The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-01-30 00:00:00

THE SQUIRE.

Whether the abolition of squires will bring peace
and contentment to the labourer remains to be seen.
Mr. Arch hints darkly at "compulsory legislation,"
by which he probably means legislation to compel
landowners to surrender their land into the hands
of persons who at present possess none. The trifling
injustice incident to the process of confiscation has
not received much attention, so we must wait to see
the lines upon which the annomtion will be carried
out. When all, however, shall have been done, and
wbc,.. the hated squire shall have been got rid of, it
is not improbable that the labourer will owe money
to someone; and, so far as our experience goes,
the average squire is not the hardest of
landlords, so possibly in this particular the change
may not be for the better, so far as the labourer
is concerned. Not the least regrettable incident
in connection with the land question is the en-
deavour to set class against class—the labourer
against the farmer, and the farmer against the squire.
The "revolt," as Mr. Chamberlain called it the other
day, has been carried on with much needless acerbity
and a most astounding want of charity. As a speci-
men of the reckless statements that have been made,
we may mention what took place in the northern
midlands prior to the election. One speaker at a
meeting told his audience that each labourer brought
in a clear daily profit of Bs. to his employer; and,
though farmers sat right and left of the speaker, they
had not the moral courage to correct this misstate-
ment! From social and sporting points of view, the
abolition of squires would be a distinct loss to almost
every parish in England. Scarcely anyone will be
found to controvert the statement that horse racing
has suffered since hard times have compelled
country gentlemen to partially—in some cases
altogether sever their connection with the
sport. With regard to fox hunting, the outlook
would be still more serious. The landowner, deprived
of his land, would hardly be likely to remain at his
country seat, nor, if he did, would there be any pro-
bability of field sports flourishing. The new race of
landowner would have been educated to regard the
country gentleman as an enemy over whom he had at
last conquered, and the first use he would make of
his victory would be to hold up his hand against
every man who attempted to ride over his land. The
spirit of sport might linger in some, but the majority
would hardly be able to resist the opportunity of
"paying out" those they had been taught to regard
as the
.embodiment of all that is bad. That the
squire is unpopular with a certain class cannot be
doubted; but people who know the details of country
life will generally acknowledge that in the main the
squire is a good friend to those who stand in need of
assistance,—The lield,

Nothing in the world is more suitea to the simple
u,nderstanding than instruction through familiar
types and symbols. But there is always this danger
attending it, that the interest or comprehension of
your hearers may stop short precisely at the point
where your spiritual interpretation begins.—George
-