A Remembrance of Henry George, Jr.

Joseph Dana Miller

[Reprinted from the Single Tax Review, November-December 1916]

Henry George, Jr. died at his home in Washington at the age of fifty-four. For two years he had been an invalid following a nervous breakdown, soon after his reelection to Congress in 1912.

The main facts in his life are known to every reader of the REVIEW. Born in Sacramento, California, young George left school at seventeen to become his father's secretary. He was at his side for many years aiding his father in his literary and lecture work almost to the last. It was an education such as few indeed are permitted to enjoy. And young George profited by it. He became a reporter, foreign correspondent, lecturer, writer of books. As a reporter his style left nothing to be desired; as a writer of books his English, though lacking the distinction that would justify any claim as a stylist, was a respectable vehicle of clear, accurate and searching thought. In one book he has made good the claim to greater eminence. In this work his style is transformed to a new dignity and a quality innately noble. We refer to "The Menace of Privilege," in which, in passages, the spirit of his father lives again. It is the work which no doubt he would have preferred to be remembered by, and it is the great achievement of his literary life. His adventure into the novel-writing field with "John Bainbridge" was unfortunate.

Henry George, Jr. had great qualities and fine aspirations. But the fire of these was too great for the feeble tabernacle of the body. He died burnt out.

His brief public career during two terms in Congress was a useful one. His report on taxation in the district of Columbia on which he worked so indefatigably that his health was never the same, was an important piece of work. His few speeches in the House of Representatives were entirely adequate expressions of those great fundamental principles of democracy in which he believed.

The son of the prophet will not be forgotten when the muster roll of the faithful is called. He made good use of his talents. He was not able to inspire the friendships of his father and his brother Richard. That rare quality was refused him. But he was a likable personality, with something that recalled both father and brother. He will be remembered as the not unworthy son of a great sire.

On Nov. 16th with simple service his body was consigned to the family plot in Greenwood in the presence of a large number of his old friends and followers.