Text
'),.
'
j,
jfcrb 1ball jfclks
VoL. I.
No. 6.
February 2, 1913.
WHO ARE THE FOLKS?
'l'he amazing thing to me .about the
Ford Hall meetings is the wide variety
of people whom they deeply interest.
'l'hey were established primarily for
the benefit of people who do. not go to
church, it has proved almost impossible to lrnep the church people out altogether. Some of them will come In
spite of°tall we can do and hundreds
of others regret exceedingly that they
cannot come, ·
In planning our programs, our first
consideration is for the worlring class,
so-called, But I find employer after
employer who is delighted with the
spll'it and scope of our meetings, We
keep constantly in mind the person of
ordinary development in mind and
character as we choose the su]Jjects
for discussion. But I find among our
regular attendants and most enthusiastic friends, teachers and professors
and professional people generally.
Our meetings are, of course, intended
for the layman but there ls hardly a
night when we do not have a halfdozen ministers in the audience and
often many more. 11/e were quite
doubtful at first whether we could interest the Jews In our meetings, At
least a third of the audience ls made up
of .Tews every Sunday night and they
contribute a larger proportion than
that to the interest and enthusiasm
of the meetings,
I doubt if more than a small fraction
of our audience belong to the Socialist
, Party but they are so enthusiastic and
have so many sympathizers who are
willing to go part way with them that
it sometimes seems as though HHl
great majority were Socialists.
· Shocking as it may seem to some
good people who have never attended
'one of our meetings, we have in our
audience every night a very considerable group of anarchists who take
themselves just as seriously as any
churchman I ever met. 'l'hey even
claim Jesus as their model man,
It would seem as if quite a large
proportion of the Ford Hall folks were
agnostics or atheists but it may be
that they are like the Socialists in being more in evidence than their ortho-
Price Ten Cents.
dox neighbors. In the churches, the
congregations are two-thirds women,
At Ford Hall, the audience is never
less than two-thirds men and frequently the propo1-tion of men is still
larger,
There are always negroes in our
meetings and generally a Japanese or
two while a fortnight ago we had, besides the speaker of the evening, Dr,
Yamei Kin, three 01· four Chinese
women and several Chinese men,
This conglomeration of humanity
might make you think of the "happy
family" at the circus but ours ls really a happy family all the time, and we
certainly enjoy going to the Ford Hall
meetings quite as much as the small
boyenJ4~~
NEXT SUNDAY'S SPEAKER.
On February 9, Edward A, Filene
comes to us to discuss "'l'he Growing
Pains of Democracy," l\1r. Filene is
one of those rare souls who believes
in doing rather than in talking (he is
so averse to personal publicity that
we cannot here show his photograph
as ls our custom), but no man who
tries to do in these days can fail to
be confronted by certain arresting
facts .. Some of these have so deeply
impressed themselves upon Boston's
most public-spirited merchant that he
desires to call them to your attention,
His will be a significant evening at
Ford Hall.
PLANS FOR THE BIRTHDAY.
Things are coming along splendidly
for onr anniversary on li'ebruary 23,
l\1rs. Lionel Marks (Josephine Preston
Peabody) will be with ns to read her
poem, "The. Singing l\fan," and. that
brilliant Baptist, Rev. 0, P. Gifford,
D, D., of Brookline, ii; to give the address of the evening, his topic being
"'rile Social Value of Free Speech,"
Lets of other good things, too!
I
Falls
fo
Se~)uatlc~, :,'. ·,• ,
centlces I. never. could,.see · that It
1sllfled. · 'l'he argument In 'tavor
la that wlthout It the frade will
, overcrowded and wages lowIt seems to:me that this Is n far
1ormal copdltlon thari a l'lcarclty
,, with wages fore~
Also, It a trade I
"llY wish to enter, l
ey be allowed, to do,
wage, than. not; to~
wages will presum
,c1 for by the 'co
1slrn,
t of the various
abor unionism ls fig
ll. The Injunction, I
110 of former Um«
1 t Ions of working
,·cd conspiracies, an
J,v Jaw, If judges
·otild grant lnjuncj
as well as against
shops, The reason1
Is that strikes ar
(lges have coma ti
o ultimate benefit·
t the Injury to . I~
,jeot.
,es should .be resci
I oti1er methods ha~
1e end to be attali
I(] only when thei
<>o of success,
'I
•nee Is never just!
Ylolence ls a viol
nler.
"J
e Ia a parallel bet
,1;-namlters and t
RY
ATHER
1\.N, of the Cath-qlic- Seminary of St~ Pa\11.
· ~h~n,, ~peakin& on 1.abor qu~sti?n,s l~ Ford H. all, says i \
,
lnJUsltce of employers bege:ts lllJUst1ce on .. the part ot:
i their employees -.violence breeds violence." Evidently \
1
· •atlU>.LReilhz:_nLLawrence is 1101' Ii aradua.te...oLthe Catholic.
1o the restrlct!on cit: the' riuniber
fF
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2
FORD HALL FOLKS
THE PRAYER.
0
I
roads for tnany y
I,· coupling appll
Manv were kllle
,,u', · y.;t the rail
!mowing this, foll
matter, These
s the dynamiters.'
(Preceding Mr. Fels' Address,)
Our hearts are made glad, our Father,
through the fellowship we have with
men of fortune and with men of privilege, who are spending and working
to bring about changes in our every
day life such as will make It Impossible
for some men to grow rich at the ex11ense of others, Vie thank Thee for
the men of large resources who give
generously to relieve the sufferings of
less fortunate brethren, but we pray
Thee to give us more men of large ac,
complishment and ample resources who
are determined to find the way by
which more people will have justice
and fewer people will need charity,
·we pray Thee to remove the scales
from the eyes of those who are blinded
by their own comfort and to give great
blessing and deep satisfaction to those
who hi spite of wealt,h and prlvilego
have not been unmindful of the
heavenly vision which Thou hast
vouchsafed to them, Amen.
"JUST TAXATION THE HOPE OF
THE WORLD,"
(Address of Joseph Fels at the Ford
Hall Meetings, ,lanuary 26, 1913.)
I'
Mr. Chairman and Ladles and Gentlemen, I always put the ladles first
because the women already rule us and
are going to help us nile the world.
(Anplause and laughter.)
You have been good enouF-h to invite me to come here and talk to you
on "Just Taxation, the Hope of the
·world." I do not believe any five
words could be much tn1 er than these
five, when we look around 11s and sre
the poverty, misery and brutishness
that belong to the common neople of
America, of Canada, of Grent Britidn. of
Germany, of France, and of everr other
country in the world, where there Is
riches, I have been caught In the
meshes of this tremendous strnggle fo"
equal freedom; for equal oppoi'tunl ty
among men and for special privilege to
none (applause) and so I go about the
world, perhaps today In Boston, perhaps three weeks !Jenee In Argentine, I
go about tbe world, I say, preaching
this great. doctrine of equal fl'eeclom
among men. And I do it 11111)r/lnd, as
··have been many, mani men before me,
to stretch out my hand to those people who haven't even got a defense, ns
I have, against want-an unearned Increment-and I have come to believe
myself that I uni a part and J)arcel of
the common people of the world
and not of the special J)rlvlleged
class, (Applause.) To me It Is en>
ti!'ely In keeping with good sound
reason, that there are anarchists, I.
vV. vV's, syndlcatlsts and other malcontents everywhere. They take one name
In one country and another name in
another country but they all point to
the same thing; they all point to the
fact that there is special privilege for
the few and that want for the many ·
arises but of that special privilege,
Now I do not know as to whether I
have ever given you an account of the
way I look at It all or not; perhaps I
have but It will bear repetition for the
audiences change from week to week,
month to month and year to year. So
I will say that if you want to get rid
of dogs in Boston, you tax dogs. You
· put a tax of say $20 each on every
four-footed dog that walks (laughter)
--it ls a great pity that you cannot put
a tax of $20 on some two-legged dogs.
(Applause.) You place this tax upon
dogs In Boston with the intention of
wiping out the dogs-and dogs disappear. And so If we wanted to get rid
of houses and fumlture and Income
and the things that men and women
use, we would lay a tax on them and
they would disappear as houses do dlsapbear or rather do not come to lifeit amounts to the same thing,
I happened to be In the state of Missouri from the 18th of October until
the day of election, November 5th, I,
went out there to fight what I called a
forelnm hope at the time; I was fighting for the Single Tax, (Laughter,)
vVhlle trying to find out where the
weaklrneed gentlemen were I dropped
into Kansas City and into a large club
there ·which bore close relation to the
Board of Trade, consisting of 800 or
900 members, big, nice, smooth, oily
looking chaps (laughte1')-telephone
people, and the railway people and the
merchants and the big representatives
of the mining Interests and things of ·
f hat kind. Six months before a taxation league had put It up before these
chaps as to whether they were In favor
or not of amending the constitutiona measure permitting Home Rule
which would ultimately end In the
Single Tax, and these gentlemen had t
appointed a committee promptly to
consider this, Intending to make a report to the gentlemen of the club by
and by, The committee consisted of
three large land owners, as I understood, and two gentlemen who worshipped the land owners, making five
of a kind. And these gentlemen had
been cons!
five and or
along and i
to Invite tr
ter,) The
to get per
after I got
of these ni
very first t
them wris t
300 and 40
there ls ai
men that i:
up," (Lani
I then ha
friends, the
In this roo
the same c'
liar myself.
the man wh
longs to ye
him, comes
much mone
your buslne
not any of)'
The next q
business ha·
of last Jani
,your gross
none of thei
Ile In your 1
question of
longed to th
of those 35
'must such q
themselves v
are to come
I tell you
government
fj! lrn for Its 1
is cren t.ecl b,
everything if
make it any
It any smalle
stances whe
steal it. (La
made larger
will aclrnow
woman and c
feet squarely
be In the t,
building in T'
Jar in Lond01
Now to wl
this tremencl
ours? To w
prevent the I
many? Well,
of people in
that gives an.
in Boston,
case, that th,
are sufficient
penses of BoS'
they may bm
the only thh
FORD HALL FOLKS
•.ople of, the world
~
&')Jecial privileged
.J 'l'o me it is eng with good sound
·e are anarchists, I.
,..
st s and other malcon'l'hey take one name
ncl another name in
lrnt they all point to
they all point to the
special privilege for
want for the many
Hpecial privilege.
now as to whether I
on an account of the
1II or not; perhaps I
,a r repetition for the
from week to week,
nd year to year. So
you want to get rid
, you tax dogs. You
$20 each on every
mt walks (laughter)
that you cannot put
me t1tvo-legged dogs.
place this tax upon
it h the intention of
gs-and dogs disapre wanted to get rid
rniture and Income
at men and women
a tax on them and
•ar as houses do diso not come to life,ame thing,
in tlie state of Misth of October until
1, November 5th.
I
ight what I called a
e time; I was fightTax. (Laughter.)
lnd out where the
1en were I dropped
11tl into a large club
lose relation to the
onsisting of 800 or
nice, smooth, oily
:inghter)-tel<,phone
lway people and the
liig representatives
r0.sts and things of
11 l hs before a taxa-•
t it up before these
,. they wore In favor
, the constltut)ont ting Home Rule
natoly end in the
J<'SC gentlemen had
niltoe promptly to
cling to make a re1wn of tho club by
mittee consisted of
wners, ns I under11 tlornen who worwners, making five
10se gentlemen had
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
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l
,J)
beeJ considering this amendment for
five and one-half months when I came
along and invited the Commercial Club
to invite me to address them. (Laughter.) The secretary was good enougl1
to get permission and so, two days
after I got there, I stood before 350
of these nice, oily gentlemen and the
very first thing I did after looking at
them was to say: "There are between
300 and 400 men in this room and if
there ls any mun , amongst these 300
men that is not a liar, let him stand
up." (Laughter.) No one stood.
I then hastened to say to them: "My
friends, the reason I called every mun
in this room a liar is because, under
the same circumstances, I would be a
liar myself. When the tax collectorthe man who is after the thing that belongs to you and does not belong to
him, comes to you and aslcs you 'How
much money have you got invested in
your business?' you say to him 'It is
not any of your business.' (Laughter.)
The next question is 'What kind of
business have you done since the first
of last ,January' and then '°\,Vhut are
your gross profits?' All of which is
none of their business. Naturally you
lie in your answers." But if a simple
question of finance about what belonged to them could make every one
of those 350 men liars, what effect
must such questions have on the men
themselves and on their children who
are to come after them?
I tell you the only thing that the
government has any right at all to
take for its support is everything that
is created by all the people; and that
everything is land value. You cannot
make it any larger, you cannot make
it any smaller, though I do lmow of instances ,vhere land owners tried to
steal it. (Laughter.) As it cannot be
made larger or smaller, I think you
will acknowledge that every man,
woman and child must have his or her
feet squarely on the earth whether it
be in the top story of the highest
building in Boston or in the slum cellar in London.
Now to what extent can we go in
this tremendously civilized world of
ours? '.Po what extent can we go to
prevent the few from swallowing' the
many? Well, I claim that the presence
of people in Boston is the only thing
that gives any value at all to the land
in Boston. I claim, that being the
case, that the land values of Boston
are sufficient to pay nil public expenses of Boston, no matter how heavy
they may become. I also claim that
the only thing Government has any
3
right to tamper with Is that which has
been created by all of us. Now, that
being the case, we may well do without taxation on everything else except
land values.
I got back, three weeks ago, from a
town in Texas. The place ls Houston.
It ls supposed to have at least a population of about 1~5,000 people who
think highly of it. Other people especially people living In Galve~ton
which ls 60 miles away, think it ha~
only about 80,000. (Laughter.) I think
it has about 80,000, It is perhaps the
most prosperous city in the United
States. '!:here is more real down-right
business and industry in Houston than
in any other city that I have ever been
in in the United States. And nil this
has been largely caused by one man,
This man is a little taller than I um
(laughter), almost as bald (laughter),
and only half us wide. (Laughter.) He
began his job some 18 years ago-having become a follower of the economic
philosophy of Henry George-and 12
years ago he bought what is now four
blocks of ground within the city limits
of Houston and put up a sign, "This
property cost $390 per plot. It ls for
sale for $5000 per plot and it will be
held until such time as it realizes
$5000· per plot." That seemed very
foolish, didn't it? He then proceeded
to pnt up a log cabin-they built it
with their own hands, back of this
sign, and they used, this log cabin
every day until I came there, three
weeks ago, for meetings of Single Ta¥
nrn!l' who believed in the economic
philosophy of Henry George, I said
during m_y recent visit, "Why don't
you repmr that sign? Why it can
hardly be read, one comer qf it has
been blown away by the wind. It has
passed its day of usefulness.'' He
said, "I have had an offer for $4500 on
my last plot. 'l'he fellow is coming up
by 'lnrl by 11nd will .give me $5000." He
had already sold off foiw of the plots
for $20,000. About two years ago this
same man, Joseph Pusteriza invited
the citizens of Houston to ap,;oint him
(1flmmlssioner of taxes. Think of'that.
Then he proceeded to remove all the
taxation from every bit of personal
property in Houston. He took off ~II
twrntion from all banlrn, stocks, etc.,
and he furthermore removed 75 per
cent. of taxes from all buildings in
Houston and then he went and found
a scientific lot of fellows who knew
how to assess land, who could 'find m1t
just exactly what Janel was woi;th
whether it would be in Houston 01• In
Paris or in Palestine. And then he got
;
F'al
s
o
ee
[FAiHER
.ue ce.: ,, ·,-·
AN,
.
. ·-'-·~--
to the rostrlotlo~ 'ot 1 the'· ntiinber
RY
of the Cath~li~-s~~ninary of St~ Paut.l '
·0ntlcea I never oouh;J,.aee· lllat It
1
\
stifled. •.rhe argu_ment ,tn favor
Minn., speakin&' on labqr qu~stions In Ford Hall, says:,
Is that without It the trade will
.
"Injustice of ~mployers beg-e;ts injustice on .the part oi ·
overcrowded and wages lowd
·
'd 1 1
1t seems to, me that this ts a far
their employees - violence bree, s violence, "
Evt ent y ·:
I
ormal condition thq___,,.......,n.11,=---~"-...._-=-~·
•h-o....C.w.b,.o.ll...',....:..·-------"""iilillllllllllill_--,_.,..______
,, with wages forol
,.,
Also, If a trade
111y wish to enter, i
ry be allowed, to do
~·age, than not, t
,,.ages wlll presum
cl for by the · co
FORD HALL FOLKS
4
sks.
I
. of the varloul
the value of every piece of land in
the Stars nncl Stripes, went over to
that elevate
1bor unionism Is fl~
I. The Injunction, 1
Houston and the town was plotted out
these three 11rovlnces of Canada. And
down as 1111
•lie of former tlII\
by those fellows that knew their busiwhy did they do it? They went beter.) But ~
,lions of worlclng I
ness-every blessed one of whom was
cause they saw n taxation of the right
creased tax
eel conspiracies, ai
a Single Tax man. They mapped out
ment store
kind in Canada and of a most damnJw law. If judges
Houston, putting down the name of the
ably wrong kind in the United States.
afford to m
,t;ld grant lnjuno,
owner of every ]llot and what the land
And so there ls a fight on in Oregon
up and dow
as well as agalns'
hops. The reasoi:i
was worth as between the willing buyer
and in 1.Ynshington and beginning in
out, and ma
is that strikes
cessible an(,
and the wllling seller. Then he ]lroIdaho for untaxing labor and taxing
lges ha.ve come t
ceeded--did Pnsterizn-to assess all
floor, why s
land values.
, ultlmate benefl1
Now, then, as to other countries. In
railway 10 1
this land 100 cents on the dollar of
the Injury to . ~
1909-'10 Lloyd George put through Parmake it just
what It was worth.
lect.
j
liament his Budget, assessing nil the
'I'he grafters or land owners, I say
other encl o
rs should .be res
grafters now because I nm far n way
land in Great Britain and laying a
this encl? (
other methods h~
o end to be attn
fro.m Houston, fought so hard that
small tax on all Janel values amounting
You see w
1 only when thl
they made Pnsterizn tax it 70 )Jer cent.
to over $250 an acre and Lloyd George
way would c
e of success,
of its value; so he proceeded to tax 70
did this in the face of the utmost op-
l
1
---"-L-----~..
'
•
a:
j~fl
'.'.~;le~c/~~ei~
<lcr.
:i
• Is a parallel be
I ,·namlters and
,;,tds for many •
,, coupling appll
l\Ianv were Jdll
,r, · y.;t the rat~
nowlng this, fol\
matter, These,)
· the d y n a ~
~
I
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1
per cent. of t.he value of the land in
Houston. "Well, there were some ]llots
of ground in Houston discovered on
which no taxes had been paid since
the days of Mother :mve (laughter),
and he found some land that had been
taxed 30 per cent. and some 125 per
cent. ·why? because the land that was
taxed 125 per cent. was underneath the
little shanties of the poor, the houses
that rented for about $15 to $18 ))el'
month. Pnsterlza changed nil that
with the wave of his hand. He was
appointed the first of January, 1911.
During the first six months after he
got his job finished, t.he citizens of .the
city of Houston put UJJ 219 more build-."
ings in six months than they did in
the six months in 1910. Two hundred
and nineteen more buildings, and (·hese
21!l buildings were worth three times
whnt, the buildings that had been JJUt
np in 1910 hncl cost! 1Vhich proves
that if yon remove nil taxation from
all person:il ]lroperty and nil b11lldln<r.s
n man wlll put in more money into
building because he has got morP.
money_ to put into it. He saves that
from taxation. This change Js giving
Pnsterlzn nil the money he had before for public purposes and thev talk
now of 500,000 inhabitants in Houston
within 20 years; and they are going to
have it because neople are piling in-,
t.here from every direct.ion just as soon
as they find out the different ]rind of
taxation that there prevails. Gnlvegton has gone to sleep and I wlll say
tlrnt unless the other cities in Texas
follows Houston, the peonle will ll1ove
into Houston n1• thev will ha.ve to shut
up business. (Laughter.)
This is the experience in the northwestern part of Cnnndn, in the cities of
Vancouver nncl Victoria and in more
than 30 or 40 rural eettlements that
have n large mensnre of the Single
Tax in onerntion. And in 1910, my
friends, 141,000 Americans, members ot
position. Every duke and every titled
gentleman who ought to have been
put to worlc (laughter) objected to
this. They wanted to hang him. But,
my friends, you can put this down
flne; that ns Great Drltnin ficlclles to·(iay the world begins to dance tomorrow; and unless the United States gets
in line with the Single 'I'ax movement,
which ls fnst coming in England, we
shall nil have to move over across the
sen.
Now I am here in Boston and you
Goston )Jeople should come to your
f'enses; you should beg-in an agitation
for untaxing labor in Boston, and untaxing business in Boston, and untaxing houses in Boston so that you can
nut n tax on unus<ocl land, such as yon
have got here by the mile, and get it
Jut.o use to tlie encl that people may
live Jn homes instead of hovels. (Applause.)
There used to he n man in CleveIa ud whose name was Tom L. Johnson (ap]Jlause) nncl I heard that man
say in a speech, one day, that he expected tb live to see the time whe'1
Cleve.land should have n free street
railway from one encl to the other.
When he died, in April of Inst year, ho
hncl a street car line throughout Cleveland and running into the country for
20 miles on which there was charged
the rate of 3 cents wi1J1 universal free
transfer, and this street railway made
so much money that they have paid 6
per cent. on every share of stock-and
a good many shni·es of this stock were
about. RS thin. or thinner, than water.
I believe that if Johnson had lived
20 years longer he would have had a
free street rnilwny because I can show
you more than n thousand free rnilwny lines that are rnn in Boston tonhd1t. Every clennrtment store, every,
omce, every building has a free railway running up and down nil the time.
And no charge is made for running
come for exn
street rnilwa
and n land v
every steams
of the Unite•,
tioned on th
cohntry whe1
fit it gets fro
And so sho
the water, if
vate compnn
!lghts, and 1
privilege that
sonnl nctivll
should be pni
you would no
people in Bos I
any people in
• cause you wo
next door to
much as the
building.
Diel you ev
happens whl'J
1.Yhen the lane
to build n 11011
lnr-I don't rn
]Jecnuse he dor
ter), but ho hi1
lnr nnd when
ished digging
the foundation
to have the st
mason con1fS .
lshed, the !Jrie
the concrete n
and then comr
carpenters, the
fitters and p!11
menters and p
would go to w
o"ne of these me
hasn't he ougl
nncl every one
babies and if ti
have them (In
babies have re•
and for, stocldn,
for lmick-lmac
FORD HALL FOLKS
:::Jtrlpes,' went over · to
vinces of Canada. And
lo it? They went bea taxation of the right
and of a most damn! in the United States.
; a fight on in- Oregon
:;ton and beginning in
..:ing labor and taxing
to other countries. In
corge put through ParJg-et, assessing all the.
Bl'italn and laying a
land values amounting
acre and Lloyd George
·ace of the utmost opcJuke and every titled
taught to have been
lnngllter) objected to
l'll to hang him. But,
1 can put this down
1,a t Britain fiddles to•gins to dance tomor( l!e UnitecJ States gets
Single Tax movement,
ming in England, we
move over across the
c in Boston and you
hould come to your
Ill begin an agitation
JI' in Boston, and un11 Boston, and. untaxston so that you can
s, cl land, such as yo11
the mile, and get it
:md that people may
I <'ad of hovels. (Ap!Je a man in Cleve, was Tom L . .TohnHl I heard that man
one day, that he exsee the time whe'1
have a free street
2 end to the other.
April of last year, he
11n thro11ghout Cleveinto the country for
1 there was charged
; with universal free
street railway made
mt they have paid 6
share of stock-and
·s of this stock were
l1inner, than water.
' Johnson had lived
l would have had a
because I can show
thousand free rail-·
, run in Boston to1rtment store, every
ng has a free rail(] down all the time.
made for running
....
that c,ievator and you may ride up and
clown as much as you chose. (Laughter.) But you are paying for it in increased taxation. Now, if a depart~
ment store or Ir an office building can
afford to maintain free transportation
up and clown all day, clay in and day
out and maim a 27th story equally ucces~ible and as desirable as the first
floor, why should you not run a street
mllway 10 miles into the country and
make It just us possible to live at the
·other encl of the 10 miles as it is at
this end? (Applause.)
You see where your free street railway ,~mlcl co.me in and that it would
come for exactly the same reason. This
street railway is a public franGhise
and a Janel value. So the franchise of
every steamship line that leaves a port
of the United States should be conditioned on the Single Tax paid to the
country where it docks for the benefit it gets from the country.
And so should every other franchlse,
the water if it was rented by a private company, the gas and electric
lights, and telephone system,-every
privilege that is made up by the personal activities of the population
should be paid for. And, my friends,
you would not then have any starving
J)eople in Boston. You would not have
any people in Boston out of work because you would tax the lot that was
next door to a 25-story building._ as
much as the land under the 25-stciry
building.
Diel you ever stop to think ,vlrnt
happens when you build a house•?
'Nhen tile landlord makes up his mind
to build a house-he llrst digs t110 eel.Jar-I don't mean he does it himself,
l>ecause he does not dig cellars (laughter), but he hires people to dig the cellar and when these people ha\re finisl1ecl digging the cellar, thfJY put up
the foundation wall and then they have
to have the stone mason. The stone
mason comes and when has has finished, the brick man comes along or
the concrete man,, or the steel man;·
and then come the J)lasterer and the
carpenters, the paper liangers and gasfitters and plumbers, then the ornamenters and painters. All these men
would go to worlc, and every blessed
one of these men has a wife, and if he
hasn't he ought to have (laughter),
and every one of tLese wives have
babies and if they don't they ought to
have them (laughter), and all these
babies have requirements for muslin
anrl for stockings and for flannels and
for lmick-lmacks and other various
5
things that go to make up babies.
(Laughter.)
You would then have killed off that
very dangerous "one man In 20." I
mean the one man in 20 who has no
job! You have nothing to fear from
the I. 'I.V. 'N. or Socialism or Anarchism
or anything else but from the mun in
20 who has no job. Until you can kill
him off by giving him a job, he will
a.lways be a threat to you and until
yoti can wipe him out you will not have
industrial peace in this country, nor do
you deserve to have it.
But if we tax those things and those
things only that are created by the
people and leave to the pl'!vate individual all things created by his labor,
you will have peace in this country,
you will have plenty in this counfry,
and you will have as near to a perfect
country as the world has ever seen'.
That great man, Tsin Yat Sun, in
China, knows about the Single Tax and
has already had the courage to establish colonies all through China having
It in mind to lceep for the people all
the land values that the people ornate,
In Germany over 100 cities have a
measure of the Single Tax already In
operation.
Tn the last political campaign we
had strnggles in Oregon, in the state
of Missomi and in the state of California, all with a view to having Single
Tax put into operation; and the little
state of Rhode Island, which is about
big enough to hold together (laughter)
has been strnggling for the Single Tax
to my eertaln lmowledge for 20 years,
but they haven't given up the ship. It
is not success that we are after; it is
education of tlie 11eo11le that we are
after, and until the people can become
sufficiently educated to take on this
great moral reform; this great economic reform, the people ought not to
adopt it. My friends, to me, this reform In taxation is a moral question,
as deep and as broad as any moral
question that has ever been brought to
the notice of the world. To me it is a
religion; I am a fanatic about it. But
there mnst be fanatics, for fanatics,
like cranks, ma.ke things turn.
A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS:
Q. ViToulcl you approve of the inheritance tax as did 'fhornas L . .Johnson
of Cleveland?
A. Certainly not. · Mr . .Johnson war,
as apt to make mistakes as any one
elstl.
Q. 'Noulcl. you exempt la;id occupied
by churches?
.
,F'
1·
-i=alls to see· ust ce . .·.,·.:.',
,.:..,. '-- ~-· . · · I
lo'the restrlotlon ~f'the'numb1~
ATHER RYAN, of the Catholic Seminary of St. Pa1,1l.\
1
prentlces 1 never could see· ll;lat
Minn. speakin&" 011 labor qu~stions in Ford Hall, says_i
19
/~
;l~~o~~gl~~~~\~~dJa;f1~
"Inju~tice of ~mployers bege,ts inj_ustice ~,n .the ?art nt \
1
ne overcrowded and w,'.n~gje~s_n_lojw~L~-_Lt~l~ie~i!:r_~e~n~lp~l~o y~e:_l:e~s~::__v~i~o~l,:e~n~c,:e_~b:re:e~d~s:__,v:;t:_::o:.:,le::;n~c;:e:,~.....E:.;,v;,.1d:;_en:::,:.:tl-;_y...i..._________111111111E
2
It seems to.mo that Vtls Is n far
,,,
normnl {1/ages fore
nn, wllli r,ondltlon. th1
. Also, If a trade I
:nanY wish to enler. I
:hey be allowed.to do,
wage, tlinn not, to
n wages will presum,
1ed for by the co
6
FORD HAL~ FOLKS
t11sks.
,st of the various.
A. Certainly not (Applause). Nor
desks and chairs of the lawyers and
labor unionism Is fig'
reporters;
,
would I exempt :Masonic Temples. I
·ed. The Injunction, \
would not exempt from taxation anyThe cage, standing gaunt and unrelic of former tlm1
nations of worldng
thing In the shape of land.
friendly vis-a-vis the judge's chair;
'ered conspiracies, a~
Q. If the single tax was established,
The clock over the door proclaiming
" by law. If judges]
the ending of the court's recess;
would not tlie present system of exwould grant lnjunci
ploitation still continue?
The measured tread of the feet of tl,le
s as well as agalns~
A. I don't see how it could, my
jurors, coming along the corridor;
shops, The reaso~i
friend. Will you please tell me how
The entrance of the twelve "peers" of ·
l.s Is that strikes a
ludges have come t,
it could?
the prisoners, conscious of grave· rethe ultimate benefl
Q. ·well, by private ownership of
sponsibility;
,ot the Injury to · I
the mines,
The reporters and the lawyel'S filing
,liject.
Into place; the judge gravely facing
A. But if I have got all the value
!kes should .be res
that attaches to the land-all monopothe room;
·ill other methods ha
lies, or special privilege that come out
The click of the handcuffs stirring
the end to be attn!
curiosity, interest., anxiety;
of the land, how can you have posses1 nd only when the
ope of success, ' •,
sion of anything?
'l'he march of otficr.rs and nrlsoner8
,Jenee ls never jus
Q. Is a patent a specie of monopoly?
to the cage;
'. -violence ll ls a vi
A. Yes,
"Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!"
order.
Q, vVhat are you going to do with
'!'he call ·of roll of the jury,-one, two,
•re Is a parallel be
it?
three, four, five, six', seven, eight,
dynamiters and
nine, ten, eleven, twelve;
A. I think I should be ln favor of al!!roads for many •~
, lie coupling appll
The call and silent rising of the prislowing a man a certain percentage on
·s. Many were klll
the results of his patent for a cert(!ln
oners, "Joseph J. Ettor," "Arturo M,
year, . yet the ral
number of years and then wipe it out;
Glova11nitt.i,''. "Joseph Caruso!"
!mowing this, fo
but it woulcl have to be specific and
*
*
*
*
s matter.
These
not speculative as it ls at present.
The prosecution ls closing its case;
as the dynamiters.
Q.
"\,Vouldn't taxation on land so
the State's Attorney ls completing
increase its value that it would be difhis charge;
ficult for poor people to buy land?
The officer of the State, the guardian of
A. Is it possible for the poor to buy
law and 01·der, the defender of the
land now? Taxation would bring the
oppressed, the servant of the elm:land into use-force the land into nse
torate, is building an argumentand the man who holds land ant ot'
An argument founded on suspicion.
use would have to pay td the commuclass hatred, race pride.
nity that which the community is ueHe flatters the jury; he conjures np
prived of now,
patriotic visions from tbe past;
He portrays the history of the commonwealth and its heroes, with sinMASS AC HUSE TT SON TRIAL:
ister intent;
MASSACHUSETTS ACQUITTED.
He warns of the menace of the foreigner, of the foreigner's philosophy,
of the foreigner's inflammability;
His commercial mind pictures the de:
sire for the dues of the comrades as
the motive of these agltatom;
"Our holy traditions are at stake; our
venerable Institutions. are at stalre;
yea, our sacred property ls at stake!"
·wm the jury surrender law and order,
will the)' condone anarchy?
The State's Attorney has addressed the
twelve men of Massachusetts.
*
*
*
*
vVhat is 'the case that demands this
patriotic peroration?
An Italian woman has been ldlled, a
compatriot of two of these men, a
fellow worker,- comrade, sister, of all
By Charles Zueblln,
of t!Iem.
.
The high-ceiled court-room with it3 ,vhere Is the murderer? The State's
Attorney does not know: no one
ample windows on either side;
knows.
The spectators buzzing expectantly
The prisoners preached' brotherhood,
along three walls;
vehemently, passionately,
'l'he judge's empty bench; the empty
~fltt;~
'b---------'-
The Slat
vengean
ately.
The three
testing 1
the lan1
trial fo1
understr
cusers.
They have
for n10ll
\ned, ha
question
but who
Is It not t1
cb usetts
·I
I
,
The State
There re
judge.
"Accordlnf
r.husetts'
heard In
judge ch:
these pri
The counsc
to let th<
be silent.
Josepli Ett,
at this 111
The room
choked ,,
thick, bu
taln tops
roused.
Ettor pene1
State's ,
thruRt.
'The prison<
their actE
No acts I
phlloso}lh
He Is not. t
responslb',
an, he R
chair.
No palllatio
demnat.lo1
phy and I
Though it i
Ile must
claim the
run procl\J
He can~ to
co and I
ready to
necessary.
He ls not a
Itallan-bo1
zens and
wealth o[
Their death
of this CO'
On the day l
prophets "
7
FORD HALL FOLKS
chairs of the lawyers and
standing gaunt and uni.s-a-.,ithe judge's chail·;
, 1·<>1'
door proclaiming
of
court's recess;
d t1
of the feet of the
Jing along the corridor;
, of the twelve "peers" of ·
·rc:, conscious of grave· re-
I·
I
I
s and the lawyers ·filing
the judge gravely facing
· the handcuffs stirring
Ill erest, anxiety;
if officers and prisoners
1r ye, hear ye!"
,ll of the jury,-one, two,
five, siX:, seven, eight,
1 ven, twelve;
..
silent rising of the prlsph .T, Ettor,'.' "Arturo M,
' "Joseph Caruso!"
*
*
*
on ls closing its case;
Attorney Is completing
lie State, the guardian of
1,r, the defender of the
lite servant of the elec-
ilding an argumentrounded on suspicion,
race pride,
'
l jury; he conjures np
ms from the past;
ie history of the comtlll its heroes, with slnmenace of the forl'oreigner's philosophy,
ur's Inflammability;
mind pictures the de11es of the comrades as
these agltatom;
lions are at stake; our
itutions are at stalre;
l property Is at stake!"
1'l'ender law and order,
"ne anarchy?
mey has addresood the
J\Iassachusetts,
*
*
,e that demands this
at ion?
111 has been killed, a •
l wo of these men, a
comrade, sister, of all
lH1
1rderer? The State's
not know; no one
reached· hrotherhood,
ssionately,
(
1'he Slate'S' Attorney is preaching
vengeance sophistically intem1rnrately,
The three men sit in the cage, two protesting mutely; the third ignorant of
the language, staring mystified; on
trial for his life he sits for hams
understanding no word of his accusers.
'I'hey have been deprived of freedom
for months they have been examined have testified, have been crossquestloned, have heard witnesses:
but who ls on trial today?,
Is it not the Commonwealth o,f Massachusetts?
'* * * *
The State's·· Attomey has Nnished.
· There rema1'ns only the charge of the
judge,
·
"According to the precedent of Massadrnsetts' Jaw a prisoner, may be
heal'd in his own behalf before the
judge charges the jury. Does one of
these 11risoners desire to speak?"
1'be counsel of the prisoners urge them
to let the .case rest, but they nannot
he silent,
Joseph Ettor rises, rotun,d, genial, but
at this moment not smiling,
The room Is now full; the doors are
choked with spectators; the air ls
thick, but pulses beat as on, mountain tops; even the weary Jury Is
roused,
Ettor penetrates the sophistry of tl10
State's Attorney with one keen
thrust,
The prisoners are not being tried for
their acts, but for their philosophy,
No acts have been proved and the
philosophy has been misrepresented.
He is not there to apologize. If he ls
responsible for the death of a woman, he should sit in the electric
chair, .
·
No palliation; no compromise; no condemnation of the prisoner's phllosophy and pity for the prisoner.
Though it invite the severest penalty
he must still stand there and proclaim the right of all men to the
full product of their labor,
He came to Massachusetts as Kosclusco and Pula11ki had come; he is
ready to give his lite for others if
necessary,
He ls not a foreigner, but he and his
Italian-born comrades are the citi·ze1'rs and prophets of the commonwealth of the world.
Their death will not delay the coming
of this commonwealth.
On the day that they die half a million
prophets w\ll rise,
In a hushed voice the court officer, he
~~tt~\~:~:: .~m~n?{1'.?te
bl~t~I~~i ;~ys
'Who but the prnsecutlon could doubt
that Masoochusetts is on trial?
*
*
*
*
"Does one of the other prisoners wish
to speak?" asks the judge,
Yes. Glovannitli will also be heard.
It is well.
He wins at once attention and sympathy, He is still more intense, and
speaks with some dlfflculty-hls first
speech In English,
Ettor commanded by logic, vigor and
sincerity, Giovann!tti appeals by his
delicate profile, bis gentle voice, his
exa Ita tion,
VVhat are the sacred traditions of
Massachusetts that arwbeing upheld
in this trial?
Are they the traditions of witch-burning Salem, or those of tl10 Boston
tea-1iarty that overthrew tyrants?
Are they the traditions of the respectable mob that dragged Garrison
around by a noose, or those of the
triumphant abolitionists?
He also ls not there to plead for mercy,
but to protest against punishment
for holding the philosophy that
unites the class-conscious workers of
the world.
He too will have no compromise. All
dr n~thlng,
He can face death for his faith, as
Socrates did, as Jesus did, as the
mediaeval martyrs did; but he ls no
martyr,
He ancl Ettor are responsible for their
proved words; but Caruso, his poor
comrade Caruso, cannot speak English· he has a wife, he ls Ignorant,
sur~ly he cannot be held responsible.
(Even the experienced court officer and
the sophistlca ted reporter blink
hard),
On his mother's lmee he had learned of
the oppressors of Rome and Italy,
He had come to the Republic to find
freedom, and found-Lawrence,
H this proved to be his last speech It
would be one of prophecy, of that
fraternity of the future for which he
would still work if he were set free.
Ettor and Giovannltti liave addressed
the twelve men of Massachusetts;
but all must have seen, a they saw,
a listening world, a world of superficial prejudices and misunderstandings but a world of latent sympathy ~nd humanity.
"'
*
*
*
The next day the judge delivers his
•
--r[1~Fa
0 ",·
ISM
la to, See
~• oe, :: ,
,
·
,
IFATHER,RYAN,
·
,- ·
-
~.i--~~-1 ·
''Aa.to the restrlotlo/i ot'the number
of the Catholic-S~mlnary of St. Paul.\
·
bf approritlces I never could see th at It
: Minn,, spea.kin<r on labor qu~stions In Ford Hall, says :
, was justified. The argument In favor
9
1
11
I of this ts that without It the trade will
"Injustice of employers bege',ts injustice on. the part ot \
nd wages lowbecome overcrowded a
their em lo ,ees - violence bree~ls. violence,'.'
Evidently '· _
ered, It seems to me tha,UJllilsL!JlsLJ!nJ.!fa!:!r:L_ __:_E:1_~:_~~~~~=~~::.'..'.::.':..~~_.:.)!!,.._,:;.:.:;.:~;;;.::.:.:.__.~:.:.::'.:.:::.:::.::.:;:.....,.__:______.lllllf
~
more normal condition t
'1 ·
of men; with wages fo
, ~. \ : clally, Also, If a trade
·' H.\ II' that manY wish to en\er.
rd a that they be allowed' to d
· lower wage, than not,
lose In wages will presu
ems
pellsated for by the c
\ their tasks,
I "Moat of the varlo·
IWhich labor unionism Is
!removed, The Injunction
IN 10 NS, ts a relic ~f of workln~
former tll
combinations
Iconsidered conspiracies,
.
lshable by Jaw. If judg
,tiC'ISeS they would grant lnju
\ .
strll<es as well as again,
closed shops, The reasl
lR
do this Is that strikes
that judges have come
3,
that the ultimate bene
and not the Injury to
their· object,
"Strikes should .be r~
~l<e ever when all otiier methods h
l>ody or ,when the end to be att
1:yan of: one, and only when ti
. 1 Hall'· able hope of success,
1
'''
"Violence Is never ju
·r: of th ~ use of vlolencecJls· a V
1 social order.
follow-: "'.l'here Is a parallel b
,. Iar e- of the dynamiters. and
'
g the railroads for many
spealrnr automatic coupling app~
1, the I.' the cars,
Many were kl!
1
ti othor each year, · yet the r
sympa- though knowing this, fol
11·as un- on this matter. These
1· Indus: guilty as the dynamiter
,l ended ,
should ·
., under
1s their ':
rl them
r---
i
8
charge, precise, exhm1Hti ve, discriminating, dispassionate,
The day after, the jury returns its verdict. The twelve men of l\'lassachusetts have acquitted the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
*
*
*
*
"Hear ye, hear ye!"
"God bless the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts!"
jl
e-
Copyright, 1913, by Charl!JS Zueblln.
Published by the Boston School of
· Social Science,
Coples of the above poem at five
cents each may be had upon application to Miss Louise Grout, 154 Newbury St., Boston,
I
I
the I
ar-
Ing
r of
i,i(erest
•(l ?"
labor
had 1
nclhods 1
,,c,concl" nunfln any 1
llled, uy :.
<'l'
I
labor'
ring of 1
,•lasses, \
rnienlo
, train-
1
and 1
·r cit!- ·
inn of
•c
·orl<ing 1
1elhod11 :
1·t·
there
er who
i
I
occu- :
s, like : •
lo oc-
1
closed
I
I
from
,is Inls not
,,
but
right
it Is
to
·1111ent
int
1111lon
: from
·ll!led,
goes
only
but
:os
1lt,
lo I
ts,
.'llble, I
lhlrd 1
yqur ·
\I,"
1
FORD. HALL FOLKS
FROM OUR MAIL BOX,
♦
"Please send me three sets of Ji'ord
llall Po/ks for which find enclosed
$1.50, Usually, I shall buy the paper
at the meetings but, on account of lllness in the family, I have not been
able to attend for a month now, 'l'he
paper will help make this up to me.':
* * * *
"I received Ji'ord Ila/I. J1'01/t8, Fine,
I enclose my check herewith for $5,
for which please send. me five (5)
copies of Pol'r/. Ila//, Ji'oll!s for ten
weeks, and at the ex]Jlration of that
elate, vlease send Ji'or1l Ilall Ji'o/ks just
the same, with bill. This little joumal
should have the su]Jport of every
thinking man. A little later I hope to
be able to increase my subscription,"
*
*
*
*
January 17, 1913,
My Dear Jack London:
I love to go to Ford Hall because l
learn there-and there only-what the
late vVilliam ,James meaut when he
wrote his great chapter on the Common Folks. I have lived in Boston for
three years and the Ford Hall meetings are the only ones in Boston with
]lower enough to draw me away froni
my own very comfortable home on Sunday nights, J love Ford Hall because I
find preached in It the great Gospel of
Neighborliness - the philosophy of
love. And, If you must have.the whole
truth, I love to go there because Its
people are close to the earth, and contact with them mal,es me understand
what is meant hy the old mythological
tale of the man whose strength was renewer] every time he touched the
grnund,
But I startd to tell you about 1Vlllimn James and his tribute to the rl)al
hhoes of the world- !he men and
women who are doing their dally work
In ti neighborly, helpful way,
"On
freight trains, on the decks of vessels,
in cattle vards and mines," says James
-"on lmi1ber rafts, among the firemen •
and the policemen, the demand for
'courage is incessant. There, every day
of the year, somewhere, is human nature in c,1•/.re111/s for you, And wherever a scythe, an 11¥,e, a pick, oi' a
shovel is wielded you have It sweating
and aching and with its powers of
patient endurance racked to the utmost. under the length of hours of the
strain."
What I have found at Ford Hall may
he found in this next 1mragraph: ''As
J awoke to all this unidealized he1'oic
life around me," continues Prof. James,
"the scales seemed to fall from my
eyes; and a wave of sym]Jathy greater
than anything I had ever before felt
with the commOJi life of common men
began to fUI my soul. It began to seem
as if virtue with l1orny hands and
dirty skin were the only virtue genuine and vital enough to take account
of. IiJvery other virtue poses; none is
absolutely unconscious and simple, and
unexpectant of decoration or recognition, like this, These are our soldiers,
thought I, these our sustainers, these
the very parents of our life."
I have lived on a dollar a week, slept
ln a drygoods box, spent a winter in
the north country in a room through
the walls of which filtered the snow,
wom vapor in my .shoes because I
rouldn't afford new· soles, worn patchcovered clothes-well, I've managed to
live 011 five dollars a week In a strange
town, and, although I've fought my
way to a better income, I cannot quite
escape from the feeling that nowhere
in Boston is there a spiritual home for
me that ls more mine than Ford Hall,
To learn the art of seeing the world
through the eyes of others is to !mow
often the joy that must have been in
the heart of Coiumbus when he discovered our land. Ford Hall gives us
O)J]Jortnnities to experience ,this joyand will conflnue to do so while that
'great neigJ1bor, George vV. Coleman,
conducts the meetings,
*
?r-rn:1As pRmrnm, ... ,y
The first "woman movement'·; ··~vas E::ve's gesture when she reached for
the fruit of the Tree of Knowledgea movement symbolic of the entire
subseql!ent woman's movement of the
world,
For the will to pass beyond
established bounds has constantly
been the motive of her conscious as
well as of her subconscious questEllen Key,
'I
'
j,
jfcrb 1ball jfclks
VoL. I.
No. 6.
February 2, 1913.
WHO ARE THE FOLKS?
'l'he amazing thing to me .about the
Ford Hall meetings is the wide variety
of people whom they deeply interest.
'l'hey were established primarily for
the benefit of people who do. not go to
church, it has proved almost impossible to lrnep the church people out altogether. Some of them will come In
spite of°tall we can do and hundreds
of others regret exceedingly that they
cannot come, ·
In planning our programs, our first
consideration is for the worlring class,
so-called, But I find employer after
employer who is delighted with the
spll'it and scope of our meetings, We
keep constantly in mind the person of
ordinary development in mind and
character as we choose the su]Jjects
for discussion. But I find among our
regular attendants and most enthusiastic friends, teachers and professors
and professional people generally.
Our meetings are, of course, intended
for the layman but there ls hardly a
night when we do not have a halfdozen ministers in the audience and
often many more. 11/e were quite
doubtful at first whether we could interest the Jews In our meetings, At
least a third of the audience ls made up
of .Tews every Sunday night and they
contribute a larger proportion than
that to the interest and enthusiasm
of the meetings,
I doubt if more than a small fraction
of our audience belong to the Socialist
, Party but they are so enthusiastic and
have so many sympathizers who are
willing to go part way with them that
it sometimes seems as though HHl
great majority were Socialists.
· Shocking as it may seem to some
good people who have never attended
'one of our meetings, we have in our
audience every night a very considerable group of anarchists who take
themselves just as seriously as any
churchman I ever met. 'l'hey even
claim Jesus as their model man,
It would seem as if quite a large
proportion of the Ford Hall folks were
agnostics or atheists but it may be
that they are like the Socialists in being more in evidence than their ortho-
Price Ten Cents.
dox neighbors. In the churches, the
congregations are two-thirds women,
At Ford Hall, the audience is never
less than two-thirds men and frequently the propo1-tion of men is still
larger,
There are always negroes in our
meetings and generally a Japanese or
two while a fortnight ago we had, besides the speaker of the evening, Dr,
Yamei Kin, three 01· four Chinese
women and several Chinese men,
This conglomeration of humanity
might make you think of the "happy
family" at the circus but ours ls really a happy family all the time, and we
certainly enjoy going to the Ford Hall
meetings quite as much as the small
boyenJ4~~
NEXT SUNDAY'S SPEAKER.
On February 9, Edward A, Filene
comes to us to discuss "'l'he Growing
Pains of Democracy," l\1r. Filene is
one of those rare souls who believes
in doing rather than in talking (he is
so averse to personal publicity that
we cannot here show his photograph
as ls our custom), but no man who
tries to do in these days can fail to
be confronted by certain arresting
facts .. Some of these have so deeply
impressed themselves upon Boston's
most public-spirited merchant that he
desires to call them to your attention,
His will be a significant evening at
Ford Hall.
PLANS FOR THE BIRTHDAY.
Things are coming along splendidly
for onr anniversary on li'ebruary 23,
l\1rs. Lionel Marks (Josephine Preston
Peabody) will be with ns to read her
poem, "The. Singing l\fan," and. that
brilliant Baptist, Rev. 0, P. Gifford,
D, D., of Brookline, ii; to give the address of the evening, his topic being
"'rile Social Value of Free Speech,"
Lets of other good things, too!
I
Falls
fo
Se~)uatlc~, :,'. ·,• ,
centlces I. never. could,.see · that It
1sllfled. · 'l'he argument In 'tavor
la that wlthout It the frade will
, overcrowded and wages lowIt seems to:me that this Is n far
1ormal copdltlon thari a l'lcarclty
,, with wages fore~
Also, It a trade I
"llY wish to enter, l
ey be allowed, to do,
wage, than. not; to~
wages will presum
,c1 for by the 'co
1slrn,
t of the various
abor unionism ls fig
ll. The Injunction, I
110 of former Um«
1 t Ions of working
,·cd conspiracies, an
J,v Jaw, If judges
·otild grant lnjuncj
as well as against
shops, The reason1
Is that strikes ar
(lges have coma ti
o ultimate benefit·
t the Injury to . I~
,jeot.
,es should .be resci
I oti1er methods ha~
1e end to be attali
I(] only when thei
<>o of success,
'I
•nee Is never just!
Ylolence ls a viol
nler.
"J
e Ia a parallel bet
,1;-namlters and t
RY
ATHER
1\.N, of the Cath-qlic- Seminary of St~ Pa\11.
· ~h~n,, ~peakin& on 1.abor qu~sti?n,s l~ Ford H. all, says i \
,
lnJUsltce of employers bege:ts lllJUst1ce on .. the part ot:
i their employees -.violence breeds violence." Evidently \
1
· •atlU>.LReilhz:_nLLawrence is 1101' Ii aradua.te...oLthe Catholic.
1o the restrlct!on cit: the' riuniber
fF
,.,
2
FORD HALL FOLKS
THE PRAYER.
0
I
roads for tnany y
I,· coupling appll
Manv were kllle
,,u', · y.;t the rail
!mowing this, foll
matter, These
s the dynamiters.'
(Preceding Mr. Fels' Address,)
Our hearts are made glad, our Father,
through the fellowship we have with
men of fortune and with men of privilege, who are spending and working
to bring about changes in our every
day life such as will make It Impossible
for some men to grow rich at the ex11ense of others, Vie thank Thee for
the men of large resources who give
generously to relieve the sufferings of
less fortunate brethren, but we pray
Thee to give us more men of large ac,
complishment and ample resources who
are determined to find the way by
which more people will have justice
and fewer people will need charity,
·we pray Thee to remove the scales
from the eyes of those who are blinded
by their own comfort and to give great
blessing and deep satisfaction to those
who hi spite of wealt,h and prlvilego
have not been unmindful of the
heavenly vision which Thou hast
vouchsafed to them, Amen.
"JUST TAXATION THE HOPE OF
THE WORLD,"
(Address of Joseph Fels at the Ford
Hall Meetings, ,lanuary 26, 1913.)
I'
Mr. Chairman and Ladles and Gentlemen, I always put the ladles first
because the women already rule us and
are going to help us nile the world.
(Anplause and laughter.)
You have been good enouF-h to invite me to come here and talk to you
on "Just Taxation, the Hope of the
·world." I do not believe any five
words could be much tn1 er than these
five, when we look around 11s and sre
the poverty, misery and brutishness
that belong to the common neople of
America, of Canada, of Grent Britidn. of
Germany, of France, and of everr other
country in the world, where there Is
riches, I have been caught In the
meshes of this tremendous strnggle fo"
equal freedom; for equal oppoi'tunl ty
among men and for special privilege to
none (applause) and so I go about the
world, perhaps today In Boston, perhaps three weeks !Jenee In Argentine, I
go about tbe world, I say, preaching
this great. doctrine of equal fl'eeclom
among men. And I do it 11111)r/lnd, as
··have been many, mani men before me,
to stretch out my hand to those people who haven't even got a defense, ns
I have, against want-an unearned Increment-and I have come to believe
myself that I uni a part and J)arcel of
the common people of the world
and not of the special J)rlvlleged
class, (Applause.) To me It Is en>
ti!'ely In keeping with good sound
reason, that there are anarchists, I.
vV. vV's, syndlcatlsts and other malcontents everywhere. They take one name
In one country and another name in
another country but they all point to
the same thing; they all point to the
fact that there is special privilege for
the few and that want for the many ·
arises but of that special privilege,
Now I do not know as to whether I
have ever given you an account of the
way I look at It all or not; perhaps I
have but It will bear repetition for the
audiences change from week to week,
month to month and year to year. So
I will say that if you want to get rid
of dogs in Boston, you tax dogs. You
· put a tax of say $20 each on every
four-footed dog that walks (laughter)
--it ls a great pity that you cannot put
a tax of $20 on some two-legged dogs.
(Applause.) You place this tax upon
dogs In Boston with the intention of
wiping out the dogs-and dogs disappear. And so If we wanted to get rid
of houses and fumlture and Income
and the things that men and women
use, we would lay a tax on them and
they would disappear as houses do dlsapbear or rather do not come to lifeit amounts to the same thing,
I happened to be In the state of Missouri from the 18th of October until
the day of election, November 5th, I,
went out there to fight what I called a
forelnm hope at the time; I was fighting for the Single Tax, (Laughter,)
vVhlle trying to find out where the
weaklrneed gentlemen were I dropped
into Kansas City and into a large club
there ·which bore close relation to the
Board of Trade, consisting of 800 or
900 members, big, nice, smooth, oily
looking chaps (laughte1')-telephone
people, and the railway people and the
merchants and the big representatives
of the mining Interests and things of ·
f hat kind. Six months before a taxation league had put It up before these
chaps as to whether they were In favor
or not of amending the constitutiona measure permitting Home Rule
which would ultimately end In the
Single Tax, and these gentlemen had t
appointed a committee promptly to
consider this, Intending to make a report to the gentlemen of the club by
and by, The committee consisted of
three large land owners, as I understood, and two gentlemen who worshipped the land owners, making five
of a kind. And these gentlemen had
been cons!
five and or
along and i
to Invite tr
ter,) The
to get per
after I got
of these ni
very first t
them wris t
300 and 40
there ls ai
men that i:
up," (Lani
I then ha
friends, the
In this roo
the same c'
liar myself.
the man wh
longs to ye
him, comes
much mone
your buslne
not any of)'
The next q
business ha·
of last Jani
,your gross
none of thei
Ile In your 1
question of
longed to th
of those 35
'must such q
themselves v
are to come
I tell you
government
fj! lrn for Its 1
is cren t.ecl b,
everything if
make it any
It any smalle
stances whe
steal it. (La
made larger
will aclrnow
woman and c
feet squarely
be In the t,
building in T'
Jar in Lond01
Now to wl
this tremencl
ours? To w
prevent the I
many? Well,
of people in
that gives an.
in Boston,
case, that th,
are sufficient
penses of BoS'
they may bm
the only thh
FORD HALL FOLKS
•.ople of, the world
~
&')Jecial privileged
.J 'l'o me it is eng with good sound
·e are anarchists, I.
,..
st s and other malcon'l'hey take one name
ncl another name in
lrnt they all point to
they all point to the
special privilege for
want for the many
Hpecial privilege.
now as to whether I
on an account of the
1II or not; perhaps I
,a r repetition for the
from week to week,
nd year to year. So
you want to get rid
, you tax dogs. You
$20 each on every
mt walks (laughter)
that you cannot put
me t1tvo-legged dogs.
place this tax upon
it h the intention of
gs-and dogs disapre wanted to get rid
rniture and Income
at men and women
a tax on them and
•ar as houses do diso not come to life,ame thing,
in tlie state of Misth of October until
1, November 5th.
I
ight what I called a
e time; I was fightTax. (Laughter.)
lnd out where the
1en were I dropped
11tl into a large club
lose relation to the
onsisting of 800 or
nice, smooth, oily
:inghter)-tel<,phone
lway people and the
liig representatives
r0.sts and things of
11 l hs before a taxa-•
t it up before these
,. they wore In favor
, the constltut)ont ting Home Rule
natoly end in the
J<'SC gentlemen had
niltoe promptly to
cling to make a re1wn of tho club by
mittee consisted of
wners, ns I under11 tlornen who worwners, making five
10se gentlemen had
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
I
~
l
,J)
beeJ considering this amendment for
five and one-half months when I came
along and invited the Commercial Club
to invite me to address them. (Laughter.) The secretary was good enougl1
to get permission and so, two days
after I got there, I stood before 350
of these nice, oily gentlemen and the
very first thing I did after looking at
them was to say: "There are between
300 and 400 men in this room and if
there ls any mun , amongst these 300
men that is not a liar, let him stand
up." (Laughter.) No one stood.
I then hastened to say to them: "My
friends, the reason I called every mun
in this room a liar is because, under
the same circumstances, I would be a
liar myself. When the tax collectorthe man who is after the thing that belongs to you and does not belong to
him, comes to you and aslcs you 'How
much money have you got invested in
your business?' you say to him 'It is
not any of your business.' (Laughter.)
The next question is 'What kind of
business have you done since the first
of last ,January' and then '°\,Vhut are
your gross profits?' All of which is
none of their business. Naturally you
lie in your answers." But if a simple
question of finance about what belonged to them could make every one
of those 350 men liars, what effect
must such questions have on the men
themselves and on their children who
are to come after them?
I tell you the only thing that the
government has any right at all to
take for its support is everything that
is created by all the people; and that
everything is land value. You cannot
make it any larger, you cannot make
it any smaller, though I do lmow of instances ,vhere land owners tried to
steal it. (Laughter.) As it cannot be
made larger or smaller, I think you
will acknowledge that every man,
woman and child must have his or her
feet squarely on the earth whether it
be in the top story of the highest
building in Boston or in the slum cellar in London.
Now to what extent can we go in
this tremendously civilized world of
ours? '.Po what extent can we go to
prevent the few from swallowing' the
many? Well, I claim that the presence
of people in Boston is the only thing
that gives any value at all to the land
in Boston. I claim, that being the
case, that the land values of Boston
are sufficient to pay nil public expenses of Boston, no matter how heavy
they may become. I also claim that
the only thing Government has any
3
right to tamper with Is that which has
been created by all of us. Now, that
being the case, we may well do without taxation on everything else except
land values.
I got back, three weeks ago, from a
town in Texas. The place ls Houston.
It ls supposed to have at least a population of about 1~5,000 people who
think highly of it. Other people especially people living In Galve~ton
which ls 60 miles away, think it ha~
only about 80,000. (Laughter.) I think
it has about 80,000, It is perhaps the
most prosperous city in the United
States. '!:here is more real down-right
business and industry in Houston than
in any other city that I have ever been
in in the United States. And nil this
has been largely caused by one man,
This man is a little taller than I um
(laughter), almost as bald (laughter),
and only half us wide. (Laughter.) He
began his job some 18 years ago-having become a follower of the economic
philosophy of Henry George-and 12
years ago he bought what is now four
blocks of ground within the city limits
of Houston and put up a sign, "This
property cost $390 per plot. It ls for
sale for $5000 per plot and it will be
held until such time as it realizes
$5000· per plot." That seemed very
foolish, didn't it? He then proceeded
to pnt up a log cabin-they built it
with their own hands, back of this
sign, and they used, this log cabin
every day until I came there, three
weeks ago, for meetings of Single Ta¥
nrn!l' who believed in the economic
philosophy of Henry George, I said
during m_y recent visit, "Why don't
you repmr that sign? Why it can
hardly be read, one comer qf it has
been blown away by the wind. It has
passed its day of usefulness.'' He
said, "I have had an offer for $4500 on
my last plot. 'l'he fellow is coming up
by 'lnrl by 11nd will .give me $5000." He
had already sold off foiw of the plots
for $20,000. About two years ago this
same man, Joseph Pusteriza invited
the citizens of Houston to ap,;oint him
(1flmmlssioner of taxes. Think of'that.
Then he proceeded to remove all the
taxation from every bit of personal
property in Houston. He took off ~II
twrntion from all banlrn, stocks, etc.,
and he furthermore removed 75 per
cent. of taxes from all buildings in
Houston and then he went and found
a scientific lot of fellows who knew
how to assess land, who could 'find m1t
just exactly what Janel was woi;th
whether it would be in Houston 01• In
Paris or in Palestine. And then he got
;
F'al
s
o
ee
[FAiHER
.ue ce.: ,, ·,-·
AN,
.
. ·-'-·~--
to the rostrlotlo~ 'ot 1 the'· ntiinber
RY
of the Cath~li~-s~~ninary of St~ Paut.l '
·0ntlcea I never oouh;J,.aee· lllat It
1
\
stifled. •.rhe argu_ment ,tn favor
Minn., speakin&' on labqr qu~stions In Ford Hall, says:,
Is that without It the trade will
.
"Injustice of ~mployers beg-e;ts injustice on .the part oi ·
overcrowded and wages lowd
·
'd 1 1
1t seems to, me that this ts a far
their employees - violence bree, s violence, "
Evt ent y ·:
I
ormal condition thq___,,.......,n.11,=---~"-...._-=-~·
•h-o....C.w.b,.o.ll...',....:..·-------"""iilillllllllllill_--,_.,..______
,, with wages forol
,.,
Also, If a trade
111y wish to enter, i
ry be allowed, to do
~·age, than not, t
,,.ages wlll presum
cl for by the · co
FORD HALL FOLKS
4
sks.
I
. of the varloul
the value of every piece of land in
the Stars nncl Stripes, went over to
that elevate
1bor unionism Is fl~
I. The Injunction, 1
Houston and the town was plotted out
these three 11rovlnces of Canada. And
down as 1111
•lie of former tlII\
by those fellows that knew their busiwhy did they do it? They went beter.) But ~
,lions of worlclng I
ness-every blessed one of whom was
cause they saw n taxation of the right
creased tax
eel conspiracies, ai
a Single Tax man. They mapped out
ment store
kind in Canada and of a most damnJw law. If judges
Houston, putting down the name of the
ably wrong kind in the United States.
afford to m
,t;ld grant lnjuno,
owner of every ]llot and what the land
And so there ls a fight on in Oregon
up and dow
as well as agalns'
hops. The reasoi:i
was worth as between the willing buyer
and in 1.Ynshington and beginning in
out, and ma
is that strikes
cessible an(,
and the wllling seller. Then he ]lroIdaho for untaxing labor and taxing
lges ha.ve come t
ceeded--did Pnsterizn-to assess all
floor, why s
land values.
, ultlmate benefl1
Now, then, as to other countries. In
railway 10 1
this land 100 cents on the dollar of
the Injury to . ~
1909-'10 Lloyd George put through Parmake it just
what It was worth.
lect.
j
liament his Budget, assessing nil the
'I'he grafters or land owners, I say
other encl o
rs should .be res
grafters now because I nm far n way
land in Great Britain and laying a
this encl? (
other methods h~
o end to be attn
fro.m Houston, fought so hard that
small tax on all Janel values amounting
You see w
1 only when thl
they made Pnsterizn tax it 70 )Jer cent.
to over $250 an acre and Lloyd George
way would c
e of success,
of its value; so he proceeded to tax 70
did this in the face of the utmost op-
l
1
---"-L-----~..
'
•
a:
j~fl
'.'.~;le~c/~~ei~
<lcr.
:i
• Is a parallel be
I ,·namlters and
,;,tds for many •
,, coupling appll
l\Ianv were Jdll
,r, · y.;t the rat~
nowlng this, fol\
matter, These,)
· the d y n a ~
~
I
I
1
per cent. of t.he value of the land in
Houston. "Well, there were some ]llots
of ground in Houston discovered on
which no taxes had been paid since
the days of Mother :mve (laughter),
and he found some land that had been
taxed 30 per cent. and some 125 per
cent. ·why? because the land that was
taxed 125 per cent. was underneath the
little shanties of the poor, the houses
that rented for about $15 to $18 ))el'
month. Pnsterlza changed nil that
with the wave of his hand. He was
appointed the first of January, 1911.
During the first six months after he
got his job finished, t.he citizens of .the
city of Houston put UJJ 219 more build-."
ings in six months than they did in
the six months in 1910. Two hundred
and nineteen more buildings, and (·hese
21!l buildings were worth three times
whnt, the buildings that had been JJUt
np in 1910 hncl cost! 1Vhich proves
that if yon remove nil taxation from
all person:il ]lroperty and nil b11lldln<r.s
n man wlll put in more money into
building because he has got morP.
money_ to put into it. He saves that
from taxation. This change Js giving
Pnsterlzn nil the money he had before for public purposes and thev talk
now of 500,000 inhabitants in Houston
within 20 years; and they are going to
have it because neople are piling in-,
t.here from every direct.ion just as soon
as they find out the different ]rind of
taxation that there prevails. Gnlvegton has gone to sleep and I wlll say
tlrnt unless the other cities in Texas
follows Houston, the peonle will ll1ove
into Houston n1• thev will ha.ve to shut
up business. (Laughter.)
This is the experience in the northwestern part of Cnnndn, in the cities of
Vancouver nncl Victoria and in more
than 30 or 40 rural eettlements that
have n large mensnre of the Single
Tax in onerntion. And in 1910, my
friends, 141,000 Americans, members ot
position. Every duke and every titled
gentleman who ought to have been
put to worlc (laughter) objected to
this. They wanted to hang him. But,
my friends, you can put this down
flne; that ns Great Drltnin ficlclles to·(iay the world begins to dance tomorrow; and unless the United States gets
in line with the Single 'I'ax movement,
which ls fnst coming in England, we
shall nil have to move over across the
sen.
Now I am here in Boston and you
Goston )Jeople should come to your
f'enses; you should beg-in an agitation
for untaxing labor in Boston, and untaxing business in Boston, and untaxing houses in Boston so that you can
nut n tax on unus<ocl land, such as yon
have got here by the mile, and get it
Jut.o use to tlie encl that people may
live Jn homes instead of hovels. (Applause.)
There used to he n man in CleveIa ud whose name was Tom L. Johnson (ap]Jlause) nncl I heard that man
say in a speech, one day, that he expected tb live to see the time whe'1
Cleve.land should have n free street
railway from one encl to the other.
When he died, in April of Inst year, ho
hncl a street car line throughout Cleveland and running into the country for
20 miles on which there was charged
the rate of 3 cents wi1J1 universal free
transfer, and this street railway made
so much money that they have paid 6
per cent. on every share of stock-and
a good many shni·es of this stock were
about. RS thin. or thinner, than water.
I believe that if Johnson had lived
20 years longer he would have had a
free street rnilwny because I can show
you more than n thousand free rnilwny lines that are rnn in Boston tonhd1t. Every clennrtment store, every,
omce, every building has a free railway running up and down nil the time.
And no charge is made for running
come for exn
street rnilwa
and n land v
every steams
of the Unite•,
tioned on th
cohntry whe1
fit it gets fro
And so sho
the water, if
vate compnn
!lghts, and 1
privilege that
sonnl nctivll
should be pni
you would no
people in Bos I
any people in
• cause you wo
next door to
much as the
building.
Diel you ev
happens whl'J
1.Yhen the lane
to build n 11011
lnr-I don't rn
]Jecnuse he dor
ter), but ho hi1
lnr nnd when
ished digging
the foundation
to have the st
mason con1fS .
lshed, the !Jrie
the concrete n
and then comr
carpenters, the
fitters and p!11
menters and p
would go to w
o"ne of these me
hasn't he ougl
nncl every one
babies and if ti
have them (In
babies have re•
and for, stocldn,
for lmick-lmac
FORD HALL FOLKS
:::Jtrlpes,' went over · to
vinces of Canada. And
lo it? They went bea taxation of the right
and of a most damn! in the United States.
; a fight on in- Oregon
:;ton and beginning in
..:ing labor and taxing
to other countries. In
corge put through ParJg-et, assessing all the.
Bl'italn and laying a
land values amounting
acre and Lloyd George
·ace of the utmost opcJuke and every titled
taught to have been
lnngllter) objected to
l'll to hang him. But,
1 can put this down
1,a t Britain fiddles to•gins to dance tomor( l!e UnitecJ States gets
Single Tax movement,
ming in England, we
move over across the
c in Boston and you
hould come to your
Ill begin an agitation
JI' in Boston, and un11 Boston, and. untaxston so that you can
s, cl land, such as yo11
the mile, and get it
:md that people may
I <'ad of hovels. (Ap!Je a man in Cleve, was Tom L . .TohnHl I heard that man
one day, that he exsee the time whe'1
have a free street
2 end to the other.
April of last year, he
11n thro11ghout Cleveinto the country for
1 there was charged
; with universal free
street railway made
mt they have paid 6
share of stock-and
·s of this stock were
l1inner, than water.
' Johnson had lived
l would have had a
because I can show
thousand free rail-·
, run in Boston to1rtment store, every
ng has a free rail(] down all the time.
made for running
....
that c,ievator and you may ride up and
clown as much as you chose. (Laughter.) But you are paying for it in increased taxation. Now, if a depart~
ment store or Ir an office building can
afford to maintain free transportation
up and clown all day, clay in and day
out and maim a 27th story equally ucces~ible and as desirable as the first
floor, why should you not run a street
mllway 10 miles into the country and
make It just us possible to live at the
·other encl of the 10 miles as it is at
this end? (Applause.)
You see where your free street railway ,~mlcl co.me in and that it would
come for exactly the same reason. This
street railway is a public franGhise
and a Janel value. So the franchise of
every steamship line that leaves a port
of the United States should be conditioned on the Single Tax paid to the
country where it docks for the benefit it gets from the country.
And so should every other franchlse,
the water if it was rented by a private company, the gas and electric
lights, and telephone system,-every
privilege that is made up by the personal activities of the population
should be paid for. And, my friends,
you would not then have any starving
J)eople in Boston. You would not have
any people in Boston out of work because you would tax the lot that was
next door to a 25-story building._ as
much as the land under the 25-stciry
building.
Diel you ever stop to think ,vlrnt
happens when you build a house•?
'Nhen tile landlord makes up his mind
to build a house-he llrst digs t110 eel.Jar-I don't mean he does it himself,
l>ecause he does not dig cellars (laughter), but he hires people to dig the cellar and when these people ha\re finisl1ecl digging the cellar, thfJY put up
the foundation wall and then they have
to have the stone mason. The stone
mason comes and when has has finished, the brick man comes along or
the concrete man,, or the steel man;·
and then come the J)lasterer and the
carpenters, the paper liangers and gasfitters and plumbers, then the ornamenters and painters. All these men
would go to worlc, and every blessed
one of these men has a wife, and if he
hasn't he ought to have (laughter),
and every one of tLese wives have
babies and if they don't they ought to
have them (laughter), and all these
babies have requirements for muslin
anrl for stockings and for flannels and
for lmick-lmacks and other various
5
things that go to make up babies.
(Laughter.)
You would then have killed off that
very dangerous "one man In 20." I
mean the one man in 20 who has no
job! You have nothing to fear from
the I. 'I.V. 'N. or Socialism or Anarchism
or anything else but from the mun in
20 who has no job. Until you can kill
him off by giving him a job, he will
a.lways be a threat to you and until
yoti can wipe him out you will not have
industrial peace in this country, nor do
you deserve to have it.
But if we tax those things and those
things only that are created by the
people and leave to the pl'!vate individual all things created by his labor,
you will have peace in this country,
you will have plenty in this counfry,
and you will have as near to a perfect
country as the world has ever seen'.
That great man, Tsin Yat Sun, in
China, knows about the Single Tax and
has already had the courage to establish colonies all through China having
It in mind to lceep for the people all
the land values that the people ornate,
In Germany over 100 cities have a
measure of the Single Tax already In
operation.
Tn the last political campaign we
had strnggles in Oregon, in the state
of Missomi and in the state of California, all with a view to having Single
Tax put into operation; and the little
state of Rhode Island, which is about
big enough to hold together (laughter)
has been strnggling for the Single Tax
to my eertaln lmowledge for 20 years,
but they haven't given up the ship. It
is not success that we are after; it is
education of tlie 11eo11le that we are
after, and until the people can become
sufficiently educated to take on this
great moral reform; this great economic reform, the people ought not to
adopt it. My friends, to me, this reform In taxation is a moral question,
as deep and as broad as any moral
question that has ever been brought to
the notice of the world. To me it is a
religion; I am a fanatic about it. But
there mnst be fanatics, for fanatics,
like cranks, ma.ke things turn.
A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS:
Q. ViToulcl you approve of the inheritance tax as did 'fhornas L . .Johnson
of Cleveland?
A. Certainly not. · Mr . .Johnson war,
as apt to make mistakes as any one
elstl.
Q. 'Noulcl. you exempt la;id occupied
by churches?
.
,F'
1·
-i=alls to see· ust ce . .·.,·.:.',
,.:..,. '-- ~-· . · · I
lo'the restrlotlon ~f'the'numb1~
ATHER RYAN, of the Catholic Seminary of St. Pa1,1l.\
1
prentlces 1 never could see· ll;lat
Minn. speakin&" 011 labor qu~stions in Ford Hall, says_i
19
/~
;l~~o~~gl~~~~\~~dJa;f1~
"Inju~tice of ~mployers bege,ts inj_ustice ~,n .the ?art nt \
1
ne overcrowded and w,'.n~gje~s_n_lojw~L~-_Lt~l~ie~i!:r_~e~n~lp~l~o y~e:_l:e~s~::__v~i~o~l,:e~n~c,:e_~b:re:e~d~s:__,v:;t:_::o:.:,le::;n~c;:e:,~.....E:.;,v;,.1d:;_en:::,:.:tl-;_y...i..._________111111111E
2
It seems to.mo that Vtls Is n far
,,,
normnl {1/ages fore
nn, wllli r,ondltlon. th1
. Also, If a trade I
:nanY wish to enler. I
:hey be allowed.to do,
wage, tlinn not, to
n wages will presum,
1ed for by the co
6
FORD HAL~ FOLKS
t11sks.
,st of the various.
A. Certainly not (Applause). Nor
desks and chairs of the lawyers and
labor unionism Is fig'
reporters;
,
would I exempt :Masonic Temples. I
·ed. The Injunction, \
would not exempt from taxation anyThe cage, standing gaunt and unrelic of former tlm1
nations of worldng
thing In the shape of land.
friendly vis-a-vis the judge's chair;
'ered conspiracies, a~
Q. If the single tax was established,
The clock over the door proclaiming
" by law. If judges]
the ending of the court's recess;
would not tlie present system of exwould grant lnjunci
ploitation still continue?
The measured tread of the feet of tl,le
s as well as agalns~
A. I don't see how it could, my
jurors, coming along the corridor;
shops, The reaso~i
friend. Will you please tell me how
The entrance of the twelve "peers" of ·
l.s Is that strikes a
ludges have come t,
it could?
the prisoners, conscious of grave· rethe ultimate benefl
Q. ·well, by private ownership of
sponsibility;
,ot the Injury to · I
the mines,
The reporters and the lawyel'S filing
,liject.
Into place; the judge gravely facing
A. But if I have got all the value
!kes should .be res
that attaches to the land-all monopothe room;
·ill other methods ha
lies, or special privilege that come out
The click of the handcuffs stirring
the end to be attn!
curiosity, interest., anxiety;
of the land, how can you have posses1 nd only when the
ope of success, ' •,
sion of anything?
'l'he march of otficr.rs and nrlsoner8
,Jenee ls never jus
Q. Is a patent a specie of monopoly?
to the cage;
'. -violence ll ls a vi
A. Yes,
"Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!"
order.
Q, vVhat are you going to do with
'!'he call ·of roll of the jury,-one, two,
•re Is a parallel be
it?
three, four, five, six', seven, eight,
dynamiters and
nine, ten, eleven, twelve;
A. I think I should be ln favor of al!!roads for many •~
, lie coupling appll
The call and silent rising of the prislowing a man a certain percentage on
·s. Many were klll
the results of his patent for a cert(!ln
oners, "Joseph J. Ettor," "Arturo M,
year, . yet the ral
number of years and then wipe it out;
Glova11nitt.i,''. "Joseph Caruso!"
!mowing this, fo
but it woulcl have to be specific and
*
*
*
*
s matter.
These
not speculative as it ls at present.
The prosecution ls closing its case;
as the dynamiters.
Q.
"\,Vouldn't taxation on land so
the State's Attorney ls completing
increase its value that it would be difhis charge;
ficult for poor people to buy land?
The officer of the State, the guardian of
A. Is it possible for the poor to buy
law and 01·der, the defender of the
land now? Taxation would bring the
oppressed, the servant of the elm:land into use-force the land into nse
torate, is building an argumentand the man who holds land ant ot'
An argument founded on suspicion.
use would have to pay td the commuclass hatred, race pride.
nity that which the community is ueHe flatters the jury; he conjures np
prived of now,
patriotic visions from tbe past;
He portrays the history of the commonwealth and its heroes, with sinMASS AC HUSE TT SON TRIAL:
ister intent;
MASSACHUSETTS ACQUITTED.
He warns of the menace of the foreigner, of the foreigner's philosophy,
of the foreigner's inflammability;
His commercial mind pictures the de:
sire for the dues of the comrades as
the motive of these agltatom;
"Our holy traditions are at stake; our
venerable Institutions. are at stalre;
yea, our sacred property ls at stake!"
·wm the jury surrender law and order,
will the)' condone anarchy?
The State's Attorney has addressed the
twelve men of Massachusetts.
*
*
*
*
vVhat is 'the case that demands this
patriotic peroration?
An Italian woman has been ldlled, a
compatriot of two of these men, a
fellow worker,- comrade, sister, of all
By Charles Zueblln,
of t!Iem.
.
The high-ceiled court-room with it3 ,vhere Is the murderer? The State's
Attorney does not know: no one
ample windows on either side;
knows.
The spectators buzzing expectantly
The prisoners preached' brotherhood,
along three walls;
vehemently, passionately,
'l'he judge's empty bench; the empty
~fltt;~
'b---------'-
The Slat
vengean
ately.
The three
testing 1
the lan1
trial fo1
understr
cusers.
They have
for n10ll
\ned, ha
question
but who
Is It not t1
cb usetts
·I
I
,
The State
There re
judge.
"Accordlnf
r.husetts'
heard In
judge ch:
these pri
The counsc
to let th<
be silent.
Josepli Ett,
at this 111
The room
choked ,,
thick, bu
taln tops
roused.
Ettor pene1
State's ,
thruRt.
'The prison<
their actE
No acts I
phlloso}lh
He Is not. t
responslb',
an, he R
chair.
No palllatio
demnat.lo1
phy and I
Though it i
Ile must
claim the
run procl\J
He can~ to
co and I
ready to
necessary.
He ls not a
Itallan-bo1
zens and
wealth o[
Their death
of this CO'
On the day l
prophets "
7
FORD HALL FOLKS
chairs of the lawyers and
standing gaunt and uni.s-a-.,ithe judge's chail·;
, 1·<>1'
door proclaiming
of
court's recess;
d t1
of the feet of the
Jing along the corridor;
, of the twelve "peers" of ·
·rc:, conscious of grave· re-
I·
I
I
s and the lawyers ·filing
the judge gravely facing
· the handcuffs stirring
Ill erest, anxiety;
if officers and prisoners
1r ye, hear ye!"
,ll of the jury,-one, two,
five, siX:, seven, eight,
1 ven, twelve;
..
silent rising of the prlsph .T, Ettor,'.' "Arturo M,
' "Joseph Caruso!"
*
*
*
on ls closing its case;
Attorney Is completing
lie State, the guardian of
1,r, the defender of the
lite servant of the elec-
ilding an argumentrounded on suspicion,
race pride,
'
l jury; he conjures np
ms from the past;
ie history of the comtlll its heroes, with slnmenace of the forl'oreigner's philosophy,
ur's Inflammability;
mind pictures the de11es of the comrades as
these agltatom;
lions are at stake; our
itutions are at stalre;
l property Is at stake!"
1'l'ender law and order,
"ne anarchy?
mey has addresood the
J\Iassachusetts,
*
*
,e that demands this
at ion?
111 has been killed, a •
l wo of these men, a
comrade, sister, of all
lH1
1rderer? The State's
not know; no one
reached· hrotherhood,
ssionately,
(
1'he Slate'S' Attorney is preaching
vengeance sophistically intem1rnrately,
The three men sit in the cage, two protesting mutely; the third ignorant of
the language, staring mystified; on
trial for his life he sits for hams
understanding no word of his accusers.
'I'hey have been deprived of freedom
for months they have been examined have testified, have been crossquestloned, have heard witnesses:
but who ls on trial today?,
Is it not the Commonwealth o,f Massachusetts?
'* * * *
The State's·· Attomey has Nnished.
· There rema1'ns only the charge of the
judge,
·
"According to the precedent of Massadrnsetts' Jaw a prisoner, may be
heal'd in his own behalf before the
judge charges the jury. Does one of
these 11risoners desire to speak?"
1'be counsel of the prisoners urge them
to let the .case rest, but they nannot
he silent,
Joseph Ettor rises, rotun,d, genial, but
at this moment not smiling,
The room Is now full; the doors are
choked with spectators; the air ls
thick, but pulses beat as on, mountain tops; even the weary Jury Is
roused,
Ettor penetrates the sophistry of tl10
State's Attorney with one keen
thrust,
The prisoners are not being tried for
their acts, but for their philosophy,
No acts have been proved and the
philosophy has been misrepresented.
He is not there to apologize. If he ls
responsible for the death of a woman, he should sit in the electric
chair, .
·
No palliation; no compromise; no condemnation of the prisoner's phllosophy and pity for the prisoner.
Though it invite the severest penalty
he must still stand there and proclaim the right of all men to the
full product of their labor,
He came to Massachusetts as Kosclusco and Pula11ki had come; he is
ready to give his lite for others if
necessary,
He ls not a foreigner, but he and his
Italian-born comrades are the citi·ze1'rs and prophets of the commonwealth of the world.
Their death will not delay the coming
of this commonwealth.
On the day that they die half a million
prophets w\ll rise,
In a hushed voice the court officer, he
~~tt~\~:~:: .~m~n?{1'.?te
bl~t~I~~i ;~ys
'Who but the prnsecutlon could doubt
that Masoochusetts is on trial?
*
*
*
*
"Does one of the other prisoners wish
to speak?" asks the judge,
Yes. Glovannitli will also be heard.
It is well.
He wins at once attention and sympathy, He is still more intense, and
speaks with some dlfflculty-hls first
speech In English,
Ettor commanded by logic, vigor and
sincerity, Giovann!tti appeals by his
delicate profile, bis gentle voice, his
exa Ita tion,
VVhat are the sacred traditions of
Massachusetts that arwbeing upheld
in this trial?
Are they the traditions of witch-burning Salem, or those of tl10 Boston
tea-1iarty that overthrew tyrants?
Are they the traditions of the respectable mob that dragged Garrison
around by a noose, or those of the
triumphant abolitionists?
He also ls not there to plead for mercy,
but to protest against punishment
for holding the philosophy that
unites the class-conscious workers of
the world.
He too will have no compromise. All
dr n~thlng,
He can face death for his faith, as
Socrates did, as Jesus did, as the
mediaeval martyrs did; but he ls no
martyr,
He ancl Ettor are responsible for their
proved words; but Caruso, his poor
comrade Caruso, cannot speak English· he has a wife, he ls Ignorant,
sur~ly he cannot be held responsible.
(Even the experienced court officer and
the sophistlca ted reporter blink
hard),
On his mother's lmee he had learned of
the oppressors of Rome and Italy,
He had come to the Republic to find
freedom, and found-Lawrence,
H this proved to be his last speech It
would be one of prophecy, of that
fraternity of the future for which he
would still work if he were set free.
Ettor and Giovannltti liave addressed
the twelve men of Massachusetts;
but all must have seen, a they saw,
a listening world, a world of superficial prejudices and misunderstandings but a world of latent sympathy ~nd humanity.
"'
*
*
*
The next day the judge delivers his
•
--r[1~Fa
0 ",·
ISM
la to, See
~• oe, :: ,
,
·
,
IFATHER,RYAN,
·
,- ·
-
~.i--~~-1 ·
''Aa.to the restrlotlo/i ot'the number
of the Catholic-S~mlnary of St. Paul.\
·
bf approritlces I never could see th at It
: Minn,, spea.kin<r on labor qu~stions In Ford Hall, says :
, was justified. The argument In favor
9
1
11
I of this ts that without It the trade will
"Injustice of employers bege',ts injustice on. the part ot \
nd wages lowbecome overcrowded a
their em lo ,ees - violence bree~ls. violence,'.'
Evidently '· _
ered, It seems to me tha,UJllilsL!JlsLJ!nJ.!fa!:!r:L_ __:_E:1_~:_~~~~~=~~::.'..'.::.':..~~_.:.)!!,.._,:;.:.:;.:~;;;.::.:.:.__.~:.:.::'.:.:::.:::.::.:;:.....,.__:______.lllllf
~
more normal condition t
'1 ·
of men; with wages fo
, ~. \ : clally, Also, If a trade
·' H.\ II' that manY wish to en\er.
rd a that they be allowed' to d
· lower wage, than not,
lose In wages will presu
ems
pellsated for by the c
\ their tasks,
I "Moat of the varlo·
IWhich labor unionism Is
!removed, The Injunction
IN 10 NS, ts a relic ~f of workln~
former tll
combinations
Iconsidered conspiracies,
.
lshable by Jaw. If judg
,tiC'ISeS they would grant lnju
\ .
strll<es as well as again,
closed shops, The reasl
lR
do this Is that strikes
that judges have come
3,
that the ultimate bene
and not the Injury to
their· object,
"Strikes should .be r~
~l<e ever when all otiier methods h
l>ody or ,when the end to be att
1:yan of: one, and only when ti
. 1 Hall'· able hope of success,
1
'''
"Violence Is never ju
·r: of th ~ use of vlolencecJls· a V
1 social order.
follow-: "'.l'here Is a parallel b
,. Iar e- of the dynamiters. and
'
g the railroads for many
spealrnr automatic coupling app~
1, the I.' the cars,
Many were kl!
1
ti othor each year, · yet the r
sympa- though knowing this, fol
11·as un- on this matter. These
1· Indus: guilty as the dynamiter
,l ended ,
should ·
., under
1s their ':
rl them
r---
i
8
charge, precise, exhm1Hti ve, discriminating, dispassionate,
The day after, the jury returns its verdict. The twelve men of l\'lassachusetts have acquitted the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
*
*
*
*
"Hear ye, hear ye!"
"God bless the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts!"
jl
e-
Copyright, 1913, by Charl!JS Zueblln.
Published by the Boston School of
· Social Science,
Coples of the above poem at five
cents each may be had upon application to Miss Louise Grout, 154 Newbury St., Boston,
I
I
the I
ar-
Ing
r of
i,i(erest
•(l ?"
labor
had 1
nclhods 1
,,c,concl" nunfln any 1
llled, uy :.
<'l'
I
labor'
ring of 1
,•lasses, \
rnienlo
, train-
1
and 1
·r cit!- ·
inn of
•c
·orl<ing 1
1elhod11 :
1·t·
there
er who
i
I
occu- :
s, like : •
lo oc-
1
closed
I
I
from
,is Inls not
,,
but
right
it Is
to
·1111ent
int
1111lon
: from
·ll!led,
goes
only
but
:os
1lt,
lo I
ts,
.'llble, I
lhlrd 1
yqur ·
\I,"
1
FORD. HALL FOLKS
FROM OUR MAIL BOX,
♦
"Please send me three sets of Ji'ord
llall Po/ks for which find enclosed
$1.50, Usually, I shall buy the paper
at the meetings but, on account of lllness in the family, I have not been
able to attend for a month now, 'l'he
paper will help make this up to me.':
* * * *
"I received Ji'ord Ila/I. J1'01/t8, Fine,
I enclose my check herewith for $5,
for which please send. me five (5)
copies of Pol'r/. Ila//, Ji'oll!s for ten
weeks, and at the ex]Jlration of that
elate, vlease send Ji'or1l Ilall Ji'o/ks just
the same, with bill. This little joumal
should have the su]Jport of every
thinking man. A little later I hope to
be able to increase my subscription,"
*
*
*
*
January 17, 1913,
My Dear Jack London:
I love to go to Ford Hall because l
learn there-and there only-what the
late vVilliam ,James meaut when he
wrote his great chapter on the Common Folks. I have lived in Boston for
three years and the Ford Hall meetings are the only ones in Boston with
]lower enough to draw me away froni
my own very comfortable home on Sunday nights, J love Ford Hall because I
find preached in It the great Gospel of
Neighborliness - the philosophy of
love. And, If you must have.the whole
truth, I love to go there because Its
people are close to the earth, and contact with them mal,es me understand
what is meant hy the old mythological
tale of the man whose strength was renewer] every time he touched the
grnund,
But I startd to tell you about 1Vlllimn James and his tribute to the rl)al
hhoes of the world- !he men and
women who are doing their dally work
In ti neighborly, helpful way,
"On
freight trains, on the decks of vessels,
in cattle vards and mines," says James
-"on lmi1ber rafts, among the firemen •
and the policemen, the demand for
'courage is incessant. There, every day
of the year, somewhere, is human nature in c,1•/.re111/s for you, And wherever a scythe, an 11¥,e, a pick, oi' a
shovel is wielded you have It sweating
and aching and with its powers of
patient endurance racked to the utmost. under the length of hours of the
strain."
What I have found at Ford Hall may
he found in this next 1mragraph: ''As
J awoke to all this unidealized he1'oic
life around me," continues Prof. James,
"the scales seemed to fall from my
eyes; and a wave of sym]Jathy greater
than anything I had ever before felt
with the commOJi life of common men
began to fUI my soul. It began to seem
as if virtue with l1orny hands and
dirty skin were the only virtue genuine and vital enough to take account
of. IiJvery other virtue poses; none is
absolutely unconscious and simple, and
unexpectant of decoration or recognition, like this, These are our soldiers,
thought I, these our sustainers, these
the very parents of our life."
I have lived on a dollar a week, slept
ln a drygoods box, spent a winter in
the north country in a room through
the walls of which filtered the snow,
wom vapor in my .shoes because I
rouldn't afford new· soles, worn patchcovered clothes-well, I've managed to
live 011 five dollars a week In a strange
town, and, although I've fought my
way to a better income, I cannot quite
escape from the feeling that nowhere
in Boston is there a spiritual home for
me that ls more mine than Ford Hall,
To learn the art of seeing the world
through the eyes of others is to !mow
often the joy that must have been in
the heart of Coiumbus when he discovered our land. Ford Hall gives us
O)J]Jortnnities to experience ,this joyand will conflnue to do so while that
'great neigJ1bor, George vV. Coleman,
conducts the meetings,
*
?r-rn:1As pRmrnm, ... ,y
The first "woman movement'·; ··~vas E::ve's gesture when she reached for
the fruit of the Tree of Knowledgea movement symbolic of the entire
subseql!ent woman's movement of the
world,
For the will to pass beyond
established bounds has constantly
been the motive of her conscious as
well as of her subconscious questEllen Key,
'I