Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-10-16
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS WELL
SPENT.
That 10 the Sum Ono Man Paid to Ges
n Sound OpinioU.

1ucdSs
81 was travelling on railroad train in
Northern Ohio one day." said he, "and
the newsboy came through and flung
book into my seat. picked it up, look
ed at the title page and read: Social
Problems, by Henry George I had
never read any of Georges books. and
from the political dispatches concerning
him, had taken up the idea that he
was mere labor agitator. So threw
down the book, and amused myself by
gazing out of the car window. Pres
emily the conductor, who knew me, came
up, took up the book carelessly and ask.
ed me if had read it.
mo said 1, i haven't
"'Well, said he, you ought to. 1t is
one of the most remarkable books ever
read, and to a man like yourself. who
has made his own way in the world, ID
will be particularly interesting
1.-THE conductors remarks struck me,
and 1 paid the boy fifty cents for the
book and began to read. 1t nailed my
attention from the beginning, and every
now and then the conductor would come
through and smile knowingly as he saw
me glued to the pages l read it all day,
took it home, read it all evening, and
for the next week my head was greatly
bothered. Finally 1 took the book to
my lawyer. member of rich firm of cor
poration counsel, and asked him if he
had read it.
"'No,' said he, Il have no time for
such rubbish
''I have read it, replied, and some-
how it strikes me as being remarkable.
7 ,xyich ,rnn11 fol
what you think of it
:" If l were to do that he answered,
would charge fee of $780,
I" I'll pay it, said /, because want
to have an expert opinion upon it's logic.
1 have had no school discipline, and
am not sure of my ability to Judge tais
book. want you to read it carefully,
mark such passages as you may find
where there are flaws in the logic, and
then go over it with me and give me
your opinion of it,
HE agreed to do it for $500 and told
me to call in a week. 1 did so, and he
said: I've read that book and marked
a good deal of it up for you, but I'm not
through. Call again. Several days after
1 met him on the street and he stopped
me and said: Look here, I've read that
book through again, carefully, and I've
rubbed out good many marks l made
against it last week. At the end of the
week called again.
"'Well,' said he, I've studied that
book carefully, and I've rubbed out all
the marks in it. There may be differ
ence Of opinion as to some of his facts
and the premises from which he starts,
but if one accept these no human being
can deny the irresistible logic of his
conclusions There are no flaws there,
and so I've nothing to discuss with
YOU
But said l, what about his prem
ises?'
"'Ah,' said he that's more than I
know. He is as likely to be right as any
body, and more likely to be right than
/, because he has devoted his life to the
study
'After that" concluded the speaker,
II bought and read all of Henry Georges
books. What do think of them. Well
think l never paid $500 for any legal
opinion that gave me more satisfaction
and information. Courier Journal.
Henry George on the Conference.
The Standard:
The impression made upon the public
mind by the conference of single tax
men held in this city last week is indi-
Gated in the reports and comments Of
the daily press.
But even to those of us who have
known the movement from the begin
ming and who, being at the center, as it
were, have been most fully appraised Of
its wonderful spread and of the zeal and
devotion it is arousing. this gathering
was revelation of strength.
But the difficulties of bringing togeth.
er men from all parts of so wide coun-
try at such large personal expense, in
gathering involving no business interest
or pecunlary return, and having no Of
fees to nominate for, no political pro-
gramme to make, no honors to bestowy
have all along seemed to me SO great that
have been timid about national con-
and whenever it has been propos-
ed have favored putting it Of. This con-
ference owes nothing to my exertfon or.
influence. It is the work, in my absence,
Of more sanguine men, and it's great sue.
cess has amply vindicated their judg-
ment and faith.
The effect of this gathering, tho
single tax movement in the United
States can not fail to be most important
and most happy. Confident as we may
have been before. we are all more con-
fident now. The bringing together of
so many earnest and intelligent men
from all parts of the country has given
them knowledge Of each other, and a Il
faith and pride in each other, which
inspire new hope and fresL zeal. And
while it has shown us that. the move
ment was even stronger than we imag-
med, the conference has given to the
general public a clearer idea of our pur-
pose, and more intelligent comprehen-
sion Of the progress our principles are
making.
One of the indications Of this is in the
press comments which assume
that we have abandoned our original ex-
and have become more rea-
'onable. The truth is that we stand
precisely where our feet were first
planted. The change is in public opin-
on. What then seemed extravagant
low seems more reasonable, because ii
las become familiar and is better un.
lerstood. And just as our work of edu.
,ation progresses, so will our principles
appear more and more reasonable to
hose who at first most bitterly opposed
hem. But'so long as men face right,
We need not, to use Mr. Garrison's sim.9
le, quarrel with their impression