New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-22
THE DEMOCRACY OF ENGLAND.


For the laat SIX years the British Workingmen
have virtually pursued the weli-known policy Of
abstt ntior in matters political, and have bent
their energies upon questions pertaining directly
to economical, sOcial and moral progress, aud
their efforts have made themselves felt in every
direction. Cooperative Workshops, and coop
erative Provision stores are now familiar phenom-
ens in the economy Of British Industry; but it is
especially for an increase of wages that the work
ing. class has struggled, and with signal success.
1853 will be memorable year in the history Of
British Industry. The incessAnt stream of emf
grafton made itsef felt; almost every trade re-
ceived an advance of wages, averaging say. ten
per cent Everywhere Trade Unions were cI-
tended and consolidated. The great strikes of
the Amaieamated Engineers and the Preston
Weavers, it is true, ended in defeat; they were
the exceptions, and the victory that the mssters
won was PJrihic victory for them. Three
noblemen offered to arbitrate in tie matter Of the
Prestopiaps; the Society of Aria held con-
ference of masters and men, upon the relations be-
tween Employer and Employed at which the chief
Political Economists Of the country were pres
ent; the Corporation of Preston begged the mas
tiers not to be obdurste; public opinion treated
the strikers with marked respect and for the first
time decided that they were not wholly in the
wrong. The stllke was fels to be national
calsnity and the world at large was seized with
admiration at the resolved but peaceful attitude
Of the men in the midst of such heroic suferings.
Such defeat 10 the precursor Of a modification
in the old relation of Employer and Employed.
The Preston strike revealed the altered temper
of the wOrkiDgmen OF the north. On similar
occasion, in lsi2, they declared their strike to be,
primarily, for the Charter, and secondly for
rise Of wages; and would not listen to those Of
their own class who counsele1 them to confne il
to question of wages. In 1853. the same popu-
lstop cried down Ernest Jones' when he bssought
them to give q political character to their strike
Having secured their wages, the working men
next demanded that benefits analogous to those
of the Ten Hours Act should be extended to the
trades generally. The half-holidsy on Saturday
became q general custom; it even reached the
forloIn race of lawyers clerks. Thus did the
hard and grim features of Brisith industry relax
their extreme severity, and for the fret time a.
sumo nilder aud more humane aspect Some
leisure having been gained, there was oppor
tunity for physical recreation, or intellectual in
proveme ut. In response to the latter want Ne
chaLics Institutes sprapg into existence on all
sides, " lille those already 10 existence received
a much needed Impetus There are nov more
than twelve hundred Atheneums aud NE ,hsoics
Institutes in Britain mostly with classes a.
tacbed. The Peoples College, at Sheffield, Prof.
Mauri,e's Working Mems College at London, ars
evidences that, in certain quarters, the opera
lives are beginning 10 entertain q vaul ling am
mbiton Of high intellectual attachments. Toe
establishment Of free public libraries in the mu.
inequalities has begun, and reading -rooms have
multiplied with the increased leisure Of the
working. class All these voluntary efforts to
ward education had their effect upon the public
mind. The cry Of the working class was still
"Give US a National education" Opinion was
ripe. Lord John Russell came down to PArlis-
ment with cautious scheme; nothing but the
distractions of the Russian war can keep this
magnificent boon from the masses. The estab-
lishment Of city parks. Of model lodging houses,
Of public baths and wash houses greater at!
teniOn to sanitary matters, and the spread OF
building $50 :iatio,s-sl look In the same direc
ton toward the elevation Of tie working class,
and are the fruits Of their recent policy. Thus,
the Democracy saw the ground opening before
them on all aides; their corelistory policy had
fairly won the heart and reason of lie middle
class; naturally they are, on the whole, well sat
isfed with their late tactics The trades are fopix
ion that it is best and easiest for them TO exert
themselves to gan succession ofpersonal, section.
Al, and local victories over the personal, sectional
and local oppres,iOns that Immediately veI or
weigh them down, and that when these are re-
moved, the wider arena Of political action and
public life will be voluntarily thrown open to
their class in the aggregate. Ernest Jones, the
eloquent and gifted Chsrtist 10 in despair at oil
this; the Democracy are moro inclined to give
ear to Charles Dckenss kindly parable: "You
"once behaved like Thirsty men who preferred
"froth 10 beer. When you shall have asked for
"beer and got it, you shall not lack roth
"upon it,
In the meantime the Democracy have observed
that the political movement has not suffered BY
tAeis abstentioa-ndeed il has gained; the mid
do class % lssssr afrNi Of bong tsksa ia the