The morning times., 1895-11-10
SINGLE TAX COLUMN.


bHity for any views expressed In this
| column.)
The conductor of this column believes
that nothing he can say this week will be
more interesting to its readers than an
account of the outcome Of the PROPOSE
tlon to arrest Henry Bcorge for viola
| ton of some law or othet, in case he should
| attempt to speak on single tax on Sunday
evening last at Wilmington, Del.
Mr.. Ralston and Mr. Siddons, two promi-
| nent single tax advocates of Washington,
| went down To see the fun. But the pro-
gramme was not carried out according
| to the preamble. None of the threatened
| parties seemed to scare worth n cent. Not
only did Mr.. George speak to nearly or
| quite 1000 people in the opera house,
but open air meetings were held, which
| were effectively add ressed by several
speakers, including the two Washington
| gentlemen. Some idea of what occurred
| may be gained and the drift OF public
| sentiment in Wilmington gathered, from
| the following extracts from the daily
papers of that city:
WILMINGTON NEWSPAPER COMMENT
Republican: Leaving outside several
| hundreds that wanted to get IN, eighteen
hundred people heard the world famed
Henry George In the Grand Opera House
| last evening. Introducing committee.
| George w. krecr, chairman: Harold Sudel
and Henry George severally challenged ar
rest, and apparently desired one. They de-
clared they would talk politics and taxa
ton; that III there should be an arrest the
meetings would still 20 on: that they had
| hired the house for three mo onths for Sunday
| lectures by Henry George. Father McGlynn,
| Thomas q. S:earInan. William Lloyd Garri-
son and many others. After the meeting the
police commissioners, Chief Dolan, and City
| Solicitor Harmon, listened to Court Stenog-
| rapher Hardesty's report OF the speech, and
decided that the law had not been viola ted.
| Thus seventy thousand Wilmington
| ians were saved from a threatened dis
| grace"
Morning news: After all the talk con-
| cerning the intention OF the authorities
| to prevent Mt. Henry George from speaking,
| nothing of the kind followed. Ii is graft
| flying that no attempt ut police interference
was made. The author of Progress and
| Poverty Is cultivated gentleman, and
| has given his subject many years OF CT re-
| ful study. Whether he is right or wrong
| has nothing to do with the question raised
last week.
| editorial headed "A Triumph Of Free
| Speech" after many contemptuous thrusts
! at the meaningless harangGes' OF "single-
| tax gobblers." concluded thus: 1t rests
| with the police authorities whether the
| future Sunday night orators willhave large
| audiences to listen to them. II let severely
| alone, as they should he In all Justice
| and by right of law, they viii offer no
| attraction to the people of wilmington"
| Journal: Chief OF Police Dolan is
| man in whose discretion the public repose
| implicit confidence That no arrests foi-
lowed the single tax meeting at the Grand
| Opera House was because the single takers
1 a hay las All
| to deal, and framed their utterances
| and actions accordingly"
MR.. GEORGES SPEECH.
Mr. George began by reuiarking that
| every reform passes through three stages;
II is charged that ii is contrary to re-
| Iigion; that II is subyersive TO public order;
and finally its quondam opponents say
| they always have believed in it. Slavery
| WAS given as an illustration. This led
| naturally to tue remark that there are
| different ways whereby one class of men
| can be compelled 10 serve another class
| Under chattel slavery the master could
take from the earnings OF the slave what
| ever the surplus was beyond the amount
| necessary to keep him dive and in working
| condition. Under9 tue Industrial system
| now in operation, many would consider
| themselves fortuDafe 10 do as well.
| The single tax question wa at the bottom
| religious question: It's purpose was not
| only to proclaim, but 80 carry into effect
| the doctrine OF the fatherhood OF God and
| the brotherhood of man. Then he por-
| trayed the present system of taxation
| If a man builds house he is fined for his
enterprise In adding to the wealth OF the
| community. II he makes the wilderness 10
| blossom he is punished according 10 MS
| success. Such taxation dscourages pro-
| duction: but O tax un land encourages
al aaagaFu slgr n
| the non-pruduring landholder. When COM
| munitv takes the rental value OF land, II
| takes only what community has given, ana
does not like the taxes now levied, retard
the progress OF the individual producer
| OF of the State. In conclusion ne cohIi-
| IDENTIFY asserted that the single tax move
| ment had reached a stage where it cannot
| hn s+onned. even by city solicitors and
| nolice commissioners. 1t must go on TO
victory. because 1t is founded on Justice
| and right.
| WILMINGTON RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT
| As nearly as can be gathered the project
| tn arrest Mr.. George neither originated
| with. nor was ascountenanced by tine religious
| element of Wilmington. The pastors or
| t,yo of the leading Protestant Churches
| in the city are members OF the Single lax
Cub. The priest of Que of tue Cathonc
| Churches in his sermon Sunday urged his
| hearers TO be tolerant, as they Wouiu ue-
| sire liberation extended to them. The
most rousiug cheers at the evening meet
| ing We're given upon the announcement that
| in two weeks the address would De given
| by the Rev. DR.. McGlynn.
In pursuing this course, the Christian
| people OF Wilmington have shown them
| selves 10 be eminently sensible. consistent,
| and iudicious 1t may be conceded that
Henry George is not much of bristlan
| His teachings, so far as they 20, are scrip
| tural. But he goes no further than Moses
| did. 34OO years ago, when he gave as
| a command of God: THE land Shall not
| he sold forever; for the land is mine" He
does not, like Ezekiel. recommend the
| killing of persons who loan money at in
| terest, He does not, like Jesus insist
| that rich men shall sell all their possessions
| and give the proceeds TO the poor. He does
| not, like Paul, preach that men should bear
| one another's burdens; but only that we
| should not compel Others TO bear the
| burden of supporting themselves and us,
| too. He is not like Peter and the prim-
tive Christians, socialist.
| To the Christian people of Wilmington,
| If they read their Bibles as diligently as
| they ought, the scene of the guardians of
| the morals of their city, listening at mid
| night to their stenographer's report of Mr..
| Georges lecture, to discover whether or
| not it contained an ything that would justify
| his arrest, must WILDLY recall the occasion
when the chief priests at Jerusalem as
sembed by night to determine what excuse
| they could offer to the multitude for the
| apprehension of Jesus. And it behooves
| these good Christians to ask themselves:
If the heathens ofntheir city are so hostile