Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-12
in land, and in injustice nothing more

In land, and in injustice nothing more
unjust.
| The specific remedy for this state Of
things is not to confiscate land but to
change our system of levying the pub
lie burden of taxation so that IT shall
rest not upon labor, but upon the only
other factor of production, land. Land
Limitation is impracticable il not i'm
possible; but we can limit by taxing
land alone, every mans interest in land
so that he can be safely LETT to limit
himself in land.
This is the lecture in brief but it
must be read in full to be understood
and appreciated as it deserves.
But few of the readers of the REaIs-
TER know anything about Henry
George. Since DIR. Anderson or Adam
Smith first framed political economy as
science George is the clearest and
most convincing writer of the thou
sands who have attempted to let light
upon the "dismal science.n With
George political economy is the reverse
of dismal science; and after reading
him one Is forced to conclude that it ia
the most hopeful of all sciences, As
Mr.. Ct. himself has said we can leave
some of the sciences to specialists.
chemistry to the chemist, and astrono-
my to the astronomer, but political sci
ence every man and woman must un-
derstand if they would be prosperous
and happy. All of Mr.. G.'s works are
in the "Lovell's Libraryn series of
cheap books and may be had for Is and
20 cents per volume. They include
"The Land Question" Progress and
Poverty" Social Problems" and the
Effects of Protection" which has Just
gone to the book press, but is now
running through the weekly Cnicag o
Times.
Your correspondent advocated Just
this plan in letter to McHenry when
that gentleman was in the legislature
from Iron county and long before ev-
er heard of Henry George, yet have
found more profit in reading him than
all other writers on :such subjects, all
put together, and most earnestly do I
ask all my old friends In Missouri to
procure and read his works. That
they may know what his style is as
well as his quiet but pointed way of
putting..things is. let me give a: short
quotations:
"Force can accomplish nothing for
the masses of the people till they form
an intelligent idea of what they want.
When they do this it will be needless.
What everywhere enslaves men is
their own ignorance and selfishness.
All governments. all institutions, rest
on the active support, or passive ac-
quiescence of the masses. And for this
reason the work of social reform is not
matter of fighting but of education.
The dynamite of ideas is infinitely
more powerful than that which will
throw down buildings or blow holes in
the street,
Now find among your most famous
writer's man who, in so few simple
words, ,::can put SO much meaning. Yet
through all his books you find every
page just as clear and forceful, then
beyond all you see the Turing hope of
better life here and hereafter.
Nothing of local interest except an
other mob in Winchester which you
will have before this In the st. Louis
papers. One cannot expect order or
respect for law where jnstice is for sale
to the highest bidder ard the man
with the longes. purse stands the best
chance in court, and where Legislatures
disgust the people. FARMER.
Murrayville, ILL.,, Oct. 25, 1885.