The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-03
How DR.. Edward McGlynn Became q
Convert to Mr.. Georges Doctrines.
MOmentous Character of the Coming Mayor
atty COnteSt-Mr. Georges EarneStneSs of
Purpose and Sincerity of Character.
A POWERFUL SUPPORTER.
Rev. Edward McGlynn and His Earnest and
Effective Support of Henry George.


| NEW YORK, Oct. 2-The most exciting thing
| in politics is not so much the Henry George cam
| paign for the mayoralty in ITSELF but the fact
that the foremost Roman Catholic priest in New
York has come out as Georges champion. The
largest Catholic congregation is St. Stephens, in
| East Twenty eighth street 1t not only has a
fashionable element, TO whom it defers by keep
ing up the most celebrated of our church choirs,
but it is the religious temple of mass of labor
ing families aggregating. according to the
parish records, not less than twenty-one Thousand
souls. On count of Sunday morning half
that number of persons have attended upon the
masses. The pastor is not less remarkable
than his charge He is the Rev. Dr. McGlynn,
man of personal power and singular independ
enee. 1t used to be said that the late John
Kelly, through being the husband of Cardinal
McClosky's niece had q sort of hold the
church. but he was ever careful not to involve
the priesthood, or even the humblest member of
it in any political ENHANCEMENT. Indeed it has
always been the policy of the church to keep
entirely aloof from political movements Imag
inc the surprise of Catholics and politicians,
therefore, when the name of pastor McGlynn
appeared in the list of indorsers of Henry
Georges candidacy. Your correspondent has
called on the reverend gentleman with an in
quiry for the authority for such use of his
name, and the response was an outright espousal
of the socialistic cause. Father McGlynn said,
very deliberately while his words were taken
down:
Several years ago read Mr.. Georges books,
and Immediately became a convert to his princi
Piles. l did not know him then. hardly knew
who he was. In the summer Of 1882 Michael
Davtt came over here from Ireland to talk about
the wrongs of that country, and was invited to
speak at meeting where he was to appear.
hesitated good deal. for I felt difident about
appearing to go outside my clerical field; but the
more l thought the more felt thar / ought TO
speak. for it seems to me that it is an important
part of religion to care for and plead in behalf
of the oppressed. So / accepted the invitation.
Now, Mr.. Davitt had been making some very
radical speeches on the other side of the water,
and no sooner had he reached New York than
steady tide set upon him with terrible hue and
cry. and worried the poor man beyond
expression. Here, they said, you
are not going to come here
with your doctrines and break up the harmony
of the American Irishmen, are you2 They were
afraid OF his utterances and in my opinion were
more in sympathy with landlordism than with
and besought Mr.. Davitt so strenuously that he
was at last persuaded to sacrifice his individual
ity in the supposed interests of harmony, and
when the night came he made a comparatively
tame speech. mainly apologetic in its nature.
When my turn came felt that had no apology
to make to anyb body, and no favors to ask and no
evils to fear from the timid Land Leaguers So
pitched in and gave, with as much vigor as
could command an exposition of Mr.. Georges
theories, applying them to the situation in Ire
land It made some little stir and led to invita-
tions to repeat the speech in Jersey
City, Cleveland, and elsewhere This
did Mr.. George was at the time in Ireland in
the capacity of newspaper correspondent and
the matter came to his ears. and he seemed to
be considerably gratiied. When he returned to
this country he did me the honor to call upon
me. and we then began friendship that has be-
come warm on both sides think and intimate
1t would be impossible to exaegerate my admra-
tion and love for Henry George. He is the best
and greatest man know He is an unconscious
genius; born with powerful and active brain
and big heart; natural thinker his heart i'm
PEELED him to seek out the causes that underlay
the increase of poverty with the increase of
wealth and the progress of art and science The
result OF his thinking is his series of mastery
books"
'He is frequently spoken of as Socialist Do
you SO regard him. and do you class yourself
with Socialists in economic doctrinesW
''No, to both. Mr.. George is a Socialist only
in the broad, humanitarian sense He respects
individual ownership of property, but woald
make the State, county, town, whatever unit
of community may be found practicable, the
1ow 1Hrd han rwafN
proved that it becomes more effective-nore
productive than before-possession of it is a
privilege for which the possessor should be made
to pay All gifts of nature. you understand
land, mines, water-power, game. etc-are
cassed under the one head of land by Mr. George
for convenience Now. in his studies he found
that the worst economic evil from which man
suffered was monopoly. Not so much the mo-
nopolies brought about by the development of
the mechanical arts as the telegraph and rail
roads. for these can. to a certain degree, be made
subject to competition; but the monopoly of
natur al forces. These the means of life to
which every man in the world has right
Birth implies tho right to live Every child
rich or poor, legitimate or illegitmate has as
much right to share in the means of life af-
forded by the same nature that gave him being
as IT he were the son of the Prince of Wales
But what is the fact2 Why, here the other day
as have been told, half-dozen fellows went
into a room and determined that the price of
coal should be raised a dollar a ton. Then in
order that this scheme should not fail, they de-
cided to curtail the production of coal from the
mines, thus compelling the poor men here to pay
a high price for coal, and taking bread from the
mouths of the miners. by stopping off their work
in the hardest season of the year. Can
anyone say candidly that any necessity of trade
except the desire of the monopolists FOR exor-
bitant profits justified such coursel Half
dozen fellows pretend to exercise control over
coal stored away under the ground by Almighty
God working through the forces OF nature mill
ions of years before man could walk on his hind
legs2 1t is this kind Of monopoly that Mr..
George would strike down. 1t is not socialism,