British naturalist, explorer, and biologist (1823-1913) best known for proposing a theory of natural selection which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own. ALS signed “Alfred R. Wallace,” one page, 4.5 x 7.25, December 30, 1903. Handwritten letter to Alfred E. Skeen, in part: "I believe that all duties are evils, that the present proposals are merely to distract attention from the results of the S. African War, and that the reasons for opposing them usually given by the Liberals are for the most part as fallacious as those in support of them. The only rational system is one of absolute free trade, abolishing all our Customs & Excise with their thousands of officials & millions of expenditure, to raise all taxation direct by a progressive Income Tax on the surplus of all monies above a fixed sum—say £500 & progressing at such a rate as to absorb the whole surplus of Incomes above say £20,000." He adds a postscript, initialed, "A.R.W.," in full: "Radicals sh'd work as one man for the above Progressive Income Tax & Land Nationalisation." In fine condition.
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