Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-01-01

OF other vegetables, stolen from the far
mer's fields. " ta.g ii -e
dit is pretty hard for halfstarved
man 1qNn with q family to see abundance
around him, and vet not be able to Law
ms hands upon i?' | ventured s." ~ -
-. y es, said my informant, "it is hard.
Inc starving process has gone on so
long that already it is producing re-
markable results. For instance, we can
no longer get soldiers from the agricul-
tural counties in England, because the
physique of the people has so detefior-
ated that 1t is not even equal in muscle
10 that OF lads in towns, from whom we
take our recruits" j,
II have heard good deal about the
intellectual and moral degradation of
the English laborer," [ went on. ''What
can you. say upon the subject" ID. -.
The low intelligence of the pres emit
generation is not to be wondered at, but
the next generation, owing to the Com
pulsory Education bill. will be far differ
ent; and | think, as soon as education
among agriculturists becomes the rule,
/, we snail have a succession Of aglta-
tons which will completely upset old
iand laws. AS to morality, it is low
enough in some districts. It is not an
uncommon vice in villages, where
sleeping accommodation is so deficient
that whole families, of all ages and both
sexes, , huddle together in one room.
some two or three years ago, case was
reported respecting young woman
VINO had three children, the paternity
or whom was uncertain, as she had al
ways lain with her father and brother.
Not long ago, an inquest was held at
otagursey, Bridgewater, upon an old
farm-la borer whose daughter had borne
him four children. They had lain upon
iearn and seaweed covered with mat
tlng,-the children running about naked
IN summer, and covered with an old
sack III winter. This, of course, is not
general, but it is not uncommon; and
you can scarcely expect much higher
morality IN some places, where farmer
| and farmers sons treat the daughters of
the Manufacturers pretty much las many
absolute slave-OWner used to treat his
female slaves" taU -tt
Horrible as this statement is, find it
fully corroborated by the Rev. Mr.. Fry,
who declared, at a meeting of the West
ern Association Of Baptists, in 1876,
that he found in moral England hea-
thenlsm of the worst description. He
| described a village near Taunton where
on 81 miserable bed lay poor old sick
woman, with a bag hung over her head
to keep the droppings of the roof from
falling upon her. In the same place
was her daughter, with several illegiti-
mate children by her own brother. "ln'a
tour OF mine among agricultural laborers
found frequent similar cases. The
landowners" he went on, chad re-
duced the people to this state by their
rapacity and greed; and the state
church clergy have complacently watch
ed the progress of incest and squaliditv
without demonstrating with the men
who are causing it," A reference to
the Blue Books prepared some time
ago upon the employment of women
and children shows conclusively that
the church-of-E England clergy possess a
full knowledge, of this mortal rotten
ness, because her Majesty's commits
sioners chiefly relied upon the informa-
ton of the clergy, who even went
around with these gentlemen, and
showed thorough acquaintance with
the awful state of their parishes.
The Russian peasant has generally
been looked upon as only one grade
above the Chinese; but | am inclined
to think his lot is a more enviable one
than that of his English brother. The
London. Globe late y reprinted some in
terestlng statistics, published at ST.
Petersburg, showing the price Of labor
In Russia this summer. AT Sembirsk
the pay of peasant has been from I'd
to Is day by himself, or from Is I'D
to Is Cd with his horse. The ser
vices of his wife and daughter have
been estimated at from Sd to I'd. In
Viatka. where the famine has ragged
it has been possible tolobtain man anc
his beast at Is Sd day, and himself fol
I'd, while 23d has been the average
wages for his wife. In South Russia
labor has been dearer. The peasants
of Elaterinoslay, have demanded Is Sc
to is Sd a day without the use of, then
horse, and at Odessa q. This seems 3
wretched remuneration for ophysica
labor, but living in Russia is exceeding
ly cheap, which is not the case in Eng
land and, in most instances, there are
sundry concessions, in the shape O
cheap pasturage and the right to gather
fuel in the forests, which make up in 3
measure the deficiency. No such con
cessions are granted the British peas
ant. - Then the Russian moujik is
not, like the English laborer, dependent
on the farmer for bread. Every mou.
jik in the Empire owns from five tc
fifty acres of ground; he is invariably
the possessor Of several COWS and horses
and altogether, says the Globe truthfully
his position compares favorably with
that of many needy farmers in England
Except in certain .aut-ot-the way prov
inces, like Viatka, he has always sufti-
Gent rye in his barns to keep the wolf
from the door," and this, with buck
wheat and millet, forms the staple of bis
food. Luxuries in the shape of chick
ems may be had in the villages in Central
J, Russia Tamboff, Toula, etc.-7at Sd
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