Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1886-12-09
HENRY GEORGE.


lie Speaks att United Labor Gathering al
= New Haven, Connectieut-Thc Ballet the
Vyoryxfn.man's yyeapon-SOme OF His Pc
GUITAR Ideas of Meum ct Tu UNI.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, Nov. 30--Carlps
Opera-house was crowded TO its utmost
capacity lat night, the occasion being the
grand rally of the United Labor party and
the presence of Henry George, of New
York..as principal speaker of the evening.
Brief speeches were made by p. y, Lynch, s
the Labor candidate of New Haven, and
Henry C. Balwin, of Naugatuck, the well
known ex-Greenbacker. Henry George
was then introduced. After the applause
had subsidized Mr.. George stepped to the
front of the platform and said: - =
LADIES AND GENTIEMEN-I t1ank you for.
this reception. Men OF New Haven, came here
from New York 10. bid You God speed in this
movemept.s You fare taking the only right step
to purify the ballot donot know whether you
can select your candidates or not, and don't
care. Success does not mean the filling OF an
office: we did nos meet with success In our
late election in New York but we accomplished
a work. the news of which has travelled all
over the land. Public opinion in the long run
will rule Our politics have become corrupt
because principal has gone out OF them
The last State election turned on
a question of personal character. Think OF IT, a
Nation of 6OOOSOO0 of people haggling over the
personal character OF the rival candidates
The work of the Republican party Is done.
Block slavery has been abolished But the
crusade now begun is q crusade for thesemancl-
patton of all mankind both white and black
AT last the laboring masses,s all over the
country are organizing. Strikes and ooycotts,
to my mind, are like swords and rifles; they
. are ugly weapons, and,s although it mag be
necessa<y in some Instances to resogt to them,
III iss not Sbys the use OF either that lhe
workingnien can secure their rights.
All over the country a great
lint
these thoughts have been crude until recently,
when they have begun to crystaliZe- The real
heart of the labor question lies in the land
question. Your candidate for mayor has told
you that for over thirty years he has earned MS
bread in the sweat ofo his face. lThere was
some applause, but it was limited-l Men do
not applaud those who earn their
living in that way. The good things OF life the
riches and amusementss are not for working
men 1t is not natural for men to like WORK
never saw men looking for work because they
liked work, and yet we have massive protective
laws to keep work in the country. we are
building enormous ships OF war that we
do not want, and told that we may need
them some time, and, at any rate, work is
furnished for thousands. Well, II we burned
up houses we would furnish men work IN re-
building them. No man has right to demand
work Of anotheR No man has right to say
to another that he must or aust
aot employ a certain man, what we msst do IS
to produce condition of things that Will fur-
nish an opportunity for all to work. What we
want is that all men should have equal oppor-
tunities te secure work. Oar civilization now
does not give this, il absolutely denies 1T.
We have abolished slavery and boast OF our
splendid country, when tramps abound ana
the aims houses are full. 1 was reading to-
night of new aims house that was being con-
structed in a Western city. In this house is to
be Il tramp-room, which is to be so constructed
that 1T can be filed with water, and the
trampss forced to pump it out or drown
What is n tramp? He is an American citizen;
he will work and he will vote, and the rich man
who runs for Office will buy his vote, 1t is the
very rich and the very poor man that we fear,
What ridiculous thing it is to taxhouses%Grel
there 100 many houses in the country Z
Referring to his well-known principle that
tsxatioo should fall upon land values, and that
no individual should own land to the exclusion
of the communitys right therein. Mr. George
continued: What right have those who are
deade in the land on this continent?
About much right as man
who has left a railroad has in the car that
speeds on It's way. If want to buy vacant
lot in New York, am obliged to pay the
large part of my earnings 20 some rich man be-
cause the will of some dead English King, who
never set a foot in this country, says so. What
foolishness. You enter a railway car and you
find all the seats filled with bundles. You at
tempt to sit down, and you are told that the
seat is engaged. You ask how it came to be
engaged, and you are told that it was bought
from the person who alighted at the last sta
ton. THERE'S just as much sense in the car
illustration there is in the selling OF land for
building purposes.
There ought to be no such thing as starvation
when the great granaries are all full-the
great Creator has put enough in this world for
all. Equality OF opportunityis what is needed.
Justice is what we want What you are doing
in this election is to elevate principles. I hope
true Democrat or Republican will fail 10
vote for your labor candidates If you cannot
elect them, come as near as you can, your in
shuence will be eXerted for good. Men of New
Haven, do your duty and let it go forth 20 the
world that Connecticut is waking up to the
cara. Of labor