Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-09-06
UNDER THE WHEEL.
-uamlln Garland's New Play-The Single
Tax Idea In the Drama.

luanlin Garland's New Play-The Slngl
Tax Idea In the Drama.
In the July number OF the Arena MI
Hamlin Garland's new play, Under tn
Wheel" is printed in full. 1t is pla.
with purpose, and that purpose is thu
demonstration that under existing
economic conditions there is no escape
for the honest toiler from grinding pov.
erty.
The play opens with q sceno in q Bos.
ton tenement house, where Jason Ed
wards, his wife and two daughters have
their home. Edwards is q 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
ucation. and at the time the play opens
Is studying music with view to becom-
ing a singer. A second daughter, Lin
ME, much younger than her sister, APP
pears from her talk not to have had AL
lies educational advantages, but she is
an important figure in the drama. Allie
Is introduced to us as already engaged
TO q young newspaper man named
Reeves, and the first glimpse we have
of the social problem is in converse
ton between these two in scene l. Mrs
Edwards invites the young man to stay
to supper and the following colloquy
takes place:
Reeves-No, thank you, I've got
little work at the Office, and then I've
got to 60 out and report an anti-pov-
erty meeting at the Temple. Special
job.
Alicc-Whatk kind OF meeting is that,
for PHYS sake?
Reeves preparing to go)-oh, a
cranky kind. Henry George started it.
Some absurd idea about abolishing pow
erty.
Alice with a profound sigh)-I wish
It wasn't so absurd. don't SEQ why
poverty Is so persistent in this age of
invention.
Reeves (as II struck by her words)-
Como to think of it, 1t is more absurd to
think the abolition OF poverty absurd.
Why shouldn't 1t be abolished? What's
the good OF progress If it don't? (He
muses. with. bent head.) don't see
where the laugh comes in myself. Do
you know, Two been thinking and writ
ang on these things of late? don't
know why; it's in the air, ] guess.
Everybody's got some cure. Cleans his
elbow on q chair. speaks in slow, deep,
musing voice.) 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 |
-sly, delicate as q spiders web.
stood there looking down at the sea
of grimy roofs, laFa-like, hideous
flood of brick and mortar. cracked and |
scanned, and monstrous for its lack Of
line or touch OF beauty modern city.
4 saw men running to and fro, like ants,
lost in the tumult of life and death
!struggle. saw pale girls sewing there
in dens reeking with pestilence. 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 to
the inventive genius Of man. And / said
then what say now, that men have in
vented q thousand ways Of producing
wealth, but not one for properly disbut-
angit Idon't know where the trouble
SIS. II We once knew the trouble. some
ibody'd find \ cure. Abolition Of proper
~. (E3e muses. . moment, then starts. J
Well, goodbye, I'll write this up in a
leader. with . return to his cheerful
manner. takes her hand, makes an elab-
crate obeisance.) await your pleas
ure. Farewell my queen. (Goes out
without looking back.)
Alice Looks after him smilingly.
AS she cones back the smilo fades from
her face.) Isn't It terrible 70 DO poor,
Mrs E.lt1ith quietpathos)-Yos, dear;
bat I've kind o got used to it. don't