The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-28

Meetings have been recently held in London
for the purpose Of taking into consideration
the condition Of the unemployed poor Of the
metropolis. This question is awakening quite
a lively interest in the minds Of many of the
prominent men Of the English capital. From
statistics we see that although the whole num-
Der of panpers relieved in London during the
first week in April footed up the high figure
OF one hundred and thirty-fve thousand, yet
it is twenty -four thousand below the total for
the same period Of last year. The figures
here given enable us to form an idea of the
suffering endured by the poor working people
of London. Emigration is the cure spoken Of
as remedy for this terrible evil of pauper-
ism. While we acknowledge that the remedy
suggested is good one, we are also con-
scious Of the fact that in all large centres
such as London there is vast number Of
people of the working classes who, to use the
words of an Englishman writing on this sub
ject, "Had rather clam in London than
live on good beef and mutton elsewhere"
This is plain talking, and its bluntness is
equalled by its truth. We find the same thing
in New York. Men, and women, too, who
could earn good living and attain respect
able competency by "going West" prefer re-
mainin- in the city, and are satisfied to live
miserable hand-to mouth existence. While
prominent men of London, possibly with Paris
in their minds eye, have recently taken an
active interest in endeavoring to benefit the
unemployed poor of the working people of
England, but particularly of London, by
means of emigration, it is nevertheless true
that in the northern counties trade is brisk and
labor is In demand. Business Is good in
Sheffield, Middesborough, Barnsley and on
the Tyne. There is also a ''scarcity
of workmen in the manufacturing towns
of Lancashire" We mi~ht enumerate
many other districts in England where work Is
plenty for those who will work. Regarding
the unemployed poor Of London we have only
to say that If they are of that fastidious class
who entertain preference to starvation in
the city to living in the country they will make
poor emigrants, and prove as great a nuisance
in the land they emgrate to as the country
they are about to leave. The old saw has it
that 1.-THE devil finds some mischief still for
idle hands to do !" and if we give credit TO this
saying for containing a reasonable amount of
truth we think that his Satanic Majesty has
been quite active In Paris Of late. 1t is the
idle workmen of the French capital who fight
in the army OF the Commune. No; 80 far as
the United States is concerned, it neither
wants nor desires any Of that class who, to
use favoritc phrase of Bismarck, prefer to
''stcw in their own gravy" Of idleness and
misery in the large towns rather than go out
into the country and help to advance them
selves by laboring to develop the resources of
the republic. If there are any Of the industri-
GUS Of the poor classes who want to come to
the States let them come in welcome and
realize for themselves that here, at least,
''here is work for honest labor"
THE DISASTER AT TIE WEST PITTsToN
NINE in Pennsylvania is n terribly suggestive
comment on the blindness Of humanity and
the inscrutablity Of the ways OF Providence.
II was only last Monday that the miners, after
q long and desperate strike, carried on not