The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-07-29

use or the BALLOT for the workmen Of Great
Britain III order that they by sending men,
beers to Parliament may have a share in
making the laws Such efforts have not
been entirely unsuccessful Alexander
Mcdonald, for many years President of
the miners association ofIGrsat Britain, Is
to-day amember of the British Parliament,
himself practical miner, and elected by
workmen like himself Tom Hughes,
Walter Morrison, Professor Faucet, and
other members Of Parliament, labored to
secure an opening ot the elective franchise to
small house holders including many Of the
50 called working classes, and their success
has secured for such men as Alexander Nc
Donald, seats IN Parliament and an oppor-
tunlty g. represent their lass
| These men who have secured the ballot,
after long years OF agitation to enlist pub
lie opinion in their favor, appreciate the
| boon which has been obtained for them
through the efforts and votes in Parliament
Of those champions Of the people, Hughes
and others, which We have named, and
many whom We have not space to name.
| In the struggle To secure the ballot British
workmen learn t. realize its worth and
power, and those that now have So educa-
ted themselves III craftsmanship that thew
know how to use IT. and such men as
Alexander Mcdonald have acquired the
necessary education by study at night, and
| during intervals 81 necessary rest to get
them to sit, (" speak, aud t. vote in the
House of Parliament m such manner az is
becoming 70 that body, and consistent with
the intelligence and Importance Of their
constituencies
! How has this learning, this feature for
taking part in the affairs u government
been acquired by British workmenl They
work as hard as We 20, they probably re-
celve no better wages, they are probably
as often out " employment as are our
American wOrkmen, and have no more
leisure. But they have improved the
means, and the time which they could call
their own. They are not content with such
an education as every one IN this country
may obtain freely from our public schools,
whether by day OF night, but they have
studied that which may be called statesman
ship, "r politics in its true sense, which
John Ruskin, that good friend and teacher
| Of English wOrkmen thus defines
Politics ia its true sense i the science OF
the duties and relations Of men to each other.
1t involves knowledge 81 the operations Of
the virtues and vices Of men upon themselves
al 4 society: the understanding Of the ranks
and offices Of their intellectual and bodily
powers IN their various adaptations to art,
science, and industry the understanding of
the proper offices OF art, science and labor
themselves as well the foundations of
Jurisprudence and the broad principle of com.
merce. All this being coupled with practical
knowledge Of the present state and wants Of
mankind"
How many workmen, how many men Of
any class in this country know much re-
gardnIg politics in the true sense, as defined
by John Ruskln. The word politics has been
so degraded in its use by being applied to
the trlekery, and chicanery Of getting into
othce and staying there-that we are con-
strained 70 abandon its use, and call what
politics, in its true sense, means-States-
manship. Not only in Great Britain but
throughout Europe it is not uncommon to
lind Lyceums and Libraries established.
and maintained by mechanics, operatives
and other hand workers, where they train
themselves or hire teachers to train them
in knowledge which is useful to them. not
alone in the work Of securing the franchise,
but especially in using it after it is OBJ
tanned.
There are too few such hand working
schools in this country, and those which
exist are too little used by those for whom
they are intended. Why doea the Chicago
Mechanics Institute lay so long dormentl
1t has charter and an endowment within
its reach, if the hand worker would realize
the use and Importance Of such institutions.
and develop and use theml The Chicago
Athenaeum is such a school for the train
ing of men with its night classes and lee
lures. 1t would be well if our hand workers
were better acquainted with it. Not few
avail themselves of its use, but too few by
far. 1t is supported by voluntary sub
scription by few business men.
Peter Cooper, the Philanthropist of
whom New York City is 50 proud, il deep
ly interested in this subject of education
of our hand workers that they may un-
derstand their own interests, and know
how to protect them with the ballot. He
has given ground and building, which
alone cost him nearly two millions of dol
Lara, tor school for hand workers; the
daily attendants at the Library and Read.
ing Room average from 1900 to 1000; he
employs q staff Of Is teachers and profess
sors to give free instruction 10 an many a.
the spacious building win accommodate.
day and evening in GeOmetry, Algebra,
Calculus and other Mathematics. m Archi-
tectural and Mechanical drawinR-oH hand
Drawing, Stretching, Engraving, Natural
Philosophy, Chemistry. History, Practical