The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-30
SUDDEN DEATH OF GEORGE.
continued from FIRST Page)
nothing for the lands improvements,
for example. where the growth OF city
had made land valuable.
THE sINCLE-1AX THEORY.

II HdU mace ldIlA NHt"ot'~s
THE StNGLE-1AX THEORY.
| He urged that all taxation DO levied
upon land alone. IT was the first EXPOSE
! non Of his single tax theory. The book
attracted a great deal OF attention. and
| Mr. George received many Invitations 10
lecture. He went about telling that uD-
der our eivilizata)n the strong have seized
that which belongs TO the weak. tic was
an ardent believer IN free trade.
M George went 10 Ireland as oorrc-
snondent Of several American newspapers
in 1881. during the Land League agitation.
| Ho was arrested as n suspect and held
| prisoner for ten hours. but was not mo-
| iested after his release lie delivered
many lectures in ireland and England.
| His book and his lectures brought him
| s9ir income.
In 1881 ne wrote THE Irish Land Ques-
ton which in later editions appeared as
| '"The Land Question He also published
Social Problems" and Protection. or
/ Free Trader"
Mr.. George was in the publishing bust
/ ness in 1886 when he received the nomina-
ton for Mayor OF New York under re.
| markable circumstances. Abram S.
| Hewitt had been nominated by the Demo-
| Gratis and Theodore Roosevelt by the Re-
pubicans. NJ embers Of various labor or
| CARNATIONS were dissatisfied with both
| can didates.
They had heard Henry George talk and
they had read his book. They became en-
| thusiastic about his single-tax theory.
and wondered why he would not make
| good Mayor Cor New York. \ committee
| OF labor men called on him IN his dingy
/ little office az Union Square and Six
| tcenth street and told him he ought TO
run for Mayor.
NONSENSE he replied. II have no
money. l cam afford IL. Besides, the
people don't want me-"
The labor me argued Henry George
listened but was not convinced. lie had
wife and tire O children 10 support a
Mayoralty CAM )aign was a luxury be-
yond his means.
| NAMES TER MS TO LABOR MEN.
III do IL on one condition." he said
with the air of one who names an i'm
possible feat. II you bring me petition
signed by 10000 voters asking me TO run
for Mayor I'll do it,
Then Mr.. George turned to the pile OF
white paper before him and went on with
| his interrupted business Of grinding out
editorial copy
The labor men put forth their petit
lions Signatures began TO flow i'm I'm fair
numbers. Politicians and politicaI or
gans ieered at the cranks running around
with petl tons much as they have Jccrcd
at other petitions since.
Suddenly signers Of the petition in
creased 10 LlOudilihNs NIJuSt OF the Sill
gle tax crlnks grew in volume and be-
came very bitter. The number of sigma
lures grew with amazing rapidly.
The 20,0o0 mark was soon reached and
passed
IAN right. I'll rum" said Henry George
when the news was brought to him.
A convention of delegates from labor
organizations met at Clarendon Hall on
September Il, 1886. and formally nominated
Mr.. George. A mass-meeting OF profess
sional menL at Chicllering Hall, soon in
dorsed the nomination. There was a mass
meeting in Cooper Union on the evening
of October ., 1856. The place was so
crowded tina 4 If Mr.. George had not been
a strong ma he never could have forced
his way to the platform.
In his spec IN accepting the nomination
Mr.. George sa i'd. "a speaking Of those who
opposed his nomination as a class move
ment:
POLITICAL CORRUPTION
1T is a move nent of the masses against
robbery by the classes. and is it not time
that there should be in New York some
such movement as this? The political
condition of this: country is a reproach
among all the mOIarches of Europe. Go
on the other side and venture TO say one
word against tn cir ar1seocratic insttu-
lions, and see how quickly you will be
met with the rep roach that there is no
where such open-facpd corruption as In
this city Of New YORK.
This government Of New York City
our whole political system-is rotten TO
the core. 1t nee ds no investigation 10
discover il. An A ssemhlyman ordinarily
puts up more than he can honestly eX-
pect to get back 1 II salary The Ordi-
nary assessment Of, a candidate for Con
gress. / am told. 5 about $4,000 and he
IL. ms Of 81. To-
go as big as $4,000. Even our Judges
pay some $4,000 FOR the privilege Of run
ming.
"Chattel slavery $ dead. but there de-
wolves upon us the task Of removing in
dustrial slavery. That Is the meaning OF
our movement. This is at once a revolt
against political corruption and social
injustice
Again our platform aims at taking
Tor the use Of the people all the benefits
that result from social growth-the land
values and the improvements that ac-
crue from such inventions as the tele-
graph and tho railroad, which come by
the progress OF the human mind
our roads should be owned by the
people and operated by the people We
could take those railroads and run them
free. let everybody ride who would. and
we could pay for il out Of the increased
value of the peoples property IN conse.
quence.
GEORGES FIRST PLATFORM.
The platform upon which Henry George
ran for mayor was. after two general
paragraphs, as follows:
We further declare that the people Of
New York city should h ave full control
Of their own local AFFAIRS that the prac-
tice Of drawing grand jurors from one
class should cease. and the requirement
of a property qualification for trial jurors
should be abolished. that the procedure
OF our courts should be so sinpihed and
reformed that the rich should have no
advantage over the poor: that the Off
cious intermeddling OF the police with
peaceful assemblages should be stopped;
that the laws for The safety and sanitary
INSPECTION Of buildings should he enforc-
ed: that in public work the direct en-
ploymont OF labor should be preferred
TO the system which gives contractors op-
portunity 10 defraud the city while grind
ing their workmen. and that IN public en-
ployment equal pay should be accorded
equal work without distinction OF sex.
1--WE declare the crowding Of so many OF
our people irsto narrow tenements al enor-
nous rents, while half the area OF the
city Is yet unbuilt upon. to be scandal
Gus evil, and that TO remedy this state OF
things all taxes on buildings and improve
mcnts should be abolished. so that no fine
shall DO put upon The employment Of
labor in increasing living accommoda-
lions; and that taxes should be levied on
land irrespective or improvements so