The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-08-04


Perhaps il may be Interesting to the Eng
lish readers Of the Hsrkiaesaon to know
something OF the Irish working man and his
present position. We seldom have this class
of subjects fairly, and calmly, and cAndidly
brought before the public By those
thoroughly acquainted with the question.
Our public journals deal with topics Of this
nature in partisan spirit, not calculated to
benefit the Working men Of our country, nor
advance their interests. In England the
Irish working man is too often, We regret to
say, seen to disadvantage. Our object
shall be TO treat the subject 10 the spirit OF
the HOrkingnan, and endeayor to place be-
fore the readers Of ITS pages some important
facts, and, We trust, reasonable deductions
drawn therefrom.
In an agricultural country like Ireland,
the condition Of the great body Of the work
iug classes more nearly represents that Of
The DorsetShire laborer than it does any
other Of the English population. Ia Ulster
especially around great centres like Bel
fast and Londonderry, where the linen manu-
lectures f0urish-there is a nearer approach
amongst the daily toilers TO the position Of
the population of the busy hives of industry
in Ian 'eshire and York shire. These two
great classes Of workingmen are to be found
here as in England Then we have, Of course,
the tfadesnen and artisans--the skilled la
borers--who find employ ment in providing
for the wants Of the rest of the community
for the other different classes Of society
In many Instances, too, the small farmers,
tradesmen or lsborers, seeking to combine
both callings in one person, which We shall
see does not tend to give success in either
business.
The irish working classes Of the past oc-
cupied q different position to that which
they DO at present, just as happens to be the
case also in relation to the working men Of
England. The y edge school, which almost
ceased to exist some half century ago, did
produce, occasionally, rather superior schol-
airs from amongst the Irish peasantry and
laboring classes But there were no means
ID Ireland for educating the masses In day 5
passed away for ever, it was criminal to i'm
part education to the great body of the Irish
population. Yet, amid many difficulties,
even the humber classes did try to acquire
knowledge in its simplest forms. These
days are, however, banishe1. The National
System Of Education has spread its schools
over every part of the land-int0 every nook
and corner OF the country. The natural re
suit has iollowed-the people, the great mil
lions, have become fairly instructed in the
rudiments. at Least, Of good English edu-
cation. the National Schools Of Ireland
apart from any views politicians may hold
Us regards . united, or deneminationai sys-
tem-are, upon the whole, the best in the
United Kingdom A working mans son,
for the fee of one penny per week, and 10
many places wholly free, can receive in
struction in all the branches Of a good sound
English edu netion. The result has been,
that the rising generation of working men
occupy ditfere ut position 10 what their
forelathers did, and their circumstances have
beer greatly changed. an
An "Irish cabin may still be seen occa-
sionaliy; but We question if the day laborer
in ireland is not as comfortable as the same
class in the agricultural counties Of England
We know the reverse Of this is often assert
ed, and the words of what is known as the
"Deyon Commission" report, are cited, that
-'fLe Irish laborer is the worst led, worst
clothed, and worst housed Of his class in
Europe" A much more recent Royal Com
MISSION has disclosed the state Of English
lahorsrs, and we are free to admit that the
IIish are better off. We observe, too, that
the Scotch ploughmen are now calling at
tention TO how they are treated, when in
wet and cold they are left to sleep in some
barn, or other part Of the offce-houses, with
cut tire TO dry their wet clothes, which,
therefore, they have to put on wet the fol-
lowing morning Now, it is due to our Irish
farmers to say, that this could never occur
in Ireland. In ninety cases out Of one
hundred, the Irish agricultural laborer, re-
siding At the house of the farmer, is treated /
as one of the family almost. If he comes III
wet, the warmest corner at the kitchen fire |
is allocated TO him, with a kindly word and
e pleasant smile. If he can change lis wet |
clothes for dry suit, the female servants,
or the mistress Of the house, or her daught. |
ers, will take care that his wet working !
clothes are thoroughly dried during the
night, and are made comfortable for him for |
morning. His wages may not be high, but |
he is kindly treated, and not too hard
worked
The daily laborer is different from The
farm-servant. His dwelling may be an
: Irish cabin" but the sketches given oil
these in books are mere fancy or at most
an exceptional instance il taken and treated |
as if it were the rule. Often have We seen
the laborer's ''csbin'' ueater, cleaner. tidier.
and more comfortable, than the employers
residence. The laborer's wife may have
been servant at 1.-THE big house" Of the
Iocal magistrate, or at the "glebe house, of
the rector of the parish. She learned there
to "keep things neat" But the farmers
wife had been brought up a farmers
laughter, with the pigs too often fed in the
titchen, with the geese and ducks allowed
the rum Of the same apartment, with q
nud-hole before the door into which all slops
we're flung; and she continues in the same
habits, thinking only Of rearing calves, pigs.
making butter, paying the rent, and increas.
ne the little horde in the "old stocking."l
The s1n Of the Irish Iaborer is often left
onger at school ban the son Of the smallerl
lass Of farmers, and on the whole the LAHORE
,g classes have more desire to acquire sdu-
alton than the smaller class Of farmers-