Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-11-03
HENRY GEORGE.
Last Hours of Americas Greatest Social
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Last Hours Of Americas Greatest Social
| Agitator.
| Henry George literally worked him.
self to death. 1t may have been un.
necessary; but with worry, anxiety,
and effort beyond his strength, there
is no doubt that he is a martyr to the
doctrines of which he has been an ex.
ponent for years.
Some two weeks ago Mr.. George
commenced vigorous onslaught
against Croker, the ex-chief of Tam
many, and Platt, the boss of the
Republican party. He denounced
them as thieves, bribers and perjurers,
and solemnly declared that in the
event of his election, he would send
them both to Sing Sing.
Pitched on such a high key as this,
the campaign necessarily went at a
killing pace. The masses of the peo-
pie grew intensely excited, and, for
several days previous to his death,
Mr.. George made speeches at the rate
of half dozen a day. He was greet
ed by large and enthusiastic crowds
everywhere. In one of his speeches,
on the night previous to his death,
he said
"I have labored for years to make
myself known, and now at last these
things are all written down. Ibelieve
that all the needed reforms are summed
up in this philosophy: The right OF
every man to eat, to drink, to speak,
as he sees fit, so long as he does not
trench on the rights of other men,"
Later in the same speech he repeat
ed his threats against Mr.. Croker in a
ringing voice that greatly affected bis
hearers, saying:
eff am elected, and I believe that
will be elected, I will enforce the
law upon the rich and poor alike. 1
have pledged myself to search out the
charges popularly made against Mr..
Richard Croker. If I am elected these
charges shall be investigated. If they
are proved untrue, let him 60 un-
scratched back to England or to any
other land he pleases. But if they are
true" Mr.. Georges voice rang out in
menacing tones that visibly excited his
audience, "let the law be enforced, let
him 60 to the penitentiary. He shall
go there"
Shortly afterward he spoke to 1900
common laborers, a rough crowd, in a
closely-packed hall. He was intro.
duced as "the friend of the working
man." and began
II have never claimed to be friend
of the workman. I do not now make
any such claim. (There was a pause
of dead silence). I have not and do
not intend to advocate anything in
the special interest of the laboring
man. (Another dead pause. Mr..
George walked the full length of the
platform and let out his full voice in a
shout).
81 am for men. (The crowd set up
such cheering and stamping that the
room was filled with choking dust).
1 am for men-the equal rights of all
men. Let US be done with asking
privileges for.the laboring man."
From this meeting he went to still
another, and finally, got home at about
1.30 o'clock in the morning. Mrs.
George awoke at about $50 o'clock
and found her husband sitting in an
arm chair. He said to his wife that
he did not feel quite comfortable, and
she asked him to 60 back to bed but
he said he preferred to sit in the chair
for a while. Shortly afterward, Mr..
George became unconscious, and at
4.45 he died, as stated in The EN-.
oUIRER of last Saturday.
Henry George was born in Philadel-
phia, on September 2, 1889. He re.
ceived a common school education,
was a sailor for a while, and then be-
came printer. Afterward he became
newspaper reporter and then an edi-
tor, in which capacity he served sew
eral newspapers and magazines. He
became known to the world through
his books on political economy. His
most famous work probably is ''Prog.
ress and Poverty" He was the candi-
date of the Union Labor party for
mayor of New York in 1886, and re-
ceived 5000 votes against 10000 for
Abraham S. Hewitt, Democrat, and
10000 for Theodore Roosevelt, Re-
publican. His recent nomination came
from the "Jeffersonian Democracy" a
faction opposed to Tammany hall, and
| it was for this reason there was con-
siderable speculation as to the proba-
BILE chances of Van Wyck, the regular
Democratic nominee.
The Journal and Advertiser, Of Fri
day morning, contained an article on
Henry George, written by Alfred
Henry Lewis. Mr.. Lewis had seen
Mr.. George on the day previous, and
the article was being printed at the
time of Mr.. Georges death. Mr..
Lewis gave his impressions of the man
as follows:
"The Henry George 1 found was not
the Henry George I had met fewer
than two months ago. When saw
him last he was tranquil, quiet, even,
steady as to nerves, rational, sedately
contented, talking of his books and
his tax dreams. Today I met man
haggard, pinched, with a face as thin
and peaked as pen. His eye roved,