Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-12-08

] OOioiC lieuTy 0tOIBt TAN IOT MHyOl
in New York, few people. save those
who read every strange thing, kne "
anything about him. Now in all
probability hundreds will read his
work on Progress and Poverty
where but one read it before. As has
often been pointed out; his theory is
that land being q natural product like
air and sunshine, is only made valua-
bic by monopoly and he who holds il
is master. For instance he illustrates
his theory in this fashion Suppose
an island capable OF supporting well
one hundred people. Now if the land
us free none of them will starve. But
by some means let one OF the number
come into possession of this island,
then the ninety-nine must work for
him and he will be the absolute master.
Now all this sounds plausible, and the
wild Socialists hail it as new and per-
feet gospel in political economy. But
when the Thoughtful man reasons over
Ithe matter he readily sees how foolish
Henry Georges apparently fundamen-
ltal proposition is.
One OF the best answers given is
from the pen of Edward Atkinson in
Work and Wages, and Is as follows:
All followers of Henry George should
read it:
''Onee all men were tramps. The
Indians used to own all land in CON-
mon. They didn't SOW much and
they didn't reap much. They lived
on game. fish and clans, but there
wasn't enough to go around, and then
one said to the others / have as good
a right as you TO what there is, and
he tried to grab it. The other Indians
killed him. That is the way we
all began. The white men, who
were our grandfathers, lived in the
same way in Europe, but that way
didn't work well and the white men
gave it up before the Indians, who
haven't given it up yet. What did
they do next? They saw that all their
food came out of the land, and that if
they did not fence in the land some
where and plant it, there would not be
enough food to so round. Game was
getting scarce. A tribe or a family
fenced in piece and said to the rest,
This is ours Nobody objected Just
then, because there was more land
than folks. After the tribe had taken
the land part of them planted it, and
the rest kept up the fences, that is to
say, they stayed round the outside and
kept the tramps of. Next year the
tribe that had fence in or set apart
some of the land had plenty of food,
and then they had lot of time to
spare, so they went TO work making
better clothes and building better
houses; the next year they were a
great deal stronger because they had
been better fed and better clothed and
better housed. The more they fenced
in and used the land the more food
there was for themselves and for
others.
THE tramps outside had great
deal more land. they also had ali the
game there was and all the time there
was, but they said these fellows inside
the fence have taken our land, but, as
we have worked Just rs hard outside
as they have. they ought to share
even; we have just as much right to
some OF their crops, and if they won't |
give them to us, let's go and take
them-let's all share even. That is |
just what the tramps say now, but |
they don't get 1t, because the men in |
side the fence have the most sense and
the most muscle, the best tools and
the best guns, and they know how toI
use them.
1.-THE tramps were licked, and theyl
began to grumble, as they do now.
They said TO the men inside the tence:l
You have no right to that land; we
want some of it, The men inside said:
There is land enough outside, why
don't you fence in some out there?' /
The tramps said: I'VE want to stayI
here Then said the men inside /
the fence, stay if you want to, and
swap with us-there will be enough |!
Tor all of us, if we swap. We will
work the land, which is good for moth
ing unless 1t is worked. but we can't
all work on this land; let's swap work
on land for some other kind of work.
But where shall / stay?' said the
tramp. we can't all live in thei
woods. No. said the man inside the
fence, we have rnore food than wei
can eat, more timber than we can use,
more iron than we want; you can come
in and work up these things, and wei
will let you have part; we will swapI
grain and meat and timber and iron, |
which We have saved from our work
and cannot use ourselves, tor your
work The tramps agreed. Where
was the thief? Both had more than
hey had before. Which one gained
he most?'
Holiday Goods.