Huntsville gazette., 1886-12-04
HENRY GEORGE.
de Speaks at United Labor Gathering at
New Haven, Connecticut-The Ballot the
Workingman's Weapon-Some of His Pc
culiar Ideas of Meum ct Tu um.

de Speaks at a United Labor Gathering at
New Haven, Connecticut-The Ballot the
Workingman's Weapon-Some of His Pc
culiar ideas of Meum ct Tu um.
New HAVEN, Conn, Nov. 30-Carlrs
0pera-house was crowded to it's utmost
capacity last night, the occasion being the
grand rally of the United Labor. party and
;he presence of Henry George, of New
York, as principal speaker of the evening.
Brief speeches were made by p. j. Lynch,
the Labor candidate of New Haven. and
Henry c. Balwin. of Naugatuck, the we'll
known eX-Greenbacker. Henry George
was then introduced. After the applause
nad subsidized Mr.. George stepped to the
rrUnt-of the pa TO aillsssId said: N -
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-I thank you for
this reception. Men Of New Haven, / came here
rom New York to bid you God speed in this
movement You are taking the only right step
20 purify the ballot do not know whether you
ean select your candidates or not, and don't
care. Success does not mean the filling of an
office. We did not meet with success in our
ate election in New York but we accomplished
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
question of personal character. Think OF it, q
Nation OF GO,WO0o OF people haggling over the
personal character of the rival candidates.
The work of the Republican party is done
Black slavery has been abolished But the
crusade now begun is a crusade for the emanc
patton of all mankind, both white and black
At last the laboring masses, all over the
country are organizing Strikes and boycotts,
to my mind, are like swords and rifles; they
are ugly weapons, and, although it may be
necessary in some instances to resort to them,
it Is not by the use of either that the
worlIing1men can secure their rights.
All over the country "a great
awakening of minds has been going on, but
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 his
bread in the sweat OF his face. There was
some applause, but it was limited. Men do
not applaud those who earn their
living in that way. The good things of life; the
riches and amusements, 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. Weare
building enormous ships OF war that we
do not want, and are told that we may need
them some time, and. at any rate work is
furnished for thousands. Well, If 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 must
not employ certain man what we must do is
to produce a condition of things that will fur
nish an opportunity for all to work What we
want is that ali men should have equal oppor-
tunities to secure work. Our civilization now
does not give this, it absolutely denies it.
We have abolished slavery and boast Of our
splendid country, when tramps abound and
the aims houses are full. l was reading to-
night Of q new aims house that was being con
structed in a Western city In this house is to
be tramp-room. which is to be 50 constructed
that it can be filled with water and the
tramps forced TO pump il out or drown
What is 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 il is to tax houses. Are
there tcO many houses in the country?
Referring to his well-known principle that
taxation should fall upon land values, and that
no individual should own land to the exclusion
of the eommunity's right therein. Mr.. George
continued: What right have those who are
dead in the land this continent;
About as much right as a mar
WHO has left railroad has in the car that
speeds on its way. If I want to buy vacant
lot In New York. Il am obliged to pay the
large part of my earnings to some rich man be-
cause The will of some dead English King, who
never set foot in this country, says so. What
foolishne.s. 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 il was bought
from the person who alighted at the last sta
ton. There is just as much sense in the ear
illustration as 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 opportunity is what is needed.
Justice is what we want. What you are doing
in this election is to elevate principles. l hope
no true Democrat or Republican will fail to
vote for your labor candidates. II you cannot
elect them, come as near as you can, your in
huence will be exerted for good. Men of New
Haven, do your duty and let it so forth 10 the
world that Connecticut is waking up to the
cause OF labor