Henry George's Writings as Literary Propaganda
Marion Mills Miller
[Reprinted from the Single Tax Review, 1921]
Dr. Marion Mills Miller has for the
past decade devoted himself to the compilation of important
literary, political and economic works, in which, as a devoted
follower of Henry George, he has seized every legitimate
opportunity for presenting the Single Tax philosophy. Proof of
the high value of this propaganda is afforded by the entire lack
of adverse criticism of his position by reviewers and readers,
and by the frequent praise accorded him, particularly by
educators, for his clear presentation of the basic principles of
democracy. As editor of a comprehensive compilation of
translations entitled The Greek and Latin Classics, he
was commended by leading classic scholars for introducing for
the first time to English readers Dio Chrysostom, a Greek Single
Taxer of the first Christian era. In his Life and Works of
Abraham Lincoln he showed more clearly than any other
biographer of the "Great Emancipator" the close
parallel and interrelation existing between chattel and
industrial slavery, and so received commendation from the
reviewers for presenting Lincoln as a living influence in the
political and economic thought of the present day. In his
masterpiece, Great Debates in American History, in
preparing which he ransacked Colonial documents and the records
of Congress from Washington to Wilson, Dr. Miller emphasized the
land question as the fundamental problem of our Government, and
traced to the incompleteness of its solution the complications
arising in the treatment of all other issues. In rescuing from
the dusty files of official documents and making available for
reading and ready reference speeches of early advocates of "land
for the people," such as Senator Benton and Representatives
Andrew Johnson and Galusha A. Grow, and expositions of the
Single Tax philosophy by later statesmen, such as Tom L.
Johnson, Jerry Simpson and Henry George, Jr., Dr. Miller has
rendered a service to the cause only less valuable than that of
these spokesmen themselves.
Recently Dr. Miller spoke to the Manhattan
Single Tax Club on the subject of literary propaganda of the
doctrines of Henry George, especially by popular entertainments
of a musical, dramatic and elocutionary character. The substance
of this talk we here present by request. - Editor Single Tax
Review
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On Lincoln's Birthday I gave a talk on the emancipator of their
fellows in the United States to a negro school in Bermuda. Before the
meeting the schoolmaster, in his capacity as chairman, requested me to
divide my remarks into parts, in order that some "local talent
might have a chance to display itself." Accordingly, at a
convenient break in my discussion, I stated that the chairman had an
announcement to make. He arose and with an evident sense of the
dignity of his position said:
"We will now vary the monotony of the occasion by a
recitation entitled "The Fire Fiend," by our talented
young elocutionist, Miss ------."
I have taken the palpable hint and hit, and shall try hereafter to "vary
the monotony" of my prosy addresses with recitations or similar
appeals to the emotional and aesthetic sense of my auditors when there
is none other present to do this for me.
The Single Tax philosophy is so clear and simple, so consonant in its
parts, and so pat in all its applications, that the person who sees
its truth acquires an impression of the highest beauty, which, with
regard to its logical form, is in the broad meaning of the term
artistic. But it is not aesthetic, that is, artistic in the narrow and
more definitive meaning of the term, which limits it to the quality
that rouses pleasurable emotions in the mind by presenting to it
sensuous images possessing harmony, proportion and grace.
But if Single Tax reasoning has taught us anything, it is that it is
neither right nor wise to use terms in their broad and sublimated
senses. To do so is, as it were, to employ a figure of speech while
porporting to talk literally. Accordingly, we cannot justly call a
purely literal exposition of even the highest truth an artistic
presentation. Poetry, says Bacon in substance, is the mixing of truth
with falsity (that is, with what is at least not literally true) in
order to affect the emotions. The common saying, "there is more
truth than poetry in it," recognizes this fact. I remember using
this phrase, somewhat ungenerously, to Ernest Crosby when, just to
please me, he inserted a Single Tax poem in the proofs of his "Swords
and Plowshares" which I was revising. I told him that his
socialistic poems, in which he graphically visualized machines as
devouring monsters, were far more artistic and therefore impressive to
the non-Single Taxer, and so I begged him not to invite the
unfavorable comparison -- to which request he kindly acceded.
Here is an illustration of my point. Thomas Hood appealed to "men
with mothers and wives" to remember:
"It is not linen you*re wearing out. But human
creatures' lives."
This is just the kind of homely figure which touches the human heart,
the central organ of poetic sensibility, but it outrages the
intellectual sense, since the logical conclusion of the adjuration is
the absurd advice, "stop wearing shirts altogether."
But when the element of falsity is purely formal, when there is real
truth behind the figure of speech employed for the sake of inciting
the imagination, that spur of the emotions which in turn impel to
action, poetry can appeal both to the heart and the head. Henry George
was an accomplished craftsman in the effective use of poetic prose,
employing the imagination of his readers in the proper place. After he
had carried them with him by pure reason to a realization of a truth,
he changed from philosopher to prophet and, giving loose rein to the
prescient poetry of his soul, evoked the same element in their
breasts, illuminating instead of beclouding the truth, as would have
been the case had he indulged in rhapsodizing before stating his theme
or while developing his argument.
It is the poetic or artistic element in Progress and Poverty
which has made it the most popular treatise ever written on what
previously had been known as the "dismal science."
I am not leading up to a plea for writers of Single Tax treatises to
follow George's example. His great book truly deserves the title of
the Bible of the movement, in that it is all-sufficient for
enlightenment of the ignorant and comfort and inspiration of those who
have seen the truth. Poems of high quality it has called forth, and of
supreme degree it shall some day inspire, and it has been and shall
continue to be, the source of ideas artistically presented in story
and parable. If there is a lack in the expository literature of the
Single Tax, it is in the case of text-books. No primer or manual of
economics of the Georgian school has yet been written which is
properly adapted to instruction in the class-room, or even for
self-instruction. Henry George apparently began his Science of
Political Economy as a practical treatise, but it ended as the
most heterogenous in character of all his works, a mixture of
scientific treatise, philosophical dissertation, and general critique
of his subject. He never could have written a text-book. He was a
teacher with a philosophic mind and journalistic training, not one
with pedagogic bent and experience. I think a chief reason for the
fact that is brought forward against the Georgian economy as
indicating its un- scientific nature, namely, that it is not taught in
our schools and colleges, is that no Single Tax writer has yet
appeared who is a real teacher in the pedagogic sense of the term --
such a man, for instance, as was Professor William Graham Sumner of
Yale. It is true that the text-books on political economy in use in
our colleges and universities are for the most part written by third
rate teachers with seventh rate intellects, but there is no Georgian
text-book with any rating at all. Perhaps from the ranks of the bright
boys and girls in the schools of New York State who have been
converted to the Single Tax through writing essays on the subject for
prizes offered by the Single Tax League of New York State, will arise
a writer of first class both as a teacher and a thinker, who will
prepare a text-book on economics that will consign the present ones to
the second-hand stalls.
There is an education which is more effective in diffusing general
knowledge, though not specific, than that of the schools. It is the
instruction in entertaining form of the people, exemplified in recent
years by the "university extension" movement, Chautauqua
circles, popular lectures combined with illustrations, and, above all,
moving picture shows designed to impart useful information.
One of the early forms of popular education remains potent for great
good, though it has been little developed to this end. It is the
school entertainment, designed generally to celebrate public holidays,
and therefore of a patriotic character. The brand, however, is
invariably that of "flag patriotism," a natural impulse
among the young, and therefore a basis for building upon it a higher
order of social consciousness, but confining and dwarfing to the mind
and heart when regarded as the "be all and end all" of the
relation of the individual to society.
In order to utilize, as a means of Single Tax propaganda, this
long-established, widely prevalent, yet sadly neglected
instrumentality for popular education I have prepared an entertainment
called "Columbia's School," which is a course in progressive
patriotism, rising from childish interest in mere symbols of loyalty,
to mature devotion to the principles of social justice and the
institutions through which it may be realized. The programme of the
entertainment is elastic, consisting of songs, recitations, drills and
marches, etc., any one of which may be omitted without impairing the
continuity of the thought of the whole entertainment. There is a part
for every class from kindergarten to high school, and for individual
members in each class. The successive divisions of the entertainment
are (1) Symbols of social union, protection and culture, e.g., the
flag, the sword, the school bell, etc.; (2) Jeffersonian democracy,
e.g., the Declaration of Independence; (3) Fraternity, e.g.,
reconciliations of the North and the South; (4) Equality of Rights,
e.g.. Woman Suffrage; (5) Social Morality, e.g., Temperance; (6)
Economic Justice, e.g., the Single Tax; (7) Cosmopolitanism, e.g.,
Freedom of Trade and of Immigration. I present herewith, on following
pages, division 6 as of special interest to the reader:
Now, because of its advocacy of radical ideas this entertainment has
little chance at present of acceptance by the public schools.
Accordingly, if it be produced now, this must be by private schools or
young peoples' societies in radical communities, such as Fairhope,
Arden or Free Acres, or in neighborhoods where the people are
progressive in their ideas.
I shall be pleased to correspond with those interested in producing
this or a similar entertainment.
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