Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-27
THE DAILY RECORD UNION.
PROGRESS And POVERTY
LETTER FROM HENRY GEORGE.
A REPLY To CRITICISM.

Eps. REcoRD-UNIoN In availing my
self of your invitation to reply to your
review of my book, l desire to disclaim
anything like complaint; but on the con-
trary, to express my appreciation of the fair
and generous spirit of that review, which
in this, no less than in its ability, contrasts
strongly with the very common method of
disposing of book of this kind, by at
tributing to its author opinions he has
never expressed, or complacently declaring
that he has forgotten what he has most
sedulously kept in mind. But since you
have so generously offered the opportunity,
permit me, with this disclaimer, to frankly
point out what conceive to be some mis-
apprehensions. If in doing so shall seem
to show any of that absence of diff
dence which you deem one of the remark
able characteristics of my book, do not
charge it to any want of respect or lack of
proper modesty, but to the fact that when
man has so thought out and tested his
opinions that they have, in his mind, the
highest certainty, it would be but atfecta-
ton for him to assume doubts he does not
feel
To begin, let me quote from your review.
After paying my book some very high COM
pliments and declaring it "a really splen-
did series of logical triumphs," you go on
to warn the reader against a too ready
acceptance of its seemingly strong argu-
ments," because
Previous writers on political economy have, with
few exceptions. commenced unprejudiced and un-
committed If they have seemed to get confused
occasionally, if they have at times adopted incon-
sstent or mutually destructive hypothesis, it was
because they were traversing country without
roads, over which every traveller must pick out his
own path. But it is not with Mr.. George. In
this case we must study the genesis Of the book in
order to obtain the data for just conclusions in
gard to it. 1t is well known in this State at least
among literary men, that Mr. George has for several
years entertained the belief that all taxes ought to
be placed upon land That he reached that belief
long before he had given the subject anything like
an exhaustive examination, we have no doubt he
would himself admit. But in this fact we have the
explanation Of much that without it must seem per-
plexing 1t teaches us that in Ill his economical
studies Mr. George seeking confirmation for a
pre-coneeived hypothesis, and 1t at once becomes
evident that in doing this the desire to strengthen
his argument has repeatedly warped his Judgment,
aud at times even seriously affected the fidelity of
his representations of conflicting opinions. As illus
trations of what mean we will adduce his state
ment of the law of wages as currently accepted and
his travesty-or it is nothing lessof the Mathusian
doctrine In the first of these instances think he
has, doubt unconsciously ascribsd to a whole
school views which it is extremely doubtful whether
any of them held hold, while in the second he has
thnca ndadn oh nj
those extravagant imputations which the opponents
of that celebrated writer assailed him with on the
first appearance of MS work. but which nave long
since been abandoned by all whohave read the Essay
on Population for themselves. No doubt
it will be said that the question whether Mr. George
proceeded untrammeled by previous theory or not,
is immateria the real question being whether he
has succeeded in proving his But this is not
SO Any man can provAtany case If he is permitted
to arrange the facts to suit himself The real ques
ton must therefore always be, not, has he proved
bis case, but has he SO fsiry and fully marshaled
the facts to render his final demonstration gen.
one?
Before passing to the question of misrep-
resentation, let me say word as to the
genesis of my book, since you deem it of
importance That for nearly ten years l
have entertained the belief that all taxes
should be placed on land values, IS true
that reached this belief before had read
much political economy or had seen the re-
lations of the proposition as fully and COM
pletely as ] see them now, is also true; but
that I reached it without having given the
subject sufficient,-I think l may safely
say, an exhaustive, examination is not
true. Nothing, at least, could be further
from the truth than that l formed the
opinion first and then sought reasons for it
afterwards. An opinion which runs coun-
ter to prevailing ideas and to strong preju-
dices,-which is viewed by the wealthy
classes with dislike and by the working
classes with suspicion is not likely to be
lightly adopted. certainly neither picked
it up second hand nor got it by inspiration.
I came to it by long, laborious and most
conscientious investigation. l came to it
by the very same road over which have
essayed in this book to lead my readers,
and what l say in the concluding chapter,
81 have in this book followed the course
of my own thought" is not a figure of
speech, but literal fact
As to the difference between myself and
previous economists, it is in reality just the
reverse of what you state. 1t is they who
have followed beaten road, which has
been made to wind and twist in order to
avoid unpleasant conclusions; it is who,
discarding every consideration save that
of discovering truth, have traversed a
country which they shrunk from exploring.
That this is so, the merest tyro in political
economy can see. With slight reflections
here and there, long succession of emf
nent economists have followed in each
others footsteps. Even the enunciation by
Ricardo of the law of rent, and its accept
ance by his successors, has not led to the
perception by either him or them of its
evident corrolaries. One after another
they have followed each other in the same
loose use of terms, the same juggle with
words, which has made political economy
SO dry. so tedious, so full of obscurities
and perplexities, and so futile in its at
tempts to point out any remedy for the
grievous injustice which gives to the pro-
ducers of wealth so little share in its en-
joyment.
And the reason of this is, that all these
writers hare commenced prejudiced and
committed. From Adam Smith, whose
him to write the "Wealth of Nations, "
down to the present day, all the leading
economists have either belonged to, or have
breathed the atmosphere of, the propertied
classes, and they have all lived in old and
well settled countries where there was little
to lead them to question theory, which,
not only harmonizinp with the interests of