The Globe-republican., 1890-09-03
UNDER THE WHEEL.
Hamlin Garland's New Play-The Single
Tax Idea in the Drama.

HamIin Garland's New Play-The Single
Tax Idea in the Drama.
In the July number Of the Arena Mr.
Hamlin Garland's now play. Under thu
Wheel" is printed in full. 1t is pla!
with a purpose, and that purpose is the
demonstration that under existing
economic conditions there is no escape
for the honest tOiler from grinding pow
erty.
The play opens with a scene in a Bos
ton tenement house. where Jason Ed
wards, his wife and two daughters have
their home. Edwards is a man who,
having learned his trade and married,
began life with the hope of securing a
modest competence. His eldest daugh.
ter, Allie, evidently received good ed.
ncation. and at tho time the play opens
is studying music with view to becOm-
ing singer. A second daughter, Lin
ME. much younger than her sister, ap-
pears from her talk not to have has AL
lies educational advantages, but she is
an important figure in the drama. Allie
is introduced to us as already engaged
to a young newspaper man named
Reeves, and the first glimpse we have
of the social problem is in a converse
ton between these two in scene 1. Mrs.
Edwards invites the young man to stay
to supper and the following coIloquy
takes place:
Rceves-No, thank you, I've got a
little work at tho office, and then I've
got to go out and report an anti-pov-
erty meeting at tho Temple. Special
job.
Alice-Whatk kind of a injecting is that
for PHYS sake?
cranky kind. Henry George started it.
Some absurd idea about abolishing pow
crty.
Alice with a profound sigh)-I wish
it wasn't so absurd. | don't see why
poverty is so persistent in this age of
invention.
Reeves las if struck by her words)-
Come to think of it, it is more absurd to
think the abolition Of poverty absurd.
Why shouldn't it be abolished? What's
the good of progress if it don't? QHe
muses. with bent head.) l don't see
where the laugh comes in myself. Do
YOU know, I've been thinking and writ
ing on these things Of late? l don't
know why: it's in tho air. guess.
Evcrybody's got some cure. cleans his
elbow on a chair. speaks in slow. deep.
musing voice.) l stood on the Brooklyn
bridge the other day and looked down
on New York. Over me scared and
sung those stupendous cables, the
marvel of mans skill. etched on the
sky, delicate as q spiders web.
stood there looking down at the sea
OF grimy roofs, lava-like. hideous
food of brick and mortar. cracked ard
scanned, and monstrous for its lack OF
line or touch of beauty modern city
i saw men running to and fro, like ants
lost in the tum~lt of life and death
struggle. | saw pale girls sewing there
in dens reeking with pcstilence. l saw
myriads of homes where the children
could play only in the street or on the
sooty roof. colonies OF hopeless settlers
sixty feet from their mother earth. AND
over me scared the bridge to testify te
the inventive genius of man. And said
then what i say now. that men have in
vented thousand ways of producing
wealth, but not one for properly disbut
ing it. / don't know where the trouble
IS. If we once knew the trouble. some
body'd find 4 cure. Abolition of proper
ty. tIie muses. a moment then starts.
Well, goodbye. I'll write this up in
leader. with a return to his cheerful
manner, takes her hand. makes an elab
crate obeisance.) await your pleas
Nre. Farewell. my queen. (Goes ou
without looking back.)
Alice-Looks after him smilingly
As she comes back the smile fades from
her face.) Isn't it terrible to be poor
mother?
Mrs. E. with quiet pathos)-Y dear
bu: I've kind o got used to it. dom
look fr any thing else now. don't car,
s much FIR ms self. but I'd like t see m,
children safe from IT.
Alice SEATED with bent head)-Oh
how sweet it must be to be free from tn,
fear of poverty! To feel that you DON
need to scrimp and pinch. and turf
dresses and dye feathers. and wear olt
shoes; to feel that food will como whe,
You need it: to have the soul set free 70
art Ueaping up. her face aglow) Blu
I'll win yet, mother; 1 feel in my sou
that have the gift I'll take you on
of this
Prest ntly Edwards returns. who. afte
some chaf with Linnie. remarks to hi
~ife that it seems very hot and that i