenue.

Protectionists claim that if we adopted free trade in the United States wages would have to be reduced to the level of wages paid in European countries. Why is it that under the alleged free trade of England wages have not been reduced to the level of wages paid in protectionist France, Germany, Italy, Russia, China et ah? And why is it that in States where high wages are paid we have not had to reduce wages to the level of those paid in States where low wages are paid? We have free trade between the States of this nation. This fact accounts in part for the great prosperity of the country. If protection keeps wages high is it because of this that when changes are to be made in the tariff the beneficiaries of this robber system, or their lobbyists, hasten to Washington to advocate no change in the schedule or to make it higher? If this is the reason, why is it that protected employers pay lower wages than unprotected industries, and at every opportunity reduce wages or have a strike or lockout when in increase in wages is requested a la Homestead? Verily, It looks as though the protectionist barons would advocate free trade if it would reduce wages. The contract labor law was passed to prevent these same protected employers from importing laborers to work for low wages. But if we adopt free trade, where are we to get revenues from to pay the expenses of the government? Some persons advocate a tax on incomes. Others claim that the only just method is by taxing into the public treasury the rental value of land? Why?. Because the value of land is caused by increase in population and by public improvements, and that value justly belongs to the whole community. The necessity for government and the value of land are both the result of population, and the revenue of ground rent from the one should pay the cost of the other. Wher.e?er ground rent is thus taken for the support of government, industry and enterprtse will be relieved from taxation, and no inducement will remain for holding land without using it. Land speculation will cease and natural opportunities will be opened to labor. Workmen who cannot make fair bargains with employers will then be able to employ themselves; not that everybody will take to farming, but that with agricultural, mining and building lands accessible to those willing to put them to use there would be no lack of employment, and wages in all industries would rise to their natural level—the full earnings of labor.—W. L. Crossman, in American Industries.