New-York tribune., 1870-11-15
Mr.. MUNDELLfS LECTURE TO WORKTNG
MEN

Two of the most memorable lectures ever
addressed to workingmen in this country have
lately been delivered to great audiences IN
this city, composed of our largest employing
manufacturers and the best representatives of
the laborng classes, by mombers of the Brit
ish Parliament. One of the speakers was Mr..
Thomas Hughes a man who by education and
impulse was most in sympathy with working
men, and whose speech was, therefore, strong
in admiration of the laborer, but in no
sense unjust to the employer. The other
was Mr.. Arthur j. Mundella, whose lecture we
publish this morning. He is large manufac
turer, and one of those who, acting in the in
terest of his trade, originated and established
the Boards of Arbitration which settle disputes
occurring between employers and employees in
England. Naturally his sympathy is with en-
ployng capitalists like himself; yet his lecture
betrays the earnest purpose with which he
has worked for the elevation, the welfare and
the happiness of the laboring classes of his
country. These two gentlemen from opposite
points of view, unite in making the same
declarations of the superiority to our own of
the English system of Trades Unions, and in
rendering the same advice regarding CO6pera-
tiOn and Arbitration to the manufacturers and
artisans Of this country. Advice from these
distinct, disinterested, and high authorities
ought not to fall unheeded on the ears of
American workmen.
Mr.. Mundella's lecture touches at considerable
length upon threo several subjects, each of
them closely interesting the working classes.
He pointed out, in speaking of education in
~ Al. IL
system, and limited that chief fault of our
own was in not making education compulsory.
1t is revelation not made for the first time;
yet Mr.. Mundella is right in believing that the
multitude do not fully recognize, rs they should,
that i'll our country ignorance is a crime and
that among our other liberties we ought not
to possess the right to deny education to any
child. The compulsory clause in our system of
education il the one great need to its per-
fection; and we have an earnest hope and en-
during belief that it will be attained at an early
day in all of the States of the North and most
of those at the South.
Mr.. Mundella also spoke, though briefly, of
the Civil Service Of England, and explained
Its superiority to those in which, like our own,
political preferment ia the only rule. This
part OF his lecture, though somewhat foreign
to the subjects in which the workingmen who
formed his audience are generally interested
was listened to with admiration, and the
declaration that, though the representative of
one OF the largest constituencies of England
he had not the power to control an appoint
ment to single Office of the British Govern
ment, was received with loud and prolonged
applause strikingly significant of the present
temper among our own people.
But the peculiar audience,-and more truly
representative one has seldom listened to any
speaker in this city,-was most deeply interested
in the statements Of Mr.. Mundella in regard to
tho Trades Urions of England aud the COOPER.