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Chapter 1- Introduction
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From Poverty by James Platt
Page 15
cobweb of intricacies in which such
subjects as land, rent, poverty are entangled, and out of which
all real reformers will
try to extricate it, by doing what is right, and remedying what
is wrong. Land must be regarded as any other form of property, and
the owner of it as entitled to extract the most he can for the use
of it. State interference is most objectionable, for it destroys
at once the enterprise of the landlord and the self-reliance of
the tenant. Moreover, it is, in its very essence, incapable of finality,
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and nothing can be more unsatisfactory
than that the basis of property should be constantly, and in accordance
with the popular pressure of the moment, arbitrarily shifted."
What time and energy is wasted in obtaining for men the "right
to vote"! Would it not be wiser first to make every effort
to reuse into activity the great moral qualities of thrift, sell-restraint,
energy, and self`- dependence, latent, more or less, within every
human soul ? Talk less to the people about their "rights,"
and be more frank with them as to their "duties." You
may get cheered by telling a mob that "government by the
people, means government for the people." True, no doubt,
to a certain extent; but is it wise to give the power to people
before you have trained them to use it ? Their views as to the
"rights of the people" may not be such as will
permanently benefit either their class or their country. There
are many social problems to be solved; such as the complete establishment
of religious equality; the complete freedom of education from
any sectarian influence; a more prompt, reliable, and less costly
system of justice; a fair and impartial system of taxation, based
upon the income of each. The object of government is, to do its
best for every class of the community; and every member of the
community should he ready and willing to do his duty and bear
his burden for the benefit of the commonwealth.
Poverty is not a crime; on the contrary, I agree with "0uida"
that "Poverty has the right to be as proud as it chooses
so long as it accepts nothing; when once it has accepted
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© Peter Smith 2008
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