The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-13

It is stated by intelligent British authori-
ties that OF the twenty millions inhabit-
ants OF England and Wales, nine millions
are in the receipt Of an average yearly in
come Of e35, which is q little less thnn two
shillings a day, or, if VIC count one other
person rs dependent on each of the persons
with tYo-shilling daily income, We have
eighteen millions out Of the twenty millions of
English and Welsh living on shilling day
What fearful disparity in the number OF the
rich and the poor And the disproportion
between their incomes is rs striking as their
enormous disparity in numbers. The class
who, with their dependents, possess yearly In
comes gilmore than E300, have for their sup
port 1888 apiece, or about thirty-flvc shil-
lings daily, and number only four hundred
thousand. What this means, says one wri-
ter, is constantly increasing paupcrism; mil
''lions of money spent, yet without sntisfac-
"tion, and, infinitely worse, millions of hu-
imam beings whose very name implies de-
''gradation in their own eyes" One writer
says of the farm laborer in Herefordshire:
ellis ordinary wages are nine shillings q
''week; his ordinary house is two small
''rooms, through the thatclled roof of which
'the rain drops on to floor half mud and
''half broken stones; his daily food dry
''bread and rough cider; his normal cond-
"tion one of ignorance and squallor {"
Things can be but little better Off in Corn
wall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset where
the weekly. wages are only. shilling and ak
pence more than in Hercfordehire. Mod
"esty," says one writer, 'must be an un-
"known virtue; decency an unimaginable
'tlrng, where, in one small bedchamber,
with the beds lying as thickly MS they can
"be packed, father, mother, young men,
''lads, grown and growing-up girls-two and
sometimes three generations herded
.'promiscuously."
Another writer says that every few labor
'ers over forty can read and write" def
cheney, however, which, in the want OF the
means of baro subsistence, can scarcely be
considered as aggravatlng the horrors Of the
situation. The town laborer is said to bc
somewhat better of, though not much. In
the two years from 1866 to 1868 there was
IN addition OF twenty per cent. to the army
OF metropolitan paupers. StAn example is
given by one writer OF q heroism in resisting
outward circumstances almost incredible,
but which can scarcely be expected to.ite
otherwise than exceptional: "The wife Of a
shepherd earning ten shillings n week, be-.
"sides what he got at lambing time, out Of
(which sum there had to be paid sixty-three
'fshillings annual house rent, brought up
'famiiy'of eight girls and six boys, never
chad penny from the parish, and never let
"their girls go out into the field to become
"demoralized. The girls were taught to
read and write, but the boys ore less edu-
"cated, as three OF them began to go out to
work at six years of age, and one has on
"tiiis account never been able to learn his
'letters." Such weight OF destitution and
misery rs is indicated by these facts, while
the great bulk of the wealth of the country
is consolidated in comparatively few hands,
will task to the utmost the resources OF the
Statesman and the philanthropist. The dis
ease is plainly seen; but the remedy is not
easy to be found-eyen in O ruinous rev.
olution. g. ~ -
There is d moral in this state OF things
which we may take to ourselves. The Amer
lean laborer is well paid md is protected In
all hisirights. The contrast, between his 10
sition and that OF the English peasant Is as
pleasant as 1t is startling And II the labor
ing people appreciate Us they should the adj
yantages 81 their situation, they will strenu-
ously Oppose class legislation, which tends
to bring about the state Of things we most
desire to avoid - -, '''' i;''!y INC