The Populist Pitch on University Grounds
Ralph Beaumont draws a crowd of 1,500 to the university campus to preach radical land reform and rail against the ‘unearned increment.’
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Ralph Beaumont, an orator for the People's Party, delivered a speech yesterday on the university campus to a crowd of roughly 1,500 people. Beaumont utilized a blend of sharp sarcasm and economic theory to critique the current American land system. Referencing conversations with Henry George, he argued that the ‘unearned increment’—the value land gains simply due to its location rather than owner improvements—should fund public services, even suggesting it could cover all city costs and provide free transit. He drew thunderous applause when he warned of the influence of corporations and millionaire landowners. Beaumont’s rhetoric was pointed, suggesting that even Jesus Christ might be crucified today by the same interests if he were to preach on modern economic inequality.
“Jesus Christ was to come to New York today and preach the principles he spoke on Calvary he would be crucified even before he had been given a fair hearing.”
The People's Party (Populists) were central to late 19th-century Pacific Northwest politics, channeling working-class resentment into advocacy for land tax reforms that remain relevant in today's debates over property values and wealth inequality.
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