The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-08-28
Social PROGRESS.

AS ] have pointed out in my in
troductory notes to the Russian ver-
sion of Social Problems. Henry
| Georges great idea, outlined so clear,
ly and so thoroughly more than thirty
years ago, remains to this day en-
tirely unknown to the great majority
of the people. This Is quite natural.
Henry Georges idea, which changes
the entire system in the life of ma
tions in favor of the oppressed, voice
less majority. and to the detriment OF
the ruling minority, Is so undeniably
convincing, and, above all, so simple
! that II Is impossible not to understand
1t, and, understood It. IL is impossible
| not to make an effort to introduce 1t
into practice, and therefore the only
| means against this idea is TO pervert
| 1t and to pass 1t in silence. And this
has been true OF the Henry George
theory for more than thirty years IT
has been both prevented and passed
in silence, so that 1t has become dim
| cult to induce people to read his work
attentively and to think about IT,
''It is true that there are in Eng
land, Canada, the United States. and
Germany very good little journals de-
| voted to the single tax idea, but they
have only an insignificant number of
subscribers Among the majority OF
the intelligent people throughout the
world the ideas of Henry George are
unknown and the indifference toward
| them is even increasing. Society
does with ideas that disturb its peace
and Henry George is one OF these
exactly what the bee does with the
worm which It considers dangerous
but which 1T is powerless to destroy.
1t covers their nests with paste so
| that the worms, even though not des-
troyed. cannot multiply and do more
harm. Just so the European nations
act with regard to ideas that are dan
! gerous to their order OF things. or
rather, to the disorder to which they
| have grown accustomed. Among these
are also the ideas of Henry George.
/ But light shines even In the dark
/ ness, and the darkness cannot cover
lit A truthful. fruitful idea cannot
be destroyed However, you may try
to smother 1t. 1t will still live. II will
be more alive than all the vague.
empty. pedantic ideas and words with
which people are trying to smother
it, and sooner or later the truth will
burn through the veil that is cover
| ing 1t and 1t will shine forth before
| the whole world Thus 1t will be also
/ with Henry Georges ideas.
| "And 1t seems to me that just now
| is the proper time to introduce this
/ idea-now. and In Russia. This is
just the proper time for it, because in
Russia a revolution is going on the
serious basis Of which is the rejec-
| ton by the whole people. by the real
people, OF the ownership OF land. In
| Russia, where niue-tenths Of the
population are tillers OF the soil. and
where this theory Is merely con-
scious expression Of that which has
4 always been regarded as right by the
entire Russian people IN Russia. I
say. especially during this period Of
reconstruction of social conditions.
| this idea should now and its applica-
ton. and thus the revolution. so
4 wrongly and crininalIy directed.
would be crowned hy great act of
righteousness. This is nv answer TO
/ vour question about the future of
1 Russia. Unless this idea II introduced
4 into the life of our people Russia's
future can never be bright