The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-31
SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN EUROPE.
Henry George Discusses the Socialis-
tic Phases of Current Politics in
England.

Henry George Discusses the socialis-
tic Phases of Current Politics in
England.
NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-Henry George sat
in his Office yesterday afternoon and gave
his impression of questions social and poll
teal in England Mr. George is evidently
under the charm that London has for most
intellectual men, but he is not under the
social spell of the British metropolis, as his
associations were almost exclusively with
men of his own radical type.
SIS the land question likely to get into the
realm of practical politics in Great Britain
within the next ten years?" he was asked.
lit is already a practical question" said
Mr.. George, quickly, ''and it will be an
issue in the next general parliamentary
election, unless a European war, or some
other unseen great event intervenes to
cause delay"
''You do not seriously mean that the
question of placing all taxes on land values
will be submitted to the British electors
within four yearS!'
''Tne question will not take that radical
form. The taxation of ground rents will be
the first step in England, just as free trade
must be the first step here. All sorts of adj
vanced thinkers in England, however, are
turning toward the single tax as a solution
of social and political problems. Even the
socialists, VINO, by the way. seem to me
weaker than they were at my last visit to
England, are declaring in favor of this
idea.n
Gould Gladstone lead such a canvasss"
"a leader is what they need. / think Mr..
Gladstone feels that the question is too
great for him to handle at his advanced age.
He will be content if he can bring about
some settlement of the Irish parliament
T L..
stone mas given much attention to the single
tax, but know that members of his fam
lily have. Mr.. Gladstone'S most insignifi-
cant utterance bearing upon this question
was his remark that the Thames embark
ment had been built with the money of the
whole people, but that che benefits of the
work had gone largely to the landlords of
London
Which is most likely to be settled first,
the Irish land questions or the question of
a parliament in Dublin?'
sit is difficult to prophesy what turn the
discussion of these matters will take. OF
course the land question is at the bottom of
Irish discomfort, and the Gladstonian oppo-
sition to the bill to extend the Ashbourne
act for the purchase of Irish holdings is
great step in advance. Il has opened the
mouths Of the liberals and they denounce
the landlords as undeserving of any such
payment as that proposed in tbs measure.
The discussion that this new attitude of tie
Gladstonians has precipl5ated in England is
not unlike the free trade discussion brought
out by Mr. Cleveland's very moderate as
sault upon the protective tariff. Radical
democrats all over the country have been
emboldeped to denounce protection as bad
per Sc and extreme liberals in England have
been led into denunciaUion Of landlords as
such.n
What is the strength of the single tax
men in tue present parliameuts'
81 cannot give exsct figures, There are
u few out and out advocates of imposing all
taxes ON land values and good many, |
fancy, who, like Trevelyan, favor tie tax
ing of ground rents Lord Compton, who is
heir to an earldom, and as such one would
think a conservative on the land question,
ran for parliament on the latter ISSUE
William Saunders, recently an NJ. p. is 5
radical as ] am. j. C. Durant and Angus
Sutherland, the former recently in the
House of Commons and the latter now rep
resenting one of the Crofter districts, are
single tax men,"
''rhen the land question as a national
issue is likely to attain prominence in Eng
land before it comes up herem
THE battle for free trade must first be
fought here. That is educational. Ii you
remove taxes from imports, where shall
you lay taxesi That question is out of the
way In England, and they
are one step in advance of u.s.
Our people are quicker than the English,
however. OF course the social conditions
are vastly better here than in Great Britain
The evils of private ownership of land are
more glaring there than here. Then, too
any radical movement in England has an
advantage over a like movement here by
reason of the absence of constitutional
checks ana balances. Their system Of a
cabinet responsible to a majority in the
House of Commons, and going out of office
with the loss of that majority's support, is
vastly better than our system of cabinet
independent of legislative control. Our
forefathers in making the constitution i'm
proved on the English system as they found
it, but they made cast-irol systom of their
own, while England, untrammeled by writ
ten constitution, has expanded her system
in accordance with her needs. Other free
peoples have initiated her rather than u.s."
''But ministerial re sponsibility stands as
a buffer between the crown and the people
does it notF
"Undoubtedly; most Englishmen that
know do not trouble Themselves about the
crown. Bradlaugh and few others de-
nounce the cost of maintaining royalty, and
a good many of the queens loyal subjects
speak of her in unpleasant terms, but dur
ing her lifetime tho question of a republic
English friends declare that they have 20
all intents and purposes as good a republic
as ours and it is not to be denied that their
legislative system is more democratic than
our own. When the Prince of Wales as
cends the throne, republicanism may raise
its head
"What is the feeling toward the House of
LordsF
"Its unpopularity is increasing and in
time it will be abolished. OF course the
taxes of land up to the rental value would
doom the House of Lords, for poor nobility
is absurd. The lords might oppose any radi-
cal movement toward the single tax, as
they would recognize that in such a co lfiict
they were in the last ditch, but the end
would be inevitable"
"What could be substituted for the House
of Lordsg"
Nothing: modern thought looks to sin
gle legislative house"
What of socialism and anarchy in Lon
donf'
Neither Is strong, and some that call
themselves socialists do not know what they
are. had few anarchists at the great
Lambeth Bath meeting that / addressed.
Some Of them asked me why | had con-
demned the Chicago MartyIsP / replied
that not |, but court In Illinois had CON
demned them. had merely objected 10
the demand that these men should DO ac-
knOwledged As martyrs 10 the cause OF
labor. i condemned violence In countries