The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-11-29
PROGRESS AND POVERTY.

The arena Is the title OF q new monthly
nagaSsne published in Boston and edited
by b. O. Fiower, including in It's list Of
contributors the names Of r. @. Tneersol,
Henry George. Diqn Boucicauit. Minot J.
Garage, Rabbl SCHNEIDER. Mary A. Liver
more. O. d. rockingham. Rev. G. A. Bar
toi, Prof j. K Buehanan aud others of
equal note. In the initial lDecemberl
number IL has aeries Of communications
responsive 10 q question sent out by the
editor. What in your Judgment Is the
prime cause OF the increase Of poverty and
crime In our great citiesgS
n. II. Gilman accepts the implication
contained in the question a. a fact. and
replies that. ''The one reason why poverty
and crime increase Ia our cities appears 70
me 70 be the immense immigration from
Europe which idea he asnplines at
some length. But statistics refute his ar
gnment. II poverty and crime are on the
increase. and immigration is "the one
(which means the only or The chief rea-
son.. then Immigration from Europe must
be on the increase. which Is not the fact.
for such immigration has been much
larger In the past than OF late or now.
o. b. rockingham doubts that the as
nmption implied in the question Is true,
and says be supposed the contrary was the
case. and gives 1t - his impression that
apart from certain unavoidable conditions,
such Is old age, organic infrmity and In
heFsted disease, there Is little unavoidable
indulgence. Iniemperance. he thinks, is
the prime cause of ayoidable indigence,
aud that this may best be corrected by
moral and intellectual education.
Rev. o. r. Clifford accepts the fact and
thinks that the leading causes are two
FIRST. the competitive system under which
business Is done; and second. the organiza-
ton OF some people. who are untitled. under
any system, 10 ever be anything but poor.
The cooperative system. he thinks. would
give the weak man better chance, but pow
erty Of resources 10 draw on, OF ability TO
take advantage OF opportunity. Of patience
to wait. Of self.denlal. cannot be cured by
any extFaneous influence. His idea Is
happily illustrated by this aphorism:
when ants multiply. wealth increases;
when gfasshoppers increase, poverty keeps
pace"
II Il he q fact that poverty and crime are
on the increase. there are abundant and
perfectly reliable statistics 10 prove that
there can be no good reason for 1t. Edward
Atkinson, Of Massachusetts,. than whom il
Is doubtful that > more careful, palms.
taking. conscientious and competent statls-
tiolan ever lived, has spent toilEnl years III
compiling facts and figures which eoncln-
sivesy demonstrate that the general average
OF wages for labor was never so high, and
the senersl average cost Of She necessares
Of life never 50 low IS al tbs present time
This certainly disposes Of the two con-
trolling elements Of the inquiry. To which
II Is only necessary to add the indsspusahle
fash that Industrial enterprises. opening up
new channels and avenues Tor the employ
ment OF labor. have iatteriy increased. and
are increasing st a greater ratio taan the
increase Of population. There IS more
xsgk in proportion 10 population. the
Wages ot lahor sre higher. aud The cost og
the neeess aries Of ilie lower than ever be-
fore. Then there cannot be conceived any
sound reason shy iaaigencs sAoald be on
the increase
The truth j., that just IS Il is a reoog-
missed fael that there are some who have a
genius fer progress and prosperity, SO there
are some--ana much more numerous
soms-.who have an unauessionahls and
uamistAkahle genius Cor EstFOgrcssien and
Poverty. To tha ene no obstacle is Too
formidable 10 ps overcome. 10 The other
tae aness opportunities are valuelcSs.
TIE existence ot geaias fer poverty
hal = coneaazsYe illustration In the early
geld mining days Of CaitfoFnia. Australia
ard EdAno Every ealch, rAvlne. hAz and
haak wss spFinkaed ~stA gold. and Ia many
places il could be shaken Eragn the grass
reoss. The sasaS - nenry George we're in
FoTce Tie laad wss free 70 anyho<sv wha
wvnld nsc IL. and soholy conla bed 4
claim unisss they we're working "a or akste
absent isft their seols epoa IL A plea.
pan and sAovea. whseh any man willing -
work could buy ca credit. was sa the
needed oatHt and yet N tAass dAxs and
Under those circumstances. tAeFe were
eFesGs Il men lolsassag around who eaala
kna netAsug - DO. and many heTrowea
nosseY - FesaFn 70 shsAr homes.
IhsFe i maeh la4sgeaee dee - un.
avebisAss asshaeHts Aaa aalsings1ass. aAny
rsssahse eases whica the prosperous shoala
be wssss@g ans saSer - relieve. bss Is sl-sra
Il a FeaesAl Increase IA tAss eoaEtry 81 tbs
tsaas il mass Be ca Tie part AZ aassorlsy
DIS g sEnase sAosh. tacsp&sssy. sAss1slszs-
RES. Or FeeSaess sel!-s84assrnce. The eoa-
dlt.ea q see eceatxy. Tbs representatives E0z
ssarsey nssEs, Ghe sagrSns rates os wASes
sn5 aoss . Av.ae. sAs4sa s6sw sse4.sy
and = hAaascas saescass of geaesAa pxDS.
rssssy saa So nsnsE-gz4 \ sssssgvaee