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relation to my friend, Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace :"There is no reason to suppose that Mr. George secured this Irish backing (nearly 700,000 votes) by any personal huckstering with the friends of Mr. Blaine, though I observe that he was openly charged with this by the English Socialist, Dr. Alfred Wallace, at a public meeting in New York a few days before the election." Now, all persons who know themselves essentially, and as their lives evince if they are not traitors to their conscience and religion, must see that they are Socialists, but that word is now especially applied to those who advocate State Socialism generally, which most assuredly Dr. Wallace does not. His prominent advocacy of the full use and rental of the land being restored to the nation not only does not favour State Socialism, but it is the essential reform to disarm the Socialistic agitation and disposition to violence as the only efficient and permanent relief to the increasing destitution by incomparably promoting prosperous employment of the masses and the natural diffusion of wealth. Let me finally quote a passage from a letter I have just received from Dr. Wallace in reference to Mr. Henry George and the speech referred to:"I forge whether I told you in my letter from New York that I had met George, and attended one of his election meetings, and spoke in his favour." may add that nothing is better known by those who are acquainted with Mr. George than that he is as much opposed to State Socialism as Dr. Wallace and your obedient servant,

I

Upper Norwood.

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A C. SWINTON.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

1. WHAT is the amount of rent collected by the landlords of the United Kingdom?

went to the State that excess need not be drawn from us?

No rent would be taken from any man except for the privilege of occupying land, and for this he ought to pay what it is worth, the privilege and charge would be £40,000,000 par annum in excess of expenditure, or more than sufficient to give £10 per annum to every person over 60 years of age, which would secure to aged working men some compensation for the injustice to which they have been subjected.

Q. Under whose reign did the system of paying rents to private landowners commence, and when did taxes first commence to support the State instead of land rents doing it?

A. The question is too complicated to be fully answered in a single article, but to treat it popularly we must remember that in early times there was but little coin in the realm, and trade was carried on principally by barter. In granting land the Crown usually stipulated for a service or reddit, ie., rent for State purposes. The granter, or tenant in chief, was required to provide a certain number of knights, fully equipped, with their men-at-arms and other attendants, to make up an army, and some pecuniary tribute as well, or its equivalent in kind. The grantee, in turn, let his surplus land to sub-tenants, who paid in "days-work," or contributions of ploughs, waggons, horses, oxen, rakes, &c., in harvest time, and a few pence in coin, or something in kind. The grantee or lord kept the mill and levied toll or cash from all his sub-tenants, who were compelled to grind their corn at his mill under penalty. It was good policy to secure the lord's harvest first, because his tenure being dependent on the efficiency of his knights, it might be forfeited if they deteriorated, and he would naturally provide necessaries from his store if their harvests were spoiled.

In the reign of Henry II., as coin increased and advantageously commuted for money payments. commerce spread, personal reddit or rents were Knight services were thus converted into taxes, scutages, from the Latin scutum, a shield. Over and above the fixed reddit the king expected "aids" in money from his tenants under innumerable pretexts, and they retaliated on their subtenants until the exactions were resisted and restricted by law. Then Parliament granted Wat Tyler), "subsidies," "poll-taxes" (made memorable by 66 tenths," "fifteenths," "benevolencies,"" tonnage and poundage," &c.

For agricultural land the rent paid is £65,000,000 per annum; for mining royalties, £10,000,000. The annual value of building land in the metro-called polis is estimated at £16,000,000, and if it amounts to one-half as much per head for the remainder of the population the annual value of building land in the United Kingdom is £64,000,000. Building land increases in value at the rate of £60 for every unit added to the population. And from this source landlords benefit to the extent of £18,000,000 per annum, which comes to them in the shape of fines for renewal of leases and sale of land for building upon which no income tax is paid. The total income of owners from land cannot be less than £150,000,000 per annum.

Q. What is the amount of taxes the Government requires from the people for State purposes? -A. In round numbers, the cost of the Imperial Government may be taken at £70,000,000, and of local government at £40,000,000 per annum.

If the whole value of land were not taken by the State the difference, which belongs to all, would be given only to occupiers of land. Is it not a fact that whatever the rent may be in excess over the taxation under the present system, if the rents

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No grantee could get rid of his land without paying for a licence to do so, otherwise he might put a very indifferent State servant in his room. Marriages" (of wards, male or female) were saleable, "wards and liveries," "forfeitures," "felons' goods," were fruitful sources of revenue until Charles II. abolished nearly all, and imposed a tax on "the poor man's beer" to make up for the loss.

King William III., perceiving the injustice of exemption and being straitened for means, re-imposed a land tax of four shillings in the pound. If this were honestly paid now it would ease the burthen on the British tax-payer.

A WORKMAN'S

CHAPTER I.

It seemed an insult to the great powers of silence as the Glasgow steamboat came puthing up the Highland loch. On each side rose great hills with almost sheer ascent from the deep, calm water. Only at rare intervals did a bird utter its piercing call. Even the tourists, a garrulcus and restless folk, were hushed into quietude. Perhaps it was only a physical impression caused by the greatness and the silence, perhaps it was one of those deeper thoughts that at umes speak to the very commoncst hearts and tell them that man with his self-glory, his self-worship, ard self-carefulness, is but a little and a futile thing when he stands in the presence of Nature. What matters it about what us men think in these quiet and solemn moments; we may go and be forgotten, and the same hills, streams, and lakes will give to another race the same haughty tolerance they afford to us. If these silent ones, these inscrutable high bills, have in them the power to feel and think, they may muse of the yesterday when we were not, and of the to-morrow when we shall disappear and be forgotten. And if among these tourists be some who know and understand the strange relationships of men, they Reditate half with sorrow and half with laughter that in these solitary deserts there should be the oppressed and the oppressor, when both play so short and so mean a part amid the great powers of Nature that are all about them.

As the boat advances the character of the country changes. The hills recede and appear more broken. From amidst a comfortable wood gleams the white walls of a noble country seat. Further on is a straggling savage village. A boat is pushed from the shore and is rowed by two lean and hungry natives to where the steamboat now rests motionless upon the waters. The natives come on board. They are ill. clad for that wild, north climate, and you wonder how long their poor garments have lasted. You may be certain that, no matter how old they may be, they have still long work to do. Those who wear them could no more purchase new garments than they could afford to spend a threepenny bit on their dinner. They have a gaunt and dejected look, these two savages of North Britain. Last week the food of their families was a few potatoes and turnips; this week their food is stone. The autumn rains, too, have been heavy, and the small harvest of their tiny fields looks black and sodden. They have worked from dark to dark all the summer days, but still the tum they have laid by for their rent is not enough. These savages have some peculiarities that mark them out from other savages. The first of these is their abiding misery. Ordinary savages have their times of wild, full joy; their feasts, their dances, their ceremonies, their holidays, their freedom-the Highlard savages are without such relaxations. They are very law living and law abiding, too; even the landlords own to that. The fathers of these haggard boatmen were brave soldiers, they themselves would, without a murmur, die for their country. The prayer and the psalm go up at night from their miserable cottages; on the Sabbath morn they take the road and trudge for many a weary mile to hear the Gospel, and on that holy day they would not cast a line or net into the water although they had fasted all the week. No people ever served God as these have done, and no people at any time has God in His inscrutable judgments so oppressed and so afflicted.

SECRET.

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"I widna go so far as that, but I doubt na' he'll be the better o' seein you, for sore he has wearied for your comin." And then at a call from the impatient captain the ferryman went about his business.

The young man had not much luggage to collect, and he was scon seated in the ferry-boat. To him it was a bitter home-coming. A few years before he and his only sister had gone forth from the dwelling of their grandfather, the one man living who was of kin to them, and who had spent on them the whole little savings of his life. They had been fairly prosperous, although very young as yet, and it was their highest pride to keep in comfort, and in such luxury as be would use, the old man on that lonely loch. Suddenly a blow fell upon them that killed the grandfather and left the children, for a while, brokenhearted. A new man, a Mr. Norman Firebrace, had bought the estate, and being filled with a mania for improvements," one of his first acts was to eject the old man from the little farm that the Mackinnans had tilled from times long lost in the mists of tradition. It was an atrocious act, it was murder, for the noble old patriarch of the strath was dying. So old a man can hardly be uprooted from his native soil and live. A jury of men would have said that he died of old age; a jury of angels that he had been fairly murdered by Norman Firebrace. A few days before Robert Mackinnan's sister had hastened to the old man, and now he, too, has come.

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As he sits in the boat, full of his own bitter thoughts, he does not notice that two very lovely girls, evidently lady and servant, had entered it also. Probably the fine carriage and the beautiful grey horses at the rude landing-place are for them. The girls, who are somewhat haughty of eye and bearing, survey the young man with a calm and discriminating scrutiny. His clothes are very rough, and his hands are rougher, but his face, with its suppressed feeling and bitter thoughts, looks very noble. "Genusworkman; species-intelligent; sub-species-stump orator, I shouldn't wonder," thinks the young lady, who has quite an elegant gift of satire, and who has been taught to believe that low people who think and say they have wrongs are more despicable than burglars.

"Yes, Miss Firebrace," says the maid in reply to some whispered remark of her mistress, and as he hears the name the young workman, for Mackinnan possessed the proud privilege of gaining his daily bread by the toil of his hands, started and looked suddenly and intently at the lady. She, on her part, met his gaze with a cool and contemptuous glance. For this was a very self-possessed young lady and feared no look of man or woman. The workman was not so well trained, for his eye fell and his check reddened. But the red soon passes and his face grows more bold and pale than ever. The name of Firebrace has awakened the very devil in his heart.

The boat grounds, the two girls are helped ashore, and step daintily to their carriage, and the young workman hastens through the miserable village. He seems to be well known there, for although he never pauses to give or take a greeting, all who see him turn to look after him, and their saddened faces become more sad. For about half-a-mile he continues his rapid pace, and then he pauses, after which he proceeds very, very slowly. At last he stops, just in sight of a small whitewashed house. In the ordinary affairs of life he is not a very emotional young man in fact, is rather stolid, and has been pronounced heartless. But here and now emotions seem to master him, aye, and the big tear 1olls down his cheek. All he loved on earth were within that cottage, and death, too, had come unbidden and unwelcome. At last he advanced through a little vegetable garden, with a plot or two of flowers in it. He did not need to knock, for at the sound of his footfall a young woman opened the door, and although her eyes were very red, she tried to smile as she held out to him her hand. She does not kiss him, and to an Englishman her greeting of this much-loved brother might have seemed very cold and strained. But the Scots are not a demonstrative people, although their emotions lie deep, very deep and hidden.

The brother and sister went in together to a large kitchen, with a great fire burning in it. A few prints hung on the brown walls-Christian at the Wicket Gate, portraits of John Bunyan and Mr. Richard Cobden, The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers-not very artistic, perhaps, but meaning very much to those who looked upon them; a hanging bookshelf, too, with books that were all about the Covenant and the Martyrs, with Blind Harry and Burns and John Milton. In a large, deep armchair, tinted like a gipsy cart, sat the man who was dying. How shall describe him and the type of him? Years ago the type was common to all Scotland, and it is not very uncommon now. The great, broad forehead, with its thin hair, pure and white as a lamb's fleece; on the features a holy and a lofty calm; a young man, a tall, thin, unhandsome probationer of the Church of Scotland, all of whose beauty had been take from his face and put into his heart; was reading in harsh, but reverent tones to the old man, who listened with a far-off look as if he saw more than scribe can write or tongue can speak. When the brother and sister entered the young man ceased, and with a kindly delicacy took leave of all, and went away with a sore and heavy heart.

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"Ah, Robin," said the old man, in a tone that was faint, but very clear, ye're welcome lad, ye're welcome. Katie, lass, hav' ye no bite or sup for your brother? The puir lad maun be hungry after his sail." Perhaps the old man did not quite approve of the deep emotion that his grandson could not conceal. No one can know but a Scotchman the reticence and love of reticence that are in the Scottish character. So the meal was set down, and the young man ate it while the old man looked on with a pleased and placid smile. When he had finished, the brother and sister sat down beside their grandfather. The old man looked very fondly at them, and then spoke with a simple and unprovincial language, which many use under the influence of strong emotion, although at other times their speech may have strong traces of the soil. "My children," he said, "it has pleased God to try me very hard all my life, and, perhaps, it is to try my faith that He sends me this last and most bitter irial of all-that men should threaten to drive me forth from the place where I was born, and my father before me, and within sight of where all my sons lie buried But I have forgiven the man who

did me this great wrong, and you, my grandson, whom I have trained and loved as my own son, must promise that you will forgive him also." The young man blushed deeply as the calm, clear eye of his grandfather fell upon him. "My son," continued the old man, I read what is in your heart. Vengeance will fall upon Norman Firebrace, and God knows I have no pleasure in the thought; but it must come from another hand than yours. Do you promise me that?" "I promise, father."

"Then I die content and happy. I see-for a dying man sees far and clear--that not always will the oppressor oppress this unhappy country. Some day there will come deliverance. And as for you, my children, I see that you will both be happy, although ye think not so awhile, and iny blessing will not desert you. Now I will sleep a little."

That night the old man died. Another spirit had gone to plead before the tribunal of Eternal Justice, and some angel sighed as he wrote in his book the beginning of the doom of Norman Firebrace. (To be Continued)

-:0:RECEIVED.

GREAT BRITAIN.

Kent and Sussex Times, Oban Times, Northern Ensign, To-Day, Christian Socialist, Highland News, The Radical, Weekly Bulletin, Scottish Highlander, Richmond Herald, Christian Commonwealth, Berkhampsted Times.

AMERICA.

Daily Star (San Francisco), Day Star (New York), Weekly Star (San Francisco), Carpenter (Cleveland, Ohio), Industrial News (Toledo, Ohio), Canadian Labour Reformer (Toronto), Irish World (New York, U.S.A.), Workmen's Advocate (New Haven, Conn.), John Swinton's Paper (New York), Spread the Light (New York), Workman (Grand Rapids, Michiga.), Daily Courier (Evansville, Ind.), Credit Foncier of Sinaloa (Hammonton, N.J.), The Earth (New York).

The Day (New York.)

AUSTRALIA.

Kapunda Herald (Kapunda, So. Aus.), Our Commonwealth (Adelaide, So. Aus.).

PAMPHLETS AND BOOKS RECEIVED. DESPOTISM, by B. Judkins. BENSON, 180, Napierstreet, Fitzroy, Melbourne. LANDON DEECROF, by Laon Ramsey. W. REEVES, 185, Fleet-street, E.C. THE BISHOPS AND THEIR RELIGION, by Rev. Mercer Davies. SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPY., 160, Fleet-street, E.C. LABOUR CAPITALISATION, by Wordsworth Donisthorpe. G. HARMSWORTH and Co., Covent-garden, London. THE PROPHET OF NAZARETH, by Rev. A. Hood. SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & Co., Paternoster-square, E.C.

THE SECRET OF THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION.— By John Thompson.

ROSEWELLYN CHINA CLAY LEASE CORRESPONDENCE.-Heard & Sons, Truro.

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THE Common practice among the Parisian marchands de vin nowadays is entirely to replace the juice of the grape by chemical preparations, which enable them to set the phylloxera at defiance, and to wink at each other when they hear of the destruction of the vines.-City Article.

THE DEMOCRAT.

THEY HAVE RIGHTS WHO DARE MAINTAIN THEM."

VOL. IV.-No. 98.

Progress.

JANUARY, 1887.

During 1886 the progress of Democratic thought and action has been greater than in any other year of the century. The nation has practically adopted Home Rule and emphatically rejected those "concessions to powerful interests" which were offered as bribes to the privileged classes. The chief cause for congratulation is to be found in the fact that the people have discovered the true secret of resistance to oppression, and are beginning to see that submission to injustice is itself a wrong. They recognise the fact that they owe duties to themselves and to their children, which can only be fulfilled when they decline to hand over their sole means of subsistence to meet the unjust demands of heartless landlords, and to give their labour for inadequate payment to exacting employers. The Crofter Agitation, the Tithe War, the Plan of Campaign are evidence of a wide-spread determination to offer a passive, but a truly effective resistance to oppression. Let every honest man take courage.

Lost Leaders.

IN THE DEMOCRAT for December we said "The Tory Party is expecting disruption because the Leader of the House of Commons propounds schemes inconsistent with Tory ideas." The disruption is now a fact, and "When rogues fall out honest men may get their due."

England's battles have ever been "soldiers' battles"; the firmness and devotion of badlypaid soldiers has made up for the errors and shortcomings of highly-paid officers. So it is

PRICE TWOPENCE.

in political conflicts, and the truth is especially apparent just now, when all our leaders have blundered and are at the end of their wits.

The question of the day is the same as it ever has been, and it is this, are "powerful interests" to be "conciliated" by fraudulent privileges, or are the people to have justice? The answer will depend upon whether the people so act as to become a "powerful" interest, "for might, not right, directs the fire." Jupiter helps those who help themselves.

Coal and Wine Duties.

When these duties are spoken of it should. be remembered that they are virtually coal duties only. Our governors took care that the wine duties should be only nominal. Coal pays £450,000 a year, and wine £8,000. We still hear the same wretched twaddle that has always been used respecting taxation which bears mainly on the poor, viz., that it is so trifling that it is hardly felt. Men who get showers of sovereigns from the labour of other people cannot realise the fact that for every penny which a poor man gets he has to labour. Of all the robbery to which the poor are subjected the most barefaced is that which taxes the poor man's coals in order to increase the value of the rich man's ground rents. The owners of ground rents who benefit by improvements can pay for their improvements and still increase in riches, while the poor suffer actual privation for every penny taken from their hard earnings. Let electors test all candidates by the arguments they use respect: ing coal duties and ground rents,

The Crofters' Meeting. We do not envy the feelings of those halfhearted politicians who were horrified because the real friends of the crofters require prompt action. The meeting at Exeter Hall showed that there was genuine sympathy with the illused crofters, and a determination to obtain justice. The crofters themselves are willing to make those sacrifices which are always necessary for the triumph of every just cause. But socalled leaders hang on to their skirts, and while getting votes in their name, are acting on behalf of their oppressors, and endeavour to suppress every action which would tend to deliverance. So long as men will pay unjust rents, so long will unjust rents be demanded. and to advise waiting until our landlord Legislature passes laws to relieve tenants is virtually to abandon the crofters to fate. The hearty manner in which the meeting responded when the "Plan of Campaign" was mentioned, shows the feelings of those who know where the shoe pinches. When such careful men as Professor Stuart, M.P., and Mr. Picton, M.P., speak for the "Plan of Campaign," and when Mr. Labouchere supports it, timid creatures should stand aside and make room for their betters.

Hospitals and Rent.

Owing to the fall in the prices of agricultural produce the income derived from the agricul tural land held by Guy's Hospital has considerably fallen off, and the hospital is thus hampered in its useful work. Mr. Arthur Arnold suggests a remedy. He advises the Governors to sell the land in small plots, and thus obtain "a larger and more settled income." Mr. Arnold doubtless would give all the landlords in the country similar advice, and a large proportion would probably be only too glad to thrust their bad bargains on other people if they could. The owners of land in towns, which have been made enormously valuable by the labour of others, are now anxious to sell; with those holding agricultural land the reverse is the case. Mr. Arthur Arnold never loses an opportunity of pushing his so-called "Free

Land" views. If he were to advocate the taxa

tion of all lands, and especially town land, he would be far better employed. A small tax on London ground rents would produce an income which would enable the Municipality to make such grants to all the hospitals as would suffice to maintain them at their full strength.

Reform of the House of Lords. As a suggestion to those who support the "mend 'em" side of this fast-ripening question, the following extract from Monsieur Meignan's book, "From Paris to Pekin," may be of interest, as illustrating the method of the "celestials" with respect to their nobility:"When a Chinese has merited by his services a title of nobility, his son in due course inherits merely the title immediately inferior, and the nobility thus descends, diminishing in rank, in the family, from generation to generation, until it becomes definitely extinct, unless one of its members render some service to his country, and thus regain the title originally granted to his ancestors." wonder, had such a system obtained in this country, how many of our dukes and marquesses would have regained the title originally granted to their ancestors; nay, we cannot help asking ourselves how many of these same ancestors achieved their titles to nobility by services rendered to the country?

Audacious.

We

The Royal Family of this happy land being greatly given to scribbling, and the Queen's English being about the worst English extant, it has been proposed by some literary lickspittle to found an order of merit for authors in commemoration of Her Majesty's fiftieth pay-day. A literary man cannot be made a member of our most illustrious order, founded to celebrate a courtesan, maintained to cele brate the virtues of libidinous dukes and the rest of the scum that floats upon the surface of society. So authors, artists, and those others whose names will be remembered when all else is forgotten, are to get a little first-rate order quite to themselves. The thing is marvellously

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