The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-04
HENRY GEORGES REPLIES TO ARGYLL.
A Personal Illustration which Can Hardly Be
Agreeable.

London Special.
The most incisive literary attack ever made
upon the Duke of Argyll win appear in the July
number of the Nineteenth Century to- morrow
The article is from the pen of Henry George
and is reply to the Dukes savage criticism in
the April number of the same magazine upon
Progress and Poverty which the Duke de-
scribed as a philosophy Of Colossal rascality .
In reply to Argyll, Mr.. George says: Il pre-
sented my book as tribute to give pleasure to
citizen of the republic of letters not to irritate
landowner. | did not think trumpery title
and patch of land could fetter a mind that had
communed with nature and busted itself with
causes and beginnings. My mistake was that of
ignorance
Mr. George denies the Dukes assertion that
political corruption in the United States springs
from excess OF democracy, and contends that it
comes from deficiency Of democracy
To ArgylPs boasts of the benefits to humanity
of the alistocratic elements in British civiliza-
ton, and the paraded instances of his own land
clearlngs and Improvement Mr.. George replies
with the following rather personal paragraph:
Take Scotland. of which the Duke is one of
the largest proprietors. What there, are the re-
suits of this private property in landl That wild
beasts have supplanted human beings; that glens
which once sent forth their thousands of fighting
men are now tenanted by a couple of game-xeep-
ers; that there is restitution and degr;-
dation that would shame savages; that
little children are stunted Tor want of
proper nourisement; chat women are compelled
to do the work Of animals; that young girls who
ought to be fitting themselves for wifehood and
motherhood, are chained to the machinery of
factories or prowling the streets; that while a
few Scotchmen have castles and palaces more
than a third of the Scotch families live in one
room each, and more than two-thirds in notmore
than two rooms each; that thousands of acres
are kept as Fairgrounds for strangers, while the
masses have not enough Of their native soil to
grow flower and are shut out even from moor
and mountain, dare not take trout from
loch or salmon from the sea- There the Duke
may find countrymen of his, men and women
the equals in natural ability and in moral char
acter OF any peer or peeress In the land, tilling
the ground with the spade cutting
the grain with the SICKLE threshing it
with the fail winnowing it by tossing it into
the air, grinding it as their forefathers did
thousand years ago. He may see the smoke
from the fire in the center of the hut ascending
as best it can through the thatch, that the
precious heat which cost so much to procure
may be economical to the utmost Why, they
told me of a little girl in this country, bare
footed, ragged and hungry, who, when they gave
her bread, raised her eyes and clasped her hands,
and thanked our Father in heaven for His
bount to her.
Continuing Mr.. George says: IF there are
really too many people in Scotland why not
have the present landlords emgratel They are
not merely best fitted to emigrate, but would,
by going, give the greatest relief