The Louisiana Democrat., 1890-09-03
QUEENSLAND COMMENT.
A Brisbane Papers Estimate of Mr..
Georges Place in History.

Henry George is one OF the great per.
sonalities of the age. The premier OF
New South Wales, himself perhaps the
most remarkable man on our isle of
continent, said the other day that if he
were to select a hundred of the most
eminent men of the century, Henry
George would rank high among them.
Sir Henry Parkes might have gone
further and declared that George was of
those great souls, of those high in
tellects who are epoch making. A man
who has probed deep into the evils Of
the time, whose whole being has been
fred by the wrongs Of the down trodden,
whom suffering has tried as by fire, and
in whose heart beats chord symra-
thetic with the pulsating aspirations Of
the brotherhood of man. OF the old
writer's on political economy Adam
Smith was the only one whose style
made the study attractive. Hence it
came to be designated the dismal
science" 1t was left to Henry George to
impart a quickening life to the dry
bones. He is the most original thinker
on economics since Ricardo, and his two
great works, Progress and Poverty"
and Social Problems" have created
greater stir among social scientists than
any two other books of our time.
Georges philosophic method is as
logical as that of Cusin or Sir VIM.
Hamilton, his style is as fascinating as
that of Sir Walter Scott, his diction
as pure and eloquent as that
of Ruskin, with whom in lofty
morality and spiritual insight he may
be compared. No one can deny, how
ever great may be the disagreement
with the conclusions at which George
has arrived, that he has made deep inn
press upon the English speaking world
and on the domain of contemporary
thought From Prof. Huxley and the
Duke of Argyll to the merest tyro in the
study of ethics and economics, a host of
hostile critics have assailed him, but ho
has met them all with high courage, a
keenness of retort, a sledge-hammer
power of argument, and illustrations
drawn from reading which seems to
have been all-devouring and all-embrac-
ing. 1t may be conceded without trench-
ing on those principles which have
caused the widest diversity of opinion,
that George has successfully assaulted
the stronghold of Malthus and the Nal
thusian doctrine. Of all the teachers of
modern times he it is who, by skill and
exhaustive analysis of facts and pene-
trating glance into the spiritualities Of
the universe, has shown that to throw
on the Creator responsibility for the
evils arising to humanity from bad and
oppressive laws, and mans wicked dis
position, is rank blasphemy. His other
great achievements in economics is that
he has demonstrated with clearness and
precision which defies refutation that
wages are paid not out of capital, but
from the current products of labor.
One Of the most impassioned and i'm
pressive orators of the age, the citizens
of Brisbane have had an opportunity of
seeing and hearing Henry George in two
different aspects-in the character of an
expounder of his own peculiar economic
IeHctS duu III tlle CudFtCUtF VI IL pfettCucEs
who proclaims his gospel with the on
trancing power of a Savonarola and the
fiery earnestness of st. Francis.
Somewhat short in stature, he is yet
we'll proportioned, and gives the idea Of
strength and concentration of purpose.
His dome-shaped head and full, express
sive countenance are exceedingly inn
pressive. When warmed up to his sub
ject there is fine play of feature, and a
fire in the eye which kindles an electric
sympathy in his audience. His gestures
are graceful and unstudied as he moves
about the platform flinging forth his
polished sentences. Suffering from the
effects of cold, his voice falls short of
that bell-like resonance of some years
back. 1t lacks musical softness, and
there is no liquidity about the vowels.
But these are minor defects which are
soon forgotten when the man possessed
by his subject rises to the heights of
burning eloquence and pours out period
after period of impassioned and poetic
English. brisbane, Queensland, Cou'
rier.