The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-23
"PROGgEss AND PoyERTYss
"A Review OF hEr.' Henry sGeoFRo's work
on tho sooInl Problem.


Mr.. EDITOR: During tho session re.
Gently closed, as Instructor i'm Political
science In Furman University, l offerali
a gotd medal TO that student in my class In
rolitical Economy who should produce
tno oet hesiS Oh any subject connected
with the study. The theses were written
over fictitious signatures and handed to a
committee. The decision OF the COMMITTEES
was In favor Of tho article over the sigma.
ture OF Felix Holt" which was after.
wards fonnd 70 belong to Mr.. Thad. T..
Horton, OF Williamson, s. @. Below
you will find this thesis, which desire
10 ro,i;a, nave published in your paper: 1t is q
review OF Henry Georges great work
used by us as parallel reading ut tho Uni.
w. BRowN.1 ..I
Among all the master minds who have
labored on the Buperstructure of the
science of Political Economy. since
Adam Smith laid the foundations in his
wealth of Nations" century ago, not
one has shown more force. cloa,ness ar
originality in the treatment of the sub.
ject, than Mr. Henry George has dis
played in his work on Progress and
Poverty" whose publication q few yeara
since attracted widespread attention at
the time, and has since been followed by
criticisms of the most highly favorable
character. To say that the success
which the work has undoubtedly
achieved, has been owing entirely to the
very new and striking manner in which
the doctrines of the current Political
Economy have been assailed, would be
too much. For, however much that may
have contributed to the general effect,
yet had the theories advocated therein
lacked the force which recommends them
to the consideration of every thinking
man. the book would have fallen as flat
as numbers of it's predecessors have done
in times past. Such work, treating as
1T does of live facts and living problems
certainly deserves our careful considera.
tion. ltkis our purpose here, not 80 much
TO discuss the new theories, which Mr.
George has sprung upon the world, bnt
to review, if we can, the arguments
which he advances in refutation of the
existing doctrines of the science.
Mr.. George states in the outset the
purpose which he proposes 10 accomplish
That purpose is "to seek the law which
associates poverty with progress, and in.
creases want with advancing wea th."
That the received Economy has failed
to do this is evident, and hence he pro.
poses to pursue his inquiry into the cause
OF this seeming paradox, not in obedience
to the dictates of any authority or theory,
however well established or universally
received. To do this, nothing must be
taken for granted, but everything judged
of in the light OF frat principles. 1t is
by this method of going to the root OF
things, that the author has done away
with all danger of superfciality, and has
cstablinhed foundation for the pursuit
of his inquiry, on which the reader feels
safe in placing himself.
Dir. George begins. his inquiry with an
investigation into the theory whereby
the current Political Economy attempts
to explain the simultaneous increase OF
productive power and decrease of remu.
neretion received by labor. In tho out.
set Of this, Mr.. George comes in contact
with theory, upon which the larger
part of the theories of modern Political
Economy depend, directly or indirectly,
for their basis. and which he finds Il
necessary to refute. It is the doctrine
that wages are fixed by the ratio of the
number Of laborers to the capital devoted
to the employment of labor" He shows
that this Itself is founded on the evident
misconception that labor is paid by cop.
ital. and is supported by capital, prop.
osition whose fallaciousness is plainly
seen when, for capital, Is substituted It's
meaning as given by the supporters oi
the theory themselves. 1t would then
read: labor is paid by the results of past
labor act aside for the production oi
wealth. Nothing could be more incon.
sistent with sound reasoning.
To the objection that this discrepancy
would only apply to primitive state OF
society, and loses its force when the
operations Of labor become more com.
plex; The author produces the fnndalneh-
tai truth that it is only by the considera.
tion of society In its primitive state that
we can derive any sure knowledge of the
laws whichgoyern It., For society nov
is only the elaboration of society then
and the manifold processes of this cen.
tury are all directed toward the same
ends as were the simple expedients Of
the simple state-the riaintainence OF
subsistence, and the qualification ol
desi.e.F Taking, with Mr.. George, this
view of the. case, the true doctrine ol
wages Is seen to DO that wages are pro.
dueed by the labor for which they are
paid, and that they are in no sense de-
pendent upon capital Tie proof Ia
almost self evident, and it may be safely
said that had Mr.. George accomplished
nothing more, than this exposition of the
fallacyl of the accepted doctrine, ol
wages, he would have been pwell repaid
for writing Progress and Poverty" :
With the disproof of the current
theory of wages, Mr. George places him.
self squarely. In opposition TO aytheory oi
even more widespread acceptance-the
Malthpsian theory, that population tends
constantly to increase faster than shbais
tence, the increase of population contin.
uaily pressing against the limit of SUB
sistence, thereby causing a reduction oil
wages to the starvation point, and q
degree of want and misery sufficient "a
keep population within bounds. Even
the most ardent believer in such a'theory
could hardly ESpTess Sigh Of relief were
It clearly aids Enthusiastically disproved
That Mr.. George has done this, q careful
consideration Of the course of reasoning
whereby he reaches his conclusions con.
corning the falsity of thai doctrine, can
not fail to SHOW. Thealisproof comes
after q thorough9eview of the facts and
analogiea in Che case, and-eomes too with
a forca that C6npels it's acceptance.
Taking .hS.sgock examples of super.
abnndsncs Of population producing
povertpand dislfess, Irelapd, China and
India, rMr. George clearly demonstrate.
that itlih hot !, lob great population thai
Is tho cause offhD wsll known prevaience
Of poveffy insth6se counktjes but raiher
o detective sociess orgaui lion, whereby
labor isdenied its full return, and horde,