The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-30

| jfAbbItS, ana even IN mo4S stqAn ono
case, men who hsse been tried 16s their
t1ives upon the charge of rnurdess I calf
your attention to the composition Of
this committee BECAUSE il is not acci-
dental. On the contrary, it fairly repre-
sentS the class Of men who. under repub-
llican forms and in the name Of democ-
racy, have hitherto ruled in this city,
and against whom the common working
people have at last risen in THAR might.
The movement which has placed me
in the front rank is indeed to men OF
this stamp dangerous movement"
but what is danger to this class is the
hope of honest citizens. Surely when
you declared your candidacy to be in de-
fecse of the methods approved by our
past experience you did not mean tie
political methods which have made
such men as these the arbiters of who
shall and who shall not present himself
for the sutfrages of his fellow citizens.
and yet that is precisely the position IN
which you stand. On my side are the
democratic masses, while the spoilsmen
of both factions which have hitherto
disgraced the democratic name seeing In
this revolt az end of their influence,
have pooled" their quarrels over the
division of spoils, and, repeating their
old trick of getting reputable citizen
to act as their fgurehead, have placed
you in their front. Whether or not vour
true place is with them is not for me TO
say. I wish merely to point out that
the less said about class movements by
the nominee of such a class the better.
But while the issues between US are
not such as you seem to imagine. there
are undoubtedly differences ofprinclple.
The platform on which l stand land
which 1 wish you would compare with
the one on which you stand) contains,
among other things to which you proba-
bly, would not object, a declaration to
which infer you do object, viz, that all
taxation upon buildings and improve
ments ought to be abolished, and that
taxes should be levied on the value OF
land irrespective of Improvements. The
Office to which We both aspire gives its
occupant no power to carry this prlncl-
pie into practice, but 1t is true, as you
intimate, that what man stands for, as
well as what he can do is legitimate
subject of consideration in his election.
l, for my own part, rejoice chat my can
didacy has lot only forced the nomlna-
ton of such estimable citizens as your
self aud Mr.. Roosevelt, and thus taken
the element of personality out of the
contest, but also that it has brought
questions of higher Importance IN. My
main motive IN, taking the nomination
was to do something in this wav to raise
political discussion from the low level
to hich it has fallen and in the hope
of further forwarding this end, | beg
leave to propose to you that we jointly
discuss before our fellow citizens the
issues which you may deem involved in
the campaign. This method of appeal
ing to the intelligence and judgment of
citizens, which is still popular in other
parts of our country, and Of which a
notable instance was given in the great
debate carried on by Lincoln and Doug
las, seems to me, and doubtless will to
you, the best method which men who
stand for principle can adopt. | have
therefore to propose to you that during
the time that remains before election
We shall debate these questions together
in various paris of the city, or, if the
state of your health does not permi
this, that we shall, under conditions
which shall be acceptable to you, meet
each other once or twice in the largest
halls that can be secured, and in frank
and honorable way present our views
and meet each others objections.
shall be glad to hear from you as
soon as possible in this matter, and IN
the meantime am, dear sir, yours truly
HENRY GEORGE