New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-18
HENRY GEORGE AND SPENCER
THE APOSTLE OF SINGLE TAX REPLIES TO
THE PHILOSOPHERS FRIENDS.

10 the EdltOr OF Inc Tribune.
Sir: The letter signed by Messrs. John FiskA
W. j. Youmans. Daniel Greenleaf Thompson,
James A. Skilton and Lewis G. James. published
In The Tribune Of the 18th, is in no sense
reply to "A Perplexed Philosopher
The real charge made in that book is that Mr..
Spencers denial Of the ethical validity and
social expediency OF private property in land has
been abandoned in ways, times and degrees which
show that his change of front has been actuated
by the desire to escape the denunciation and
ostracism Of that influential section Of English
society dominated by what he himself once aptly
personiied 'Sir John and His Grace ana
which since 1882 has regarded those who hold the
opinions he had in his first book so strongly ex.
pressed and never up to that time denied. IN
the same light in which abolitonists were once
regarded here The facts on which these charges
are based consist of Mr.. Spencer's own utterances
on the land question from 1860 to 1892, reprinted
in full from the authorized editions Of his books
and his signed letters to the English press. to-
gether with such references to the publications
of Appleton & Co., of this city. as show that
for years after he had made the English public
understand that he had completely stopped the
issue Of Social States it was still being adj
vertlsed and issued here under his authority.
In this letter, which assumes to dispose OF tho
"calumnes' Of "A Perplexed Philosopher" to
show that Its charges baseless. and its
alleged facts are fiction" the real charges ana
the real facts are carefully avoided. There are
in 1t only two pretences of meeting anything
that has been said in that book. One OF these
refers to a poetcal quotation and the other 10
a non-material illustration. The reply in the
one case is ridiculous. and in the other 1t 10
based on the garbling of a sentence.
In the first Of these the lines from Browning
which appear on the title-page OF my book
Just for a handful Of silver he left us;
Just for A ribbon TO stick In his coat,
are correctly quoted. But with the wooden
lteralness so comicaly shown in Mr. Spencers
treatment of the religious idea" (Which in this
letter his five American followers seem to nave
caught as they have caught his controversial
method and Style. these lines are taken to
mean that he has actually received or sought
q pension and title and l ''refuted" by
being told that Mr. Spencer has within twenty
wears spoken disrespectfully to two Prime MIN
listers.
The second of what have in courtesy called
"pretences of meeting what is said in "A Per-
picked Philosopher " is an elaborate assertion
that there no dukes in the directorate ana
only one in the membership of the iingfsn
Liberty and Property Defence League ana th4t
Mr. Spencer is not member or mat socie'ys
which assertion is backed up by certihcate
from the secretary Of the League that in 1873
Mr. Spencer declined to have his name given 10
the press a member
But how does all this concern the calum-
nies- OF "A Pcrplexed Philosopher? have
never said that there were dukes In the oireo-
torate Of the Liberty and Property Defence
League or that Mr.. Spencer was memper'
In the few incidental references that are MADE
he
this society. merely say that it has been active
in pushing his The Man Versus the STATE
and that he has been to it IF not an actiVe
member, at least a valued ally.
How then do the FIVE American friends or MI.
Spencer make any connection between rer-
picked Philosopher" and their elaborate s'a'e-
ments from documents now before us as |"
the membership of the Liberty ana Property
Defence League? They do so by the simpls
device of assuming that In a sentence WHICH
has no reference. either expressed or implleu "
the Liberty and Property Defence League :"
reality meant that society, ana py .nen 10 u,
proving not what | had said. but what these
gentlemen assume ! had thought:
In "A Perplexed Philosopher, IN closins my
comment on Chapter XII. Of Justice con-
trast what Mr. Spencer there says or the iree-
dom of every one in England to use ms nlnU ~.
and move where he pleases, with the passaess -.
.Social States" in which he mentions lou'
dukes by name as showing now priHate - ~. ~
ty in land permits monstrous dehlaIs , ~ SUI"
rights And | conclude with this sentence
The name of Herbert Spencer now appears WIN
those of about all the dukes in the Kingdom a.
the director OF an nronertv in land that
was especially active In the recent i'o"'o" '
Council election.
tive association that was SO active in the heateu
London County Council election campaisn "
1892 where the main issue was the Ia Tt Tr,b.
ground rents Mr.. Smalley, writing TO The IT'D
me of the result of that election, SPEAKS Oh !.
not by its official name but as "A Ducal League
and attributes the defeat OF the local ,,onv
tiyes to the fact that They had 700 nian!
dukes The reason did not give the MANS
was because | had mislaid the circular, Mich nn,
had come to me with lot OF Liberty anu ~.
erty Defence matter The formal name Oh .ne
association (Which / cannot even now give Win
certainty without sending to LONDON, was;
think the London Rate-Payers LeaS ,. ,, ~
sociation but not wishing 10 trust my hneinoIy
for the official name which indeed was vi az
Importance whatever In my reference SUNG
GENTLY designated it by descriptl0n c,orc.r..
Now in their letter to you, MI. Spence.
friends take my sentence. cut OIL the uetet
ing words that was especially active III .ne
recent London County Council election , Rat
period and quotation marks To the nu.i,".S
fragment call It a sentence from "A feIPisNsSo
philosopher" assume that 1t refers 10 the t.u
erty and Property Defence Leasa W., CT" there a
proceed at great length to show tnat ,heie -
onIv one duke in the membership OF that socis'y.
that Mr. Spencer is not member anu o'ne.
things Interesting. II true but when 90 not
concern me) and then triumphantly declaring
This an absolute proof of my msrepresen s.,
VIE, s Inclusive reply to "A Perplexed Philos-
opher" tell the public that it can now form q"
opinion of Mr. Henry George
This Is pitiful -,o ov..rt
have nowhere spoken OF Mr.. Spencer eXceps
as an exponent of ideas. have nowhere asheo
his motives except where made necessary 10 w
Main facts by that fundamental law OF the human
mind which beneath expression seeks for cause.
If | had been unable to entirely restrain me
mingled pity and Indignation whlch al men n. -,
true impulses must feel on seeing d sLea' ~.
renudlated and finally denied and what mignt
have been a lasting reputation wrecked. yet this
Ia not Of the essence Of my book "A Perpiexeo
pbiiosonher' Is not an attempt TO point out the
frailties of a man 1t is a careful and consci-
entious examination. not only OF the question
tbat lies AT the root of all the pressing social