The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-10-15
MISCELLANY.
POVERTY IN EUROPE.
..ifg9ny AUSTIN hlEnnowkR

The extreme poverty of the lower classes
and the vast difference between them and the
rich to suggest readiustment of the social
relations. Here we have at once the ground
and the motive of socialism.
The poor are miserable beyond anything
that we of America can conceive. The work
live from hand to mouth, feeling themselves
Fortunate ifthey can provide for the m oment ;
they do not dream of laying anything up for
the future. If they lose 4 days work they
are accordingly on the verge of beggary. In
this misery, moreover, they have not the con-
ISOLATION of poor Americans, who, although
they must begin poor, never expect, to re-
main SO long. Nor have they any hope that
their children ever viii rise out of their con-
dition for the son conventionally takes up the
trade of his father, lives in the same class of
society, and generally in the same town, for
whole decade of generations.
With this state of things they experience
several very important evils. In the first
place. the people cannot generally marry
Servants, walters, coachmen, and persons of
that class, rarely, if ever, think of marrying,
believing themselves fortunate if they can
support single person. Most mechanics do
not marry, and those who do, put it off till
late in life, the usual age for marrying being
from twenty five to thirty years The sad ne
cessity which imposes this delay on many has
given rise to it as custom for all. The mar
rage of the ,workingman, when it does occur,
generally entails more misery than comfort {;
for then not only himself, but a whole family,
stands in perpetual fear of beggary. This evil,
moreover, gives rise to greater. The I'M
married, and SO all, during their early man
hood, are much given to RIGHTEOUSNESS. The
state of mistress is the common condition of
servant-girls, poor widows, and often of shop
girls, who in this way alone can exc out sub
sistence for themselves and their aged parents,
or it may be orphan brothers. and sisters. A
poor young girl in Europe is generally allowed
/ to be ruined until proved to be virtuous.
Again, the manner of living among the
workingmeli is equally deplorable. Their
dwellings are the garrets, cellars, and back
buildings, all of which are small, or else par
titioned off into small apartments, dirty and
unhealthy Many take up their abode in,cab-
4 bins in the open square, or along the wider
streets, where they sit during the day, expos
ing petty articles of merchandise. In Rome,
Naples and other southern cities, they often
live out-of-doors altogether, lying about in the
sun, and sleeping at nights in the squares and
parks. In Sweden, Poland, and some Other
northern countries, they take up lodging in
thestables With the cattle. Those who carry
on their own business, as shoemakers, Otter
do all their own work in the streets. This il
especially so in the south. In Naples, for ex
ample, you can see them arranged with theii
tools along the pavement from one end of the
street to the other. l have noticed whole
squads of sewing girls, sometimes with sew
ing machines thus. stretched along the pave
ments !; also, bakers, cooks, saddlers, coopers
coppersmiths, ETC., all plying their business
IN open air for lack of shelter of any kind.
- Inc dress and general appearance of th
Class arelno better than their dwellings. Mucl
Oh 'neir clothing is secondhand apparel tina
mas been thrown off by the rich The gener
al CHARACTERISTIC of poor mans dress in Eu
rope is good stuff in bad condition. Her,
] We zee persons literally in rags. In Thuriugia
the children often go entirely naked in Italy
tne poor chiidren and beggars go nearly Sc. -
Inc common blouse of the workingmen q
Europe is what we would call a coarse shirt
They largely wear wooden shoes, and bind
their feet with rags for stockings.
The food of this class is likewise bad, and
rarely ever sufficient for them. there BEING