The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-02
HENRY GEORGES CRITICISM OF
THE PRESIDENT.

last time for Cleveland. Mr.. Georges
cheers heretofore have been contngently
Democratic. As long as the Democratic
party and the Democratic president
made efforts to destroy the system Of
the protective tariff Mr.. George cheered
il because he thought every such step
was also step in the direction Of his
single land tax theory. Mr.. George has
party of his own and he will use any
party as long as he thinks it will help
him and his party along towards the con-
summation of the single land tax.
Henry George processes, by the way, to
be the originator of the single land tax.
There is not n doctrine connected with
that theory that was not fully developed
by Kentuckian whose name we can not
now recall. We remember reading his
whole theory before the civil war. We
recall that he stated that if Kentucky
had no other tax to pay, it would not
amount nigh to the taxes now paid, but
that in addition to giving an ample rev.
enue to the State government and paying
Kentucky's part of the Federal tax it
would at the small figure he named do
this and more, that it would in given
number of years yield sufficient sur
plus to pay for and emanciDate every
slave in the State, and would furnish
fund that would build railroads tapping
the entire State and furnish free trans
portation after paying for the rolling
stock. He went even further, and de-
clared that it would furnish fund in
each county that would build large
public school house in each neighborhood,
affording free education and supplying
an ample public library for the Tree use
nv the people in every neighborhood in
every county in the State. He also dem
onstrated how by it poverty would be
banished from the land and universal
prosperity and happiness would reign SUI
prcmc.
We believe we have read all Mr..
Georges books and we do not believe that
we have ever discovered single new idea
in nil of them that was not fully suggest
ed by the Kentuckian to whom we al
Indie. At the time we write we have not
access to authorities to prove that Mr..
George is mere copyist, but il any one
doubts this statement it can be proven by
undisputed authorities.
This, of course, is not, nor is 1t meant
TO dcprecate Mr.. Georges theories
There are very few men who originate
even an idea, and fewer still great point
ical theory, and for all we know the Ken
lucky writer to whom we refer may nave
taken the whole theory from some one
| else.
OF course, war on any account Is IN
consistent with Mr.. Georges political
theories. and it was quite natural that
he should criticse Mr.. Cleveland ana
quite as naturally attribute motives to
the presidents message to congress that
never entered his head. We refer to the
| fact that Mr.. George is not the originator
of n great political theory merely to show
that his criticisms are not entitled TO the
weight that would be accorded a pro-
found and philosophical thinker that has
built up such beautiful but rather IAN
ciful political structure.
There is one thing, however, that might
have been expected from MIR. George Ill
his criticism of the president, and that
| is. perfect fairness. Certainly Mt
George knew better than to attribute to
| Mr.. Cleveland any desire to stir up STRIFE
or he knew the message did not warrant
such n construction. We do not believe
that Mr.. Cleveland had any other idea
than to indicate to Great Britain his, or
| the American, construction of the Monroe
doctrine, that is, that European govern
ments would not be allowed to coloniZe
any more South American territory than
they now possess by conquest Ills recon-
mcndaton for authority to appoint a
commission was to ascertain whether
Great Britain was ruthlessly acquiring
additional territory in Venezuela by force
or conquest When the commission re-
ports then there will be sufficient time
for congress to determine whether Eng
land is violating the Monroe doctrine
and any sensible man who would put any
other construction on it lays himself
under the suspicion of INDUCING useless
pcssimism colored by his prejudice
against the president of the United
States. Mr. George is generally fair
and we have great respect for him per-
sonally, but we confess, the assumptions
upon which he bases his criticisms are
SO fagrantly false that he is in danger
of losing the confidence of fair men in
his reputation for dealing fairly with
others who are not in accord with his the
cries.
| - o
Mr.. Cleveland has some excellent mate
| r;nl frn,n which To SOLICIT the NCnCZucln