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WHO PAYS YOUR TAXES?

they have the soup-kitchens. For where there are moreworkers than can be employed, they must bid againsteach other for the work, and they will get the job whocan exist upon the least pay.

We cannot shut our eyes to these things by thinkingof charity. The lines of charity run close to the lines ofsociology. Prisons should be well conducted, and pris-oners treated humanely : that is political reform. Theprisoner should be taken care of when he leaves till hecan get work: that is charity. Women should not bebarred from the privileges and wages of men: that ispolitics. But to set women to compete with the wagesof men in an overstocked labor market piles yet harderwork upon the hands of charity: that is economics.One thing affects the other. When we make foolishlaws, we find that we have to provide hospitals, dispen-saries, asylums, homes, refuges, meals—‘free, and at anenormous expense, and all to do those things which menwould do of themselves, and do under healthier condi-tions, did we but let them alone and leave to them thesums which we now take from them in taxes.

We must remit the fines for giving work—fines whichwe call taxes upon productive capital. We must remitthe fines for doing work—fines which we call the farmers’taxes. Remit all the taxes on personal property, whichonly the farmer pays—pays because he alone cannot hidehis personal property, which consists of cattle or ma-chines or crops—but which are a mere threat to the