The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-12-25

rally responded to. No doubt, too,
that much individual suffering will be
relieved. But, unhappily, such Attic
tons are chronic. We never hope to
cure them but for a time. We shall
tide over this winter with few records
Of the coroner's court, couched in gen.
tie phraseology, and we shall think as
little as VIC can Ut what lies behind
these verdicts. To lift the veil and ex-
anime the hidden horrors. that would
be too painful study. Nor will any
of our Legislators or statesmen do more
than apply palliatives. Anything cal
culated to meet the evil would be an
extreme measure and in England we
have the greatest distrust of anything
extreme.
The Labor Representation League
held public meeting in Southwark,
last Saturday evening TO test the cleo
tors as to- whether or not a working
mans candidate should be brought for
ward, and upon the whole the response
was all that could be desired. But no
expression of public meeting however
obtained can be taken as safe guide
in such borough as Southwark. York
ingmen's meetings are usually attended
only by workingmen, and even though
they were loyal to a man, it is certain
almost that the shopkeepers will not 60
with them. The most mercenary peo-
pie in this country are its shopkeepers.
AS rule they have no political ideas ;
their occupations keep them apart from
each other. The necessities of their
business make them obsequious to their
customers, and their prejudices make
them favorable to a candidate who
spends money. A working man may
with them be very decent fellow; but
they have not been in the habit of
treating him with respect, nor do they
think he ought to aspire to an Office
higher than they can themselves claim,
on the ground of fitness. Mr.. Odger,
as a workingman, was brought for
ward by clergyman Of the Establish
ed Church, and adopted by the meet
ing on Saturday, and although, on ma
ny grounds, it would be desirable to
see him and few more like him in the
House of Commons, there cannot be
much hope in borough crowded with
shopkeepers as Southwark most assur-
eddy is. 1t would give me great plea
sure to write more hopefully to you,
but have not yet in me faith strong
enough, to conclude that the working
men of England are prepared to assert
their position and return their OWL
men. In little time this will be the
case the agitation of the subject viii
lead to the awakening of the public
mind, and by the time the next gene
raj election takes place, something eff
fective may be done. Just now, how,
ever, in Southwark, we can only hope
and work, being at the same time pre-.
pared for the worst.
Our Irish Land Settlement is still
perplexing US. Every man who has a
CROCHET on that subject is airing it,
and as the question continues to be dis
cussed, the only thing we see clearly in
connection with it is the growing IN
animity of the Irish tenants in favor OF
A" fixity," or the absolute withdrawal OF
the power of eviction from the hands
of the landlords, except for the non
payment of rent. Our politicians here
in London keep discussing the question
in connexion with the customs Of the
different countries of Europe, or with
some notion of abstract justice which
they have discussed and settled in their
own minds.
They forget, or perhaps they have
never taken the trouble to consider
how utterly inapplicable all such moon
struck theorising is. Legislature, at.
ter all, must be suited to the mental
condition Of those whose lives have to
be influenced by them, and in this case Of
the Irish land, the mind of the Irish
peasant rejects absolutely and for ever
any contract by way of lease that does
not make him perfectly secure in his
holding and this fact the Legislature
must recognize, if land legislation for
Ireland is to have pacifying and gen
orally beneficial effect on that country.
Being a member of the London Exc
cutive Council of the Education
League, attended their meeting on
last Tuesday evening, where the discus
sion that took place had reference to
the reading of the bible in the National
Schools during the regular school
hours. Certain of the origiyators of
the League at Birmingham are dispos-
ed TO make this concession to satisfy
the claims Of religious people. But
they have forgotten that the Roman
Catholic portion of the population OBJ
ject on principle to having the bible
read, without note or comment and
the puzzle was, whether it would be fair
to make payment and attendance COM
pulsory, and at the same time place be-
fore large religious body an impassa-
Bile barrier. The difference will have
te be settled, I think, by the exclusion
of The scriptures; or, perhaps, COM
promised by permitting them to be
read before or after the regular school
| hours. W. L. J.
FROM MARYLAND.
BALTIMoRE, Dec. IL, 1869.
To the Editor of the woRKHOMAEs Advocate.
'LONGSHORMEN' q RENEFICAT SOCIETY