The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-01


provements In labor saving machinery Of
ten produces In an hour as much of the
comforts OF life AZ his grandfather did In
a week, that he is still doomed to almost
as many weary hours OF daily toll as ever,
and Is still subject 10 want and the fear OF
want? Why is II that In our great cities,
In tho very shadows OF stately churches
ana within the sound OF praises TO Him VINO
taught tho brotherhood Of man. the hordes
OF poverty, In constantly increasing num-
bers, hungry, ragged and often fierce ana
brutal stalk forth today, threatening to
destroy our institutions as they destroyed
those Of once Jiberty-loving RomeY why
| rs 1t in this free country, In the midst OF
hundreds OF millions Of acres OF unused or
| partially used lands, boundless coal beus
| and mineral deposits and virgin forests, all
as yet untouched by the hand OF man, ana
affording unlimited opportunities for hu7
man toll. that millions OF willing workers
should want for work, and beg for work,
| regarding II as favor To be permitted to
! work and fearing the loss OF chance to
| work as a calamity, often hardly less ter
| rifying than death Itself? Why do car
pcnters want employment when aalf the
people are improperly housed? Why are
shoemakcrs out OF work when half the
| people need more shoesY Why does the
| spinner and weaver beg for work when half
| the'people need more clothes? Workers In
| all hines OF employment out OF work, Leg
| ging for work In the midst OF inexhaussible
| untouched natural resources, with countless
| thousands around them insuffciently sup
Piled with the very things which these
Idle workers are willing and anxious to
| produce!. Why Ia II that wages tend to fall
irresistibly to tho point at which the wage
Garner can barely subslst, and that though
he may bring into existence duadruple the
| wealth produced by his father, ne himself
In permitted TO enjoy but little, II any
| more OF IL. than before the machine multi
piled the product OF the handr
Henry George. revolving these questions
| In his mind. could not believe that the
great trlumpbs OF civilization, with all
their apparent possibilities for the ameli-
Grafton and elevation OF mankind, must
necessarily result In raising the few to a
lordly pinnacle of grandeur, and In re-
ducpg tho many TO the lowest depths OF
| despair; yet he saw that under existing
| conditions such seemed to be the tendency
| In q more and more marked degree ss the
| years rolled by. He felt that there must be
n deep-scnted cause for these phenomena.
| and that when found a remedy could he
discovered to the discovery OF this cause
and the remedy he devoted all the energies
OF wonderfully gifted intellect, warmed
and stimulated by a heart Overlooking with
love for all mankind. He saw the ulcers
growing with frightfnl rapidlty on the body
polite, but he wanted ms a remedy blood
purifier, not n salve-not a. mere palliative.
Ho realized the utter hopelessness as well
us absurdIty ct the task OF trying to per-
s,tade the ever Increasing army Of voters
brutalzed by environments to support hon
est men for office; of trying to make the
millions condemned to hopeless toll at
wages, frugal and vIrtuous He knew the
utility OF any effort of worklngmen TO
combine for protection against tho COM
blnatlons OF monopoly, and trade unionlsm
received little announcement from him,
while he unsparngly condemned its mo-
nopolistlc features and Its impedlments TO
freedom OF choice Socialism, with It's Gem
pAonded and tyrannical system OF govern
mental interferences, crushing out as II
does individuality and incentive to ln1iyld-
ual effort, offered no solution acceptable to
his vigorous intellect, or palatable to his
liberty-loving nature.
He. OF all things. was an individuallst
ana hater of patelnaism in its many
specious forms, including the so-called pro-
tecton OF American workngmen against
foreign pauper labor. tho humbuggery OF
which he exposed with Irresistible logic.
knowing TINT money is but a medium OF
exchange, mere labor saying device and
that an absolutely perfect system Of finance
would In the end no more benefit the wage.
Garner than any other Improvement in
labor saving machinery, he attached CON-
raratively little Importance TO financial re-
FORM. or to such proposals as free coinage
OF silver His is NJ complicated system
OF reform. Its application would reduce
rather than increase the number " public
officials. while its very simplicity is the
stumbling block In the way OF many minds
who can not cast off preconceiyed notions
ana preJudices and reason from cause to
entet. II Is founded on exact Justice TO
all to rich and poor alike It's Keynote Is
freedom, IL gives to the individual all the
fruits OF his labor and the superior reward
which should naturally follow from SUPERIOR
intelligence and Industry He teaches aid
emphasizes the sacredness of property
rights ANA his system lnsures TO property,
In the true sense Of that word protection
and security such as its possessors car NOT
nope long TO enjoy II present tendencies
remain unchecked. He makes no war Upon
capital, out teaches that IT Is the handmaid
OF labor and labor's greatest friend: that
labor and capital. In the true sense OF that
word, are both affected by the same evils.
ana That tho cause which compels tho en-
pioyer to reduce wages IL beyond his con-
troll and that he Is no more responsible for
II than the employe himself He does not
ask the making OF any more laws, but
simply the repeal OF obnoxious laws taxing
the products OF human industry. and his
system can be and will be gradually cut
into ehect through the application of the
single tax, without the slightest shock to
or change In the industrial system,
Many years ago. In looking over ere OF
tho book stores in town, came across a
copy OF Progress and Poverty | had
never before heard OF the work or its au-
NOR | was impressed with the beauty OF
It's style and interested In its subj set,
lcok the book home with me and when |
hau read II, | had become a convert 10
the faith, which 1t has since been my pride
and privilege TO proclaim On all occasions.
To me- as to thousands of others. mat book
came like revelation from heaven. Yes
Henry George has solved the probl an which
must be solved, and solved it quickly. II
civilization Is to endure. He las not only
solved the problem, but by the Irresistible
power OF his genius and character he has
impressed The truth OF its solution he with
iire unon the hearts and consoianoes az
tens 81 thousands of devoted adherents. and
to his call even though Il be from the
grave. tens OF millions will soon respond
IN every town and hamlet where tho Eng
iish language is spoken from scotland 70
Ausphiia, are TO be found devoted and UNI
tring workers in his cause, and more ,,o
coming, They are coming now. Ike Tho
nrst pattcring drops OF the storm, hnt go,