Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-12-05
THE CONDITION OF OUR WORKING CLASS,

If there is any one feature in our condi-
ton as people, upon which we ought to
congratulate ourselves above another, it is
the condition of our working class as COM
pared with the working classes of every
ether country in the world. There is less
of poverty and all its attendant evils
among our working classes, than among
any other working people in the civilized
world. England boasts of her wealth-her
inexhaustible capital-her civilization, but
there capital holds arbitrary sway over a
large portion of her population, and keeps
them in absolute subsection. Poverty,
want, disease and death are the constant
companions of the working thousands in
England. Low wages and unsteady en-
ployment is the prime cause of their de-
plorable condition, and yet their misery
adds to this wealth, this capital, to which
they are abject slaves. We presume that
few people in this country have any ade-
Iuate idea Of the sufferings Of the English
working classes. Thomas Wright, the
Journeyman Engineer" published an
article some time since in an English peri
odical, on the condition of the working
classes in England, which abounds in de-
tails Of the most sickening character, We
present an extract:
1.-THE home life of a vast number of the work
ing classes is ,something-c'a thing to shudGer
at not to see.' 1t is life that puts decencv.
morality. and religion, as well as physical
health and comfort, out of the question that
so degrades and brutalizes those condemned to
it that they live as we'll as die like the boasts
that perish. Indeed, as literal fact the poor
er members of the working classes often fare
worse than the beasts of the field. In every
requisite of health their dwelling are inferior
TO most stables we have seen piggeries in COM
parison with which the same might be said Of
them; and any master of fox hounds would be
indignant if he were asked to kennel his hounds
in such foul dens for single night; while any
master of hounds or owner of horses, who fed
his animals as scanty as some OF the poor are
fed would be in danger of prosecution by the
society for the prevention of cruelty to AMI
mails"
The writer then proceeds to give facts re-
lative to the crowded and unhealthy con-
dition Of the miserable tenements where a
large number of the working classes Ian
guish out miserable existence, and UNI
folds an almostfabulous story, when taken
into consideration that all this exists in a
country that boasts of its civilization. We
might extend these quotations, but have
neither space nor inclination to do so.
How different with the working people
of the United States Here, every man
who is willing to work and is able to do
so, can almost invariably find employ
ment at fair wages. The employment of
working men is reasonably steady, not
subject to spasmodic suspension and
revival of business merely to suit the con-
venience of some arbitrary capitalists.
Our workingmen usually occupy comfort
able residences and thousands of them are
as swell clad as the man of capital or the pro-
fessional man. Who does not rejoice that
such Is the factl Show us a man who
would 40 regulate business and social af-