Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-09-04
UNDER THE WHEEL.
Uamlin Garland's New Play-The Single
Tax Idea in the Drama.

uamlin Garland's New Play-The Single
Tax Idea in the Drama
In the july number of the Arena Mr..
Hamlin Garland's new play, Under the
Wheel" is printed in full 1t is play
with 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 Bos-
ton tenement house, where Jason Ed
wards, his wife and two daughters have
their home. Edwards is a man VINO,
having learned his trade and married,
began life with the hope of securing
modest competence. His eldest daugh-
ter, Allie, evidently received good ed
ucarion, 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, ap-
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 a young newspaper man named
Reeves, and the first glimpse We have
Of the social problem is in converse
ton between these two in scene / Mrs
Edwards invites the young man to stay
to supper and the following eolloquy
takes place:
Reeves-No, thank You. I've got D
little work at the Office, and then I've
got to go out and report an anti-pov-
erty meeting at the Temple. Special
job.
Alice-Vbatk 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 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? (He
muses. with bent head.) ! don't see
where the laugh comes in myself Do
you know, I've been thinking and writ
ing on these things of late? / dom
know why; it's in the air, I guess
Every body's got some cure. cleans his
elbow on a 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
sky, delicate as a spiders web.
Of grimy roofs, a laya-like, hideous
food Of brick and mortar. cracked and
scanned, and monstrous for its lack of
line or touch Of beauty modern city.
] saw men running 10 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 a thousand ways of producing
wealth. but not one for properly disbut-
ing it. ] don't know where the trouble
body'd find cure. Abolition OF proper
ty. He muses. a moment, then starts.
Wen, 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
IRE. Farewell, my queen Goes out
without looking back
Alice-(Looks after him smi1ingly.
As she comes back the smile fades from
her face.) Isn't it terrible to be poor,
mother?
Mrs. E. with quiet pathos)-Yes, dear;
but I've kind O. got used to it. don't
look fr any thing else now ] don't care
g much f'r m'self, but I'd like I see my
children safe from at
Alice SEATED with bent head1-Oh,
how sweet il must be 10 be free from the
fear OF poverty, To feel that you don't
need to scrimp and pinch, and turn
dresses and dye feathers. and wear old
shoes; to feel that food will come when
you need it: to have the soul set free for
art. (Leaping UP, her face aglow-) But
III win yet, mother; feel in my soul
that have the gift I'll take you out
Of this
Presently Edwards returns. VINO. after
some chat with Linnie, remarks to his
wife that 1t seems very hot and that it
Is absolutely worse than the shop. The
conversation between them gives an
itea of the financial condition of the
family and the rooms in which they are
com PEELED 10 live. and incidentally intro
duces some other characters. ending
with the resolution on the part Of Ed
wards aud his family TO go u est.
Edwerds-Why don't you open the
door,
Mrs. Ell can't stand the noise and
smell might, my head aches. Some
times it seems s If ] couldn't bear it,
but / think o. people who don't have as
much as we do. and SO keep a-goin'.
Edwards walking aboutl That's
about ihs only war. t be patient 1t