The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-08-14
HENRY GEORGE ON THE DUKE or
ARGYLL.

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ARGYLL,
The most lnclsIye literary attack ever
made upon the Duke OK Argyll appears
In the July number of the Nineteenth
Century. The article Is from the pen of
Henry George, and Ia reply to the
Duke'a savage criticism In the April
number OF the same magazine upon
Progress and Poverty" which the
author described 40 q philosophy of go.
lossal rascality." In reply TO the Dukes
resentment at the presentation OF the
book TO him, Mr.. George says.
II presented my book aa tribute TO
give pleasure to u citizen of the repub.
lie of letters, not TO irritato land
owner, did not think trumpery title
and patch OF land could fetter a mind
that had cOmmnned with nature and
busted Itself with causes and begin
ninge. My mistake was that OF ignor.
ance."
Mr., George denies tho Dukes assOr-
tion that political corruption In the
United States springs from excess of
Democracy, and contends that u comes
from deficiency OF Democracy. TO
Argylrs boast OF the benefits 10 human.
lty or the arlstOcratlc elements In Brit
ish civilization, and the paraded In.
stances OF hls own land clearlngs and
improvements, Mr.. George replies with
tho following personal paragraph:
Take Scotland, of which the Duke 10
one OF the large pr0prletors, What there
are the results OF this private property
In landY That wild beasts have sup
planted human beings; that glens
which once sent forth their thousand
lighting men are now tenanted by
couple OF gamekeepers; that there Ia
destitution and degradation that would
shame sayages; that little children are
stunted for want OF proper n0urlsh-
menti that women are compelled 10 DO
the work Of animals; that young girls
who ought TO be fitting themselves for
wifeh00d and motherhood are chained
10 the machinery Of factories or prOwl-
Ing the streets; that while q few scots-
men have castles and palaces, more than
a third Of the ScOttlah families live In
one room each, aud more than two
thirds In not more than two rooms each;
that thousands Of acres are kept as
Fairgrounds for strangers, while the
masses have not enough OF their native
soil 10 grow Hover, and are shut out
even from moor and mountain; dare not
take trout from lock or q salmon
from the sea. There the Duke may find
cOnntrymen OF his, men and women, the
equals In natural ability and In moral
character OF any peer or peeress In the
land, tllling the land with the crockit
spade, cutting grain with the sickle,
threshing II with the fail, winnowing
IL by tossing II into the air, grinding IL
as their fOreiathers did q thousand
years ago. Ho may see the smoke from
the fire In the centre Of the hut ascend
Ing as best II can through the thatCh,
that the precious heat, which cost 30
much labor 10 procure, may be ec0n0-
mized to the utmost, Why they told me
OF little girl In this country, bare
footed, ragged and hungry, who, when
they gave her bread, raised her eyes aud
clasped her hands, and thanked our
Father In Heaven for His bounty to her,
Continuing, Mr.. George says:
"lf there are really too many people
In Scotland, why not have the present
landlords emlgrateY They are not
merely best fitted to emlgrate, but would
by going give the greatest relief"
Mr.. George, In conclusion. dwells very
strongly upon the utter Indifference OF
the Scotch land owners 10 the destitu.
tion of the peasantry, and tells the fol-
lowing story:
III met accidentally In Scotland, re-
Gently, lady Of tho small landlord
class, and the conversation turned upon
the poverty Of the Highland people.
"Yes, they are poor" she saidi but
they deserve 10 be p00r-they Hre 40
dirty. have no sympathy with wOmon
who don't keep their houses clean and
their children tidy"
"l suggested that neatness could hard
ly be expected from women who every
day had TO trudge for miles with creels
OF peat and seaweed on their backs."
"Yes," sho said, "they do have to work
hard. But that ls not 80 sad ~ the hard
lives Of the horses. Did you ever think
OF the horsesp They have 10 work oil
their lives--till they can't work any
There ought TO be big farms where
horses should be turned out after they
had worked some years, no that they
could have time to enjoy themselves be.
fore they died."
"But the people," | intorpOsed, "they,
too, have to work Till they can't work
longer"
"0b, yes" she replied, "but tho people
have souls, and even II they DO have n
hard time of Il here they will, II they
are good, 20 to heaven when they die,
and be happy hereafter. But the poor
beasts have no souls, and II they don't
enjoy themselves here they have no
chance Of enjoying themselves nj all. 1t
IL too bad"
The woman was In sober earnest, and,
/ question II she did not fairly represent
much that has been taught In Scotland