The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-28
THE TROUSERS PROBLEM.
Henry Georges Philosophy Applied to
Great Question of the Time.


Great Question of the Time.
New York Times.
The great project of the naturalization OF
trousers, SO ably urged by the eminent reformer,
Mr. Jacob Isaacs, cannot be lightly dismissed.
1t has already many advocates, and their num-
ber is constantly growing, and in the sight OF
peoDle who do not know the difference between
political economy and sentiment Mr.. lsaacs is
regarded as man OF profound, original and
valuable thought.
1t is Mr. Isaacss opinion that trousers are the.
source Of all wealth. This is demonstrated in
three ways H. No man can gain employment
in civilized countries unless he wears trousers,
and. ~ no man can, in the changing conditions
of the climate of countries inhabited by civilized
races, work. without trousers and at tho same
time preserve his health. Hence while wealth.
is the result of labor, it is also the result of
trousers. Again, 81. wealth, or money WHICH
is its representative and concrete expression, is
universally carried in the trousers pocket.
There is, of course, an occasional exception
to this rule, but ninety-nine men carry their
money in their trousers pocket whore
one man carries his in his coat pocket. Hence
we see that trousers are not only intimately as
ISOLATED with wealth, but they are to speak,
the mothers OF wealth, since in their pockets ex-
its the promise and potency of money.
That some men should own trousers and 9th
ers be destitute of them is manifestly uni ust.
There are in this city, let US say, 500 900 men
and 10000 600 trousers. 1t is notorious that the
latter are not divided evenly among the former.
| There are capitalists who have gone on adding
trousers until they have got into their possession
hundreds Of trousers. Mr.. lsaacs, who is thor
oughly familiar with statistics concerning the
trouserarchy of Chatham street, assures us that
less than five leading Chatham street million
aires own in the aggregate IL 900 trousers.
Meanwhile there are hundreds of men in this
city each one Of whom owns but single pair Of
trousers. and that in almost worthless condi
ton. while there are other men absolutely desti
tute of trousers, vino compelled to spend their
time in the seclusion of bed, and to depend on
charity for glimpse OF the "growler." For
such men there is no future. They may be hon
est, hard working noble men, but their rightful
share of the trousers of the earth is kept from
them. They must spend their lives in poverty,
while other men are rolling in trousers. AS to
women, tho tyranny of our false social system
deprlyeS them utterly OF trousers, and even the
poor sewing girl who runs up the seams of trous-
ers on her sewing machine has no part nor lot in
them
The remedy for the frightful picture drawn by
Mr.. Isaacs is, in his belief, the naturalization
OF trousers Private ownership of trousers is
he informs US, robbery. By what law of nature
asks the great reformer, has any man right to
monopolize ten or twenty pairs of the trousers
that nature designed for humanity? The man
who has in his closet more trousers than any
other man may have is 20 that extent Il thief
and robber whose Injuries are purchased at
the cost of the freezing legs Of thousands Of
poorer but better men.
property of the State, and should be let at a
small but fixed rate to the citizens of the State
Let us suppose that in the city of New York
there are, as has been said, 10 600 900 trousers
these if rented at 81 each, would yield revenue
Of $1,000 000 The taxation necessary to sup
port the city government could be reduced by
precisely this amount, and this reduction would
lead to an equivalent reduction in the market
price of the necessaries of life. Thus, the poor
man who now pays $40 for pair of trousers and
twenty cents for pound of meat would pay ST.
for trousers and fifteen cents for meat. The
amount OF money thus saved would soon place
HIM In comfortable circumstances, and as a cor
responding amount would be saved by all wear
ers of city trousers, poverty would be unknown
within our limits.
1t would be necessary for the State to assume
that the value of all trousers depends upon the
cost of their production, and that this value can
not be increased by any improvements that any
tenant may pun upon the trousers held by him.
1t would often happen that tenant would put
valuable patches upon pair of trousers during
his occupancy of the same, thus materially in
creasing their value Should the State, when
such trousers are surrendered to it, charge an in
crease of rent to new tenant, the result wond
be.the destruction of the fundamental principle
that all trousers should be rented at fixed rate
If the State is once permitted to increase or
lower its charges for trousers, on the ground that
certain trousers have been improved by tenants,
while others have been injured, confusion
would ensue which even the gigantic intellect of
Mr.. Isaacs could not set straight.
The naturalization of trousers is evidently to
be the great question of the future and Mr.
Isaacs feels confident that the time is near at
hand when State ownership of trousers will be
misery and crime will vanish from the earth.