Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1885-07-03

from MS on account of our not dis
them he certainly touches
n theme which should stir every think
ing man to action.
1t is quite evident that our much
vaunted Republic is slowly but sure
w settling into the slough OF stagna-
ton. due to the muddy infltratlon
of the all predominant money getting
craze. We have too many men OF
whom Carlyle speaks, "Men who dis
Germ in the misery of toiling, COM
planning millionsnOt misery, but only
n raw material which can be wrought
upon and traded in" Slavery worse
than slavery thisl Now would think
inc men, of the middle and upper
classes, only study political economy
for the love of truth, our crooked |
partial laws would quickly get a dose
of very statutory medicine. Men
would take birds views OF ma
tional matters, instead of swallow
mo the partial criticisms ofthe daily
newspaper. With increasing know
ledge of nation S wants, wouldcome
increasing desire to satisfy those
wants. Politics, not politicians
would become the cry, and the sell
fish manipulations of the lobbyist
would be grandly cOmbated by the
open and generous enthusiasm oil
countless refOrmers.
There are writers, even now, VINO
are giving some of their best work
to the field of political economy, and
whether right or wrong, their books
deserve the earnest perusal and care
| full analysis ofevery intelligent voter.
4 Such writer's are Henry George ana
La. G. Clark. The latter has recently
given to the public a little book
3Man's Birthright" which l propose
to review briefly. The keynote OF
the book is struck at the outset
namely. that the whole wealth OF the
universe is the natural and common
propertv of all mankind. The fac
of mans birth gives him a titl'
| deed to his common share. In short
"the conscious has a right to the I'm
! conscious" Every generation mus
!. succeed to this common right. Sta
f tistics make an average generation
p fiftv wears. So then the annual RICH
n of ali the people is One-iiftyeth @
Y the whole or two per cent ofits value
e Thus two per cent. advalorem Ia
f on all assets becomes "man's brit
/ rioht" The nation should stand a
= a grand rent collector, to take thi
d annual tax from its integral parts &c
o the common veal.
IS History is invoked to support tn
# claim. The periodical redistrlbutio
of property every fifty years anon
ID the Israelites and other primitiN
d nations; the prevalent idea OF pro
@. erty in common, amongst the villag
10 communities of Teutonic and 9TH
ne tribes are cited as cases in point. III
e. homestead plots for every citiz'
~ and the common lands Ofearly Ron
IS are contrasted with Rome's conc
of tion as she nears her downfall. III
Sc great estates sent Italy to perditiol
i'll saws Pliny. The successful warrlo
rs of Rome carved up their own moth
in country to suit their selfish enc
,ir When the Gracci persisted, patri'
IN ism persisted. Then came the roug
les rowing bands of Vandals with th'
al democratic ideas Of personal libert
SO Feudalism was the result of this
m mixture with Roman imperialis
MIS- Common lands were soon enclos
EST for greedy mobiles by misery Hen
ma Wis, and reigns like that Of Lo'
he XIV become possible. A hundr
,ur years ago Adam Smith said wag
.ial came only from capital. Hence
in more labor the less wages apie
di- Then Nautilus declared that popu
es- ton tended to out run subsistan
rk and hence the prevalence of vice a
re- disease to carry fthe surplus wa
nh worker. Ricardo carried along
ne idea, by stating that the increase
ed rents by the ABSORPTION Of land
we inevitable. Darwin completed
1ur chain of argument by his dOctr
ed of the survival of the iittest. A h;
I'VE uncompromising and apparently
ele- conference.-the quartette Of think'
an Poor comfort for a laborer on eigh
ZEN five cents day
on. But Henry George took anot
line of thought. He claimed that
Dor was the source of all wages; t
a sailor brought his wages al'
with him in the casks Of oil in
ship. Poor Nautilus has no gro'
Tor to stand on, when we know that
iual earth has never had population
ng, compare with its capacity for furn
ons inc support. As for Ricardo,
1t law Of rent is simply carried out
lral Henry George to its normal con
5ht, sion. and Darwin is thrust aside v
II. fine selGevident remark, that mai
infinitely superior to the highest
t5,s imal. he has a soul, and his very
onS istence is plea for elbow TO
to But when Henry George propose
! as remedy for speculative values
10 things. that we shall tax land
tied lana only MS IeineuJ - ~ ,rro,
'uly W hen ne says tllle 4 lli1 ~ ~ 10
viii it, he simply paves the way fol
vast monopoly of the manutactI
as against the farmer. But Mr.. u
argues, if labor is the source
use wages, then all things whether l
on or land transmitted by labor into
age products, must pay the tax.
ami how shall man be made to Civ
of lust return of his assetsY Sim
re- argues Mr.. Clark, by the knoWle
? is that the government may at any
dec ment stept in and buy him out at