The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-03-21

The N. Y. World mas asked me TO
write my impressions of Darkest
New York" 1 had almost promised
myself not to make any extended re-
marks upon country or city of which
I have seen SO little, but although 1
have not with my own eyes beheld
all the conditions, all the environ
menrs of the men who work for a
living in New York or in America, I
have had the advantage of other peO-
pies eyes and ears.
Necessarily what have to say will
be very disjointed and disconnected,
for the thoughts which arise are so
manifold that must put them down
as they occur to me or l will lose
them.
There is a Darkest New York.
There is Darkest America. 1t is not
the same in appearance as Darkest
England or Darkest London, but it is
essentially the same.
Human nature is the same here;
there is the same infusion Of Anglo
Saxon blood. All that is different is
the mere outward look of things.
Here in New York the multitudes
live in tall structures much more
crowded together than in London, but
there is the same poverty, the same
crime. Poverty begets crime, crime
begets poverty. 1t is the revolving
wheel.
WE ARE GOING DOWNWARD.
Here in New York it seems to me
that civilization is gliding beautifully
on an incline. The people dream they
are going upward. They are really
going downward at fearful speed.
The same tendency Of the people
from the country to hurry towards the
great cities prevails here as in Eng
land. The land which they cannot
make pay when cultivated will bring
forth q large harvest of les miser-
ables.
1t need not be in a hurry. There is
smoke a good while before there Is
SCOT. :.
New York occupies the same posi-
tfon to America as London does to
England. Its conditions are the con-
ditions that will be common to the
rest of the country by and by. You
are in advance of other American
cities; you are further down the in
clined plane.
From what 1 can learn the condi-
ton of the poor people is not much
better, If any better, than In England.
We multiply pounds by five to make
dollars when we translate our money
into yours, but that is not quite cor
rect. for SIS will not buy as much as
one mound when you come to consider
clothing. medicine, house rents and
all the little necessities of life. Also,
there are other things which one
lacks in America which money cannot
buy, The poor do not have the prl-
yacy here in their little homes.
But the conditions are essentially
the same. You find the submerged,
Won find those who are not submerged
who have to work for their bare lv-
ing from early in the morning into
the night.
A MILLION TRAMPS.
You have the sweat shops as Lon
don has. You have the tramps. They
saw YOU have a million tramps. That
is great many. I fear nobody knows
how many there really are. But a
tramp is man. Calling him an OBJ
jectionable name does not excuse
ones self of the responsibility for liv-
ing in the same society in which he
lives. There he is. He is man, an un.
redeemed soul, and of greater value
than all material creation.
You have here the Darkest New
York, besides your tramp population
the criminals, gamblers and all who
live by the vices and infirmities OF
others; here they prOcreate and in
crease-like vermin, L was going to
say. This is just as it is in Darkest
England-in the east side of Darkest
New York as well as in the east end
of Darkest London.
is THERE NO WAY OUT
Is there a way out for the sub.
merged and the half-submerged here
as in England?
Yes, 1 propose way out-the only
way that can see. The socialism OF
Mr.. Bellamy or of any other socialist
is an angelic plan of government-fol
angelic men. New Workers. are not
angels any more than Londoners are
1 am free to say that some of then
are very near it, for l have been mos1
kindly treated here.
Henry Georges plan 1 know Of
am very fond of Henry George, pos
sibly because he is fond of me. He
is right when he says that the lanG
question is at the bottom of all this
trouble and misery, but I don't see
AOW uc Cdu UTluS ulIuSelI TO DrODOEf
the confiscation of land. Here is 6
widow, and children to whom property
is left her. He would have the state
take it. 1t may be do not state this
proposition correctly. I am a busy
man.
But they say these people who fine
it SO difficult to live are persons O.
defective organization. Their frame,
are feeble; their teeth are bad; thei
eyes are defective; they are scrofu
lous, consumptive, born thieves ant
rascals.
So much the more they call for tn
effort of the strong, the healthy, tn
clever. those whose teeth and eyes ar
sound-they are the ones who shoul,
help the aged, the weak and the un
fortunate-those whose environment
and companionship have made them
if I may use the expression, inferio
beings.
1t is possible to do this at profit
You stingy souls, perhaps this vii
induce you to try to like your fellow
men.
HIS ENGLISH EXPERIMENT
1 have spent 100000 at Hadley
England-that is half million dol
lars, as I reckon it-for the redemI
ton of 500 or 1000 men. This viii
pay, not counting the redemption o
the men, profit of from 319 to Al
per cent.
Land that cost $50 an acre fou
years ago sells for 1900 an acre now