Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-25
LAB0R'S CANDIDATE.
HENRY GEORGES SPEECH AIscHIck-
sERlNG HALL, NEW YORK.

5ERlNG HALL, NEW YORK.
He Answers Numerous Questions from the
Audience-The Three SIayoralty Candi-
dates Interyiewed-An Are Certain of
EIection-Fight Against the Election Of
sociaIistic Judges in Chicago.
New YORK, Oct 25-Aithough Abram s.
Hewitt declined to accept Henry Georges
proposition toappear in joint debate at Chick
ering hall Friday evening, it was damned
with people as it never wss before. At least
1000 persons could not get into the hall
Professor David B. Scott, of the New York
college, called the assemblage to order and
introduced the Rev John Kraemer, assistant
rector of All Souls church. as chairman.
Mr.. Kraemer said Mr.. George would be pres
ent and state his position and answer any
questions which any of Mr. Hewitt's friends
might ask. He assured them courteous
hearing.
Mr.. George appeared moment later and
was received with applause. He began work
at once, but he managed to make every one
hear him. He said the platform of the Union
labor party was based upon the doctrines laid
down in the Declaration of Independence,
and after reading section he asked if the au-
dience believed the ideas set forth were I'M
American or undemocratic. Cries of "NoI'
came from all parts of the house. He
went into an explanation of his land
place all tax uron land values. He
would not tax house, nor a
boat, nor manufactured goods, nor capital,
nor watch, nor a railroad, nor anything
produced by labor. He said that to tax a
man who put up building on lot was to
fine him for encouraging industry and Civ
ing men a chance to work. He thought
there were too few houses in New York and
too many unoccupied lots. Thousands of
men, he said, would be glad to build houses,
but they could not, because they would first
have 10 pay an enormous sum for lots His
idea was TO tax a man who owned an I'M
occupied lot as heavily as the owner of a lot
upon which a house stood. That would stop
men from holding lots for speculation. Land
was gift of God, and, therefore, different
from all other things. He said that God
never gave any man a title deed to land.
He believed in the sacred rights of property
such as buildings, machinery, franchises,
books, inventions, ships goods, and personal
property of all sorts. The present complex
system OF taxation put a premium upon
idlenesS and encouraged perjury and dis
honesty. Men perjured themselves to es-
cape taxation on personal property. He
believe all tax but tax on land values should
he abolished
He then announced his willingness TO an
swer questions One man asked Mr. George
what he would do in the case of a small farm
| which dying man had left to his widow and
| children. Mr.. George replied that he did not
propose to deal with individual cases, but
under the system he proposed there would
be common fund to support to support the
wife and children man left behind him.
Another man wanted TO know if \ owned
four lots and B owned four on the opposit e
side of the street, if one put up 500 600 and
the other 81, 900, 900 house, which would he
tax the heavier. Mr.. George replied that he
would tax them both the same He would
not consider the houses, bee ause they repre-
senied 50 much labor and SO much capital
Neither capital OF labor should lie taxed A
| tax on houses prevente mechanics and CAPT
talists from building them A young man
wanted to know if Mr. George would remove
| tax from imported goods. Mr.. George an
swered that he would not keep anything
good from coming into the country
The previous answers had b.en greeted
with thuniers of applause, but the latter an
swer did not "catch on with an audience
which was a protectionist one on national is
sues. 4 colored man arose and wanted to
question Mr.. George, but he didn't
know just what to say. Finally he asked
how Mr. Georges land doctrines would help
tho colored people when the white landlords
refused to rent rooms to them. Mr.. George
said that was "a question of race prejudice,
| which, happily, was dying out rapidly" A
Prohibitionist with a Cold-water Countenance
said he wanted t. know about saloons. Mr..
| George said they were not the cause Of social
! Justice, but an outcome Of 1t \ man il
the gallery inquired if Mr.. George would
clean out the slums, and a fog horn voiced
| man said he was anxious to have the politi-
| cal machines broken Mr. George said he
could do but little in that line If elected but
he would do what he could
| Mr. George was applauded most of the
| time He mentioned Mr. Hewitt s name very
respectfully several times and the audience
hissed He called for a collection to pay
campaign expenses, The biggest hit Mr.
George made during the night was when h,
said his ideas would not be put into practic,
| until the majority Of the American peOpl,
decided thai they were right and after
most thorough discussion. He elected ap
plause when he said that the humblcst chile
born in the most squahd tenement had Il
much right TO Gods bounties as 4 child o
the Aston or StuyvesantS