"
* McKee, "National Conventions and Platforms," p. 251.
In the meantime Henry George, whose "Progress and Poverty" had
made a profound impression upon public thought, had become in
1886 a candidate for mayor of New York City, and polled the
phenomenal total of 68,110 votes, while Theodore Roosevelt, the
Republican candidate, received 60,485, and Abram S. Hewitt, the
successful Democratic candidate, polled 90,552. The evidence of
popular support which attended Henry George's brief political
career was the prelude to a national effort which culminated in
the formation of the United Labor party. Its platform was similar
to that of the Union party, except that the single tax now made
its appearance. This method contemplated the "taxation of land
according to its value and not according to its area, to devote
to common use and benefit those values which arise, not from the
exertion of the individual, but from the growth of society," and
the abolition of all taxes on industry and its products. But it
was apparent from the similarity of their platforms and the
geographical distribution of their candidates that the two labor
parties were competing for the same vote. At a conference held in
Chicago to effect a union, however, the Union Labor party
insisted on the complete effacement of the other ticket and the
single taxers refused to submit. In the election which followed,
the Union Labor party received about 147,000 votes, largely from
the South and West and evidently the old Greenback vote, while
the United party polled almost no votes outside of Illinois and
New York.
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