New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-23
HENRY GEORGE ON INTIMIDATION.

Among the celebrities and freaks contributing
TO our enterprising contemporary, THE Morn
ing Journal" which enjoys the emnence OF be-
ing the only morning newspaper In town sup
porting the Chicago Democratic ticket. Is Mr..
Henry George, who sometimes writes queer es-
SAYS exploiting a queer system Of political econ
omy: sometimes sits as vce-president on plat
form at political meetings where he seems ont
of place. sometimes runs for Mayor, and is con-
sistently and constantly on tap for any publica-
ton that will print his copy. His letters are
dated ut Chicago and various other towns in the
West so far remote that their inaccuracies es-
cape attention. and their misstatemcnts are not
deemed worth correction.
1t Is prevailing idea with Mr.. George-what
might be described as the overriding and absorb
ing force IN what may courteousy be called his
intellectual processes-that there Is an irrepres-
slble conflict between capital and labor, which
will never be ended until all Governments are
supported and malntained by single tax upon
land 1t is a very beautiful. and, as he states
It. a very plausible theory but unfortunately
for him and for the theory. nobody, or hardly
anybody besides himself, seems to take any
stock in It, In the letters which he is con-
trbutlng to the Bryan organ in this city he en-
quite superior and partly incomprehensble
philosophy to the humdrum, everyday plane of
existence Of common folks and tell what he
sees, thinks he sees, among workingmen and
in common life He seems to he thoroughly
convinced from what he has seen and heard
among the laboring men in various occupations,
on railroads and in shops and manufactures,
that, although large majority of the workers
y;,,lo 1ipfr
to be in favor of the Republican candidates, they
are at heart in favor of Bryan and the Chicago
platform He does not hesitate to say that, in
his judgment, founded upon facts which have
come under his observation, the vast majority
of workingmen playing a game Of deceit
for selfish purposes; that they say they are Nc
Kinley men simply because their employers are
on that side; if they said otherwise they would
lose their places
He cites instances, in fact, where workngmen
wearing Mckinley buttons said TO him. In con
fidence that they did so only under intimida-
ton, but that when Election Day comes, under
the security of n secret ballot, they should vote
for Bryan and free sver-fOr the rights Of labor
against the oppression and tyranny OF capital.
SO he brings comfort TO the Bryan organ and
the Bryan POpocracy which it represents. And
the singular thing about it is that he and the
Bryan organ, in which his views elaborated
with special prominence. seem TO be fully pos
sessed with the idea that the great mass Of work
ingmcn can be drawn to the support of the Bryan
and free-silver ticket If only they are convinced
that a considerable portion Of their number who
are really in favor of Bryan are pretending to
oppose him simply because they have been in
undated by their employers. The game OF
course is to play upon the credullty of the work
ingmen. whom they are continually flatterlng by
telling them that they know as much or more
about the whole financial question than the
capitalists who employ them, with an appeal TO
their own notions OF freedom and independence.
To any workngman who upon his own judg-
ment and his own knowledge Of the merits Of
the great questions at issue proposes to vote for
Mckinley, or the same ticket which his employer
supports. Mr. George and his sort of demagogues
say: You not your own man. You do not
dare vote in opposition to your employer. You
"are intmdated.'
In other words, in plain English, Mr.. George
and his cO-wOrkers are endeavoring to impose
upon the Intelligence of American workingmen
by telling them that they have not the courage
or independence TO vote according TO their own
convictions. against the wish or will Of their
employers That means, or course. that the
worklngmen are both hypocrites and towards.
What worse intimidation can there be than that!
Mr.. George proposes 10 brighten the wOrkingmen
out OF voting according to their own convictions
by telling them that in so doing they are ntiml-
dated by their employers who are supporting the
same ticket. Ii Is not On'y very small game.
but a game that the average worklngman can
easily through. Mr. George and the Bryan
organ which his communications so conspicu-
ously adorn are working the wrong racket. The
laboring men Of this country not inundated.
either by their employers or by the demagogues
who Say they