The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-18

In 1865 when he was tWenty-six wears
old. Henry George began to write and TO
! publish what he wrote. His first ESSAY
was "On the Profitable Employment OF
/ Time and from that time on he wrote
( constantly His literary colleagues were
Mark Twain and Bret Harte, and this
/ brilliant trio published their efforts In
| the Californian, weekly paper founded
/ in 1861 under the editorship OF Charles
| Henry Webb From contributor he be
came editor. and finally. in partnership
with John Nugent, established a press
agency, I'm the interest OF which he went
, 20 New York in 1859.
Henry George, walking through the
streets OF New York. had seen the want
and misery wrought by modern civiliza-
ton, and as if TO keep him strung to
| nervous tension and ever mindful OF his
vow to charge the monster and solve the
problem. adversely kept close to his heels
Tried to Solve the Riddle.
There was no more interesting person
in the country than Henry George when
he set out to solve the riddle OF the
Sphinx Of our civilization. In appearance
he was very like his second son. Richard
George, the sculptor. AS Richard George
looks to-day so mis- father looked in ls71-
small man, very erect, with A full.
sandy beard. an alert. mobile face. keen
and kindly blue eyes, Indifferent as TO
his dress, Indifferent to everything save
the riddle Of the Sphinx. which involved
the fate of humanity, which he loved.
de was only thirty-two at this time only
few years older than are the young
men of to-day when they have finished
their academies, receive the sheepskin
for their professional course, and are
about starting out to make their own
livings
The latter part OF Henry Georges life
was, If possible. more interesting than
the earlier years. He went TO Europe, made
many friends. and gradually won sup
porters to his cause. A great surprise
to him was the ordering by Francis G.
Shaw Of 1.0O0 copies of his book, Prog
ress and Poverty" Mr. Shaw was a man
OF means and culture who lived on Stat
en- Island One OF his daughters was the
wife of George William Curtis: another
had married a kinsman of James Russell
Lowell. His son, Col. Shaw, was killed
when leading eolored troops. Mr.. Shaw
wrote that she had become hopeless on
social questions until he read Mr.
Georges book. when the light broke
upon him. 3"
His Last, Noble stand.
In 1897 Mr.. George, who had been in
more or less feeble health, decided To run
as the Independent candidate for mavor
Of New York This against the ad-
vice of his physician, who told his "a
tent that such a strenuous campaien
would most probably prove fatal for him
You mean" asked Mr. George SAT- NV
kill me?"
Most probably, yes" was the reply
But" argued Mr.. George. Il have got
to die. How can / die better than bv
serving humanity? Besides. so diving
will do more for the cause than ANYTHING
/ am likely TO be able 10 do the rest of
my life"
He did die. as we all know this good
man, in the thick of the battle. but not
before he had hit some strong and tell
ing strokes for the cause he stood for
remember a passage in one of his pub
lished speeches of that CAMPAIGN that
seemed to me TO carry a great message.
Let us have done with this cali for sne-
cial privilege for labor. Labor does not
want special privileges I have never
advocated nor asked for special rights or
special sympathy for workingmen What
stand for is the equal rights of men "
Mr.. George left a great legacy to his
children, the truth that he had tried 10
make clear. To press that truth, TO find
friends for that truth is why his son has
come 10 Congress.