Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-21
MR.. GEORGE AND HIS CANDIDACY

Mr.. Henry George is a candidate for
Mayor of New York city. He has the
pledge thus far Of about 10000 or 10000
voters, and can probably rely on a great
many voters who are not on the pledged
lists. Mr.. George is supposed to represent
the pessimists of the land and labor agita-
ton. Beyond the moral effect of victory,
should he be elected, his selection will not
particularly advance the cause he origi-
mated and which only he really represents,
the chief article of faith in which is, the
placing of all taxation upon land. As
Mayor of New York he cannot make his
doctrine in any way practical. Nor can it
be said that his election will crystalline
about him a party. He is attached now to
no party or political organization he is a
free lance, protesting against all present
forms of political and social activity, and
having a following, but an u~norganized
one, and lie is the last man in the world to
| organize it. 1t would be very difficult to
form a compact party pledged to all the
features Of his programme. Until So
ciety is educated a great deal more than it
now is to believe in his theories, he can
not rally a fighting party of any consider
able strength. His candidacy and support
is something in the nature of a protest
against existing political powers in New
York city, rather than Endorsement Of his
chimerical views regarding taxation, and
his confused idea about financial policies.
We do not believe that five per cent. of
those who are pledged to vote for him pay
any taxes, or have any concern whatever
about the laying of taxation upon lands.
That the labor unions take him up as q
candidate is mainly due to the fact that he
is not allied with politicians, and has not
been for very many years; he is fixed upon
by them as a theoretical opponent of pres
ent political systems, and because they be-
lieye his election, if it can be secured, Will
be offensive to the political leaders of the
great metropolis, and in some way secure
the unions BROADER recognition. But it is
probable that in this they are mistaken.
The shrewd politician would prefer to see
George elected rather than any bolting
member from their ranks, or any true chief
of the labor powers or real w~orkingman.
They see in him an impracticable, a
theorist who cannot put his doctrine into
practice, AMI who, because he is brainy
and will not in Office evade his trust, or
do the bidding of any one, or %inaugurate
a revolution except in thought, ~disappoint
the very men who may elevate him. When
a large element of the voting public COM
bines for the purpose of augmenting its
political power, and securing a hearing
before the country and efiecting decisive
ends and reforms, it expects its chosen
head to lead, and to lead boldly and in
the direction the majority of that element
determine. Now Mr.. George is not such
q man. He will never be a leader of men
IA thhI oShoC' tit - u iGi.itnS JIIootOIldTy
in advocacy Of his own doctrine, and is far
less likely to DO the bidding of the Labor
Unions than to rebel against their meth
DDS. He. is %opinionated, something more
than stubborn, a reading, thinking, resolv-
ing man, profoundly convinced of the po-
tency and righteousness of his theories,
not at ali likely to modify them Or yield
a line of his doctrine for policy sake, nor
not yet likely to organize a following.
Wedo not believe that he can be elected
he has not the art of binding men to him
or holding them together for an end. He
has not executive ability, and has abso-
lutely no business managerial tact. If by
any chance he should be chosen Mayor,
we believe that not three months will
elapse before he will be found standing
alone with not a single follower at his
back. He willnot be useable by the bosses;
even his old-time friends, the Democrats,
will be kept of, but 50, too, will the Labor
Unions that placed him in power. If,
therefore, it is desired to lay Dir. George
upon the shelf as an apostle of reform and
the prophet Of amillennial era, the speed
lest method to attain that end is to elect
him Mayor of the wickedest and worst
governed city in the world, New York.