The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-18 00:00:00

MR, GLADSTONE ON MENTAL

CULTURE.

The annual meeting of the Hawarden Literary
Institution was held on Tuesday evening, the Rev.
Stephen Gladstone presiding.
The adoption of the report was moved by the
Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., who, in the course
of his observations, said
wish you to consider a few things which I will endeavour
to lay before you, for every institution of this kind opens a
great number of interesting topics, from which one can but
select and which one can only touch hastily on account of
the time which it would require to exhaust them. In the
first place, let me say, in recommending to your encourage-
ment and patronage an establishment of this kind, that I do
not do so as if either bodily exercise or even mental culture
are of themselves the whole of what man require&
In the course of his pilgrimage upon earth man has
three forms of life—his spiritual life, his intellectual life, and
his bodily life. It is in relation to God, and upon his rela-
tion to God, upend the knowledge of God, and upon all that
concerns that knowledge, that his destiny and his happi-
ness really depends. I ask you to consider what can
be done, leaving to others who are more fit and better
entitled to do it to touch those subjects in preper times and
places. I ask you to consider the question of the intelligent
life which we ought all to endeavour to live, and what belongs
to such an institution as this.

Now, as I said, believing that this institution, if it is to
prosper, must be a popular institution, having its founda-
tions in the. minds of the labouring—those who are called
the labouring part of the population—l must neces-
sarily consider a question which may occur to them
all, and which in other times must have occurred to
any of them who were solicited to enter an ,establishment of
this kind. I have said that man has an in)elligent life, the
life and his intellectual faculties, and likewise bodily life
and material life. Of that bodily or material life the wants
are perfectly imperative and indispensable. It is in his
choice to a great degree whether he will cultivate his intel-
lectual faculties. It can hardly be said to be in his choice
whether he will labour for the supply of his bodily wants,
and the supply of the wants of those who are immediately
dependent upon him. It often happens in the mixed
and imperfect condition in which we live that the
exigencies of the bodily and material life are such,
and the means of supplying them so limited, that
they actually press out—squeeze out, it I may say so—the
opportunity of attending to the wants of our intellectual
life ; and that, perhaps, is the great excuse that men would
make for passing by the calls of an institution of this kind.
They say, "It is all very well for people with plenty of money
to spend, but I am not in their position; I am a labouring
man, dependent upon my hands, dependent upon my health,
and I have got a wife and children to support. It is not for
me, and I won't be bothered with it." Well, now, is that an
excuse that ought to be made by the labouring population
of this parish generally as they now stand? There is no
circumstances more gratifying, in my view, in the condition
of the country than the great change which has taken
place, especially in our labouring population, as to the
, means which they possess both for self•support and self-
improvement. I do not enter upon the question whether
in their case they have all that Is to be desired in
this world. It will have to undergo a great many changes
before those who inhabit it can have all that is to be desired,
but they have now what they had not in other times.
There is not only an improvement upon their condition ia
other times, but there is a contrast with their condition in
other times—a contrast of a most highly favourable character
—a contrast which must carry joy and satisfaction to the
heart of every intelligent man not belonging to the labouring
classes who knows that in the labouring classes is the basis
and foundation of the institutions of the country and of all
that constitutes the nation. I should like to draw to your
minds a few facts, although they must he necessarily incom-
plete—what has been in other times the condition of the
labouring classes, and to show that if your fathers and grand-
fathers and great grandfathers before you did not belong to
institutions of this kind they had an excuse and reason for it
such as do not exist in the present day.
I will say a few words upon the subject of agricultural
labour, and afterwards a few words upon the subject of
mining labour. It is now about thirty-six years ago since,
very greatly to my own comfort and advancement, -I
became very closely connected with this place, and that
Is a very limited time in the life of a community. But
what immense changes have taken place in the position
of theagrieultiiral labourer even within that time! You
know what his. wages were thirty-six years ago, and what
they are now; and I will not enter into details upon a
matter familiar to you all ; but undoubtedly in that
period of time it is a very great change indeed, a change
' that has been brought about without great grievances
or oppression, I will venture to say, to any portion of
the community—on the contrary, with the general con-
viction that it is for the good of all, although these changes
in some degree momentarily rue and fret in particular cases
and in particular circumstances, just for the moment.
Mr. Gladstone then referred to Mr. Eden's work on the con-
dition of agricultural labourers in ten counties in England
between the years 1790 and 1800 to show that the average
wages then received by an agricultural labourer to support
his wife and family was Bs. a week. Continuing, he said,—
In the 62 cases of families which are given in the most
minute manner in 49 of them the wages of the man and of
his family were not sufficient to meet the expenditure, that
expenditure being based upon a narrow, scanty, and defective
scale. That was the condition of what we called "merry
England" 80 years ago. (Laughter.) And now you hear
people sometimes say that the time of merry England is gone
by. Well, it may not be as merry now in all cases as we
should wish it to be, but I suspect it is quite as merry as it
was in the times of your fathers and grandfathers, and many
generations before them, and a good deal merrier too.
(Applause.) As regards mining labour the change has been
very great and extraordinary. I don't speak of the changes
which have been effected within the last three or four
years. I hope there are a good many miners in this room, and
to them I would say as a friend, I have always looked upon
that change with very mixed feelings. It was quite raanifest
that so great and so sudden a change could not be supported
permanently; it is not in the nature of things. The laws of
the trade did not permit the rise of three or four years ago
in the price of coke and of coal. As connected with coke and
iron, I say it is entirely without precedent. It was like a
great storm that disturbs the air with exceeding violence.
Such changes are not in my opinion much to he desired.
Those changes which are to be desired are changes slower
and more gradual, but of a more solid and permanent kind.
Apart entirely from this great change there has been a great
upward movement on the part of miners in other senses of
the word. Out of this great augmentation of means there is
.something, at any rate, which a man may venture to spare
for his mind.
It may be said, perhaps, that this augmentation of means
has been neutralized by an augmentation of prices. That is
not so. There are no augmentations of prices at all to
account for the difference in the wages of these days. Ills
true that some prices are raised ; the price of meat, for
. example, is considerably raised. What did that signify to
those risen? Nothing at all; it was totally beyond their
reach. But meat a hundred years ago was not 'equal in
quality to what it is now. Remember that, and when we
hear soanuch from people of all classes about the increased
cost of living, the reply is, In some points that is true;
In some points it is totally untrue, because such articles as
tea and sugar and clothes are enormously reduced in price.
But, independently of those cases where it is true and
where it is totally untrue, it very commonly means this—
that people are not content to live as they were formerly
content to live. I don't say that is unreasonable; on the con-
trary, it is that now they have many of the innocent means
of health as well as subsistence and luxury to a degree which
formerly they could not have, and which in a degree now
form part of the expenses of living. I think, as equally-
minded men you will admit that in this parish there is not a
general pressure of poverty among the labouring classes to
Induce men to say "We will give everything to our bodily
wants and to the support of our families, and we will
reserve nothing whatever for the cultivation of the
mind." I hope nobody has been frightened by the
formidable title "Literary and scientific." (Laughter.)
Literature—that is a very high flight, Science—that
is a higher flight stilL You way say that practically
the exigencies of life are such that they will not
allow a-very large portion of literature or a very large portion
of science to be pursued by the community at large, and I
think the title is rather too formidable, and I hope the
council will amend it, for I am sure it frightens a good many
people away. The chairman has told you. and very properly
told you, that games are contemplated; but he did u3t tell
you, and I think it would have puzzled him to tell you, how
in the world these games could be brought within the defini-
tion either of literary or scientific. (Laughter.) Therefore a
little amendment is properly required in this respect
Now, my good friends, if I may presume to call you so,
let me say one word as to the kind of temptation that I
think besot those who are called wpm or a great OM ot

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eseerermeea.e.eeeeem
oodililabour in their usual lot in We When I speak of
temptation I do not now refer to those temptations which
beset 'us all, of absolutely profligate and worthless living.
I do loot speak of those temptations which lead men—l
hope i.n but rare instances —to neglect their wives and
r gamines and primary duties. All these I put by. I am
,going to speak of temptations of another class, but
.Vlll.ell perhaps have a readier access to those who
leheui hard, simply because they do not appear to in-
•vtave at first sight any moral 'offence. I mean the temp-
tatior. to bodily and mental indolence at the moment when
work is done. Now, as far as the body is concerned, the
body has pretty well done its duty when it has done
that labour by means of which it obtain wages, but mental
indolence is a sad thing. There is no reason why a mind of
that kind should be inactive, and his time spent in lolling,
loitering, whistling, playing marbles, and other trifling
occupations which are unwcrthy to be called substitutes for
eccupation. It is quite evident although the body is hard
pressed by the labour of a population so energetic and in-
dustrious as this, yet they do not always feel entirely ex-
hausted. They have some strength remaining, and I am
very glad that they have games of a character that require
great bodily exercise. But what I entreat and desire is that
they should do the same justice to their minds
.that they do
to their bodies. The fact of having bodily power may be
a reason why they cannot give their minds to the most
reduced description of reading and conversation or
investigation, and therefore I admit that they may
be frightened, innocently frightened, by the bugb*r
of a scientific inquiry which appears to be written over
the door of our institution. But employment of the
mind—relief to the mind by useful employment and recrea-
tion, does not in the slightest degree add to the fatigue
• which the body undergoes and which promotes that equitable
and general development of the faculties as between body
and mind which is most conducive to the health as well as
to the happiness of mankind. In this respect it must be
admitted that we as a people—and I am speaking not of the
labouring classes but of all classes—we do not come up to
the proper standard. We do not do enough for the cultiva-
tion of our minds: we are, unless under the pressure of
absolute necessity, a rather indolent people as regards
mental cultivation, not in the lowest class but in all classes.
After a long experience of life I can say it is in all classes,
from the highest to the lowest. We should all protest against
It in our separate spheres, endeavour to show we are not ex-
amples of it, and not allow ourselves to slide into that repre-
hensible practice. What shall I say of other nations? There
are other nations much before us in this respect. You will
find in Germany, France, and in many parts of Italy that there
is a much greater disposition among the people of the coup try
to avail themselves of opportunities of knowledge and
mental culture than in England. In Scotland there is a
great disposition. But why? Because of the improved edu-
cation which the Sootch have now enjoyed for a good many
generations. For a good many generations they have had a
really efficient popular education. The mass of the English
people are only just coming into possession of this blessing.
It is quite true they are called upon to pay for it,
and some do not like to be called upon to pay for
it. Education, if the article is good of its kind, is worth
payin or, and its tendency is to redeem man and save
hint from base and grovelling pursuits. I will speak of the
people of Wales—that is, the Welsh speaking people. Ido
not know if any of you ever read a series of letters
by Mr. Richard, the member of Parliament for Merthyr—
a man of very considerable ability, high character, a distin-
guished Welshman, who sustains the character of a Welshman
in the House of Commons with great effect. He published a
series of letters in the Morning Star, which does not now exist,
and republished them as a small volume. I have read those
letters with very great advantage, and I was very much struck
by the character which he gives of the Welsh people. It
quite astonished me to see in how many respects the popula-
tion can lay claim to credit and honour for all that most
distinguishes good citizens and good men. Having quoted
from Mr. Richard to show the literary taste of the Welsh
people, who, however, did not indulge in novels, Mr.
Gladstone thus concluded :—I wanted to make a case in
some degree to show that the question whether you
should take up this institution deserves serious considera-
tion from those here, and serious consideration from those
to whom I hope those here will mention it. I wish to abdi-
cate the position. We desire that this institution should be
popular. We desire that it should prosper on the present
basis, and we desire to extend it. I, for my part, looking
generally at the thriving condition of the increasing popu-
lation, increasing in their character for industry, think
there ought to be some institution whioh shall really lift its
head, assert its own existence, and be a familiar every-
day part of our life, an institution in which all families
may take an interest, in which they may find oppor-
tunities for culture united by judicious arrangements
with opportunities of rest and recreation. Though
the institution has come of age, yet I trust in,
another sense it is in its infancy, and that it will grow be-
yond its present dimensions, and embrace the various parties
other than those to which it has hitherto addressed itself. It
depends upon you whether it shall thrive or not. It re-
quires no large efforts, no great sacrifices. It addresses
itself to you with the benefits it confers far beyond anything
it asks in return. Its fate depends upon the answer to the
question we put.to you—whether you will support it; and I
only hope, for the sake of the parish, for your rake, and-for
our sakes, that the answer will be favourable. (Applause.)
The motion was seconded by Dr. 0. Kelly, and car-
ried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to Mr. Glad-
stone was moved, and he replied, saying that the best
thanks would be to make the institution successful
and prosperous.