New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-17
THE RURAL LIFE OF ENGLAND.
,Y CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
XIV.
THE BEST SORT OF ENGLlShMAN foh
AMERICA

same subject. Inc WIllcr tNClaiihs'
serve England, and make her public men thlnK
what will become Of their country, not what VIII
become of themselves at the next election. IL inc
s.ate NJ the Irish ouestion is bad and dangerous
equally bad and fraught with still greater o','E'
is the state of tho House of Commons. On the ii'"
ouestion itself the action of Parliament Is p"i
nlvzed not only bv the presence in the ha''on''
council of the delegates of the rebellion Hoi" nv
land but by the influence which thahks W 'na'
masterpiece of pro1igaoy. the Reform Din VI i'C
is now exercised over number Oh "euiooi
Fnghsh constituencies by the votes OF lhe lIls"'
who arr congrcgated in the great centres ana there
invested with political power, while the BRUSH
laborer AN incomparably better citizen, remains
unenfranchiscd in the scenes o. his patient toii'
mt the Parliamentary anarchy is not confined to
the Irish question The House of Commons Is last
becoming a chaos. Az to the House of Lords It's
objects are those of a narrow class, and in pursuing
them II onlv increases the confusion. But now
can the strong and wise man he picked out anu
s,,,nmoned TO the scene of action The man "ouiu
have to go through party election III whlch nc
would stand very poor chance against stump
orator or q long purse
Having only read this article in a newspaper 'n@'
had copied it, and without the AT or name Sp
pended know not who he is But Ia, y not say
that most writer's who have admission TO the col
umns of The Nineteenth Century are men OF marx,
and supposed to lie we'll acquainted with what they
write about So far, therefore. this writer confirms
what said of the House of Commons almost echo-
ing my words some of which may be permitted
IN here reproduce: zone would naturally expect
that a candidate for Parliamentary honors would
be required to give some proof of his fitness tor
Parliamentary duties -. No such qualification is
needed. Political capacity and knowledge OF
statesmanship-or indeed other knO Wedge OF any
n.eful kind-are the least and last things thought
Of Money will make them take the wall a
man without money. or of only moderate means
aspjrinc to Parliament is a thing never thought or
Such man never thiHks of II himself Even
the preliminary expenses OF election are sufficiently
deterrent; and what must accrue after whether
elected or rejected, will further mroverish II not
totally ruin him"
II not the rivalry of the stump orator, how
ever that the poor but legitimate asprapt to seat
la the House OF Commons need fear. The phrase,
which The Nineteenth Century writer has borrowed
from your side has but little application to Eng
land; neither has the thing itself; and they VINO
enter Parliament by such an influence are lew com
pared with the men OF long purses. To an Engllsh
constituency. no amount OF eloQuence, stump or
otherwise even with craftsmanship capacity 10
hack its 40 convincing as the chink and jingle of
Fngland's House of Commons. With regard TO the
British laporer remaining unenfranchlsed in the
scenes of his patient toll. said We're these non
voters less intelligent or less politically enlightened.
than those endowed with the franchise, there might
he some excuse for its being withheld from them.
But sucn is not the case instead rather the oppo-
site most of them being quite as capable OF
rational and beneficial exercise OF 1t as those VINO
do exe,cise it, and many of them more
The chief reason ass gned for denying participa-
tion in government to the poor labOrer. and giving
il all to the rich those owning property is that
only the latter have q stake in the country, and
therefore alone entitled to administer its affairs
This hoary saw and child OF sin.-a relic OF ancient
feudalism-is preached on platforms Gay after day
q sort of knock-down argument dinned into the
ears of unrenecfing ignorance. till 1t has almost
come to he looked upon an axiom. Yet never
was doctrine or dogma further from the truth in
deed II is tbe very reverse OF il. For what stake
can a man have in any country greater or more
,recious than his life and his lifcs happiness, with
that of his family And by what natural right
sbould the control of these he the exclusive prlvl-
lrre of the rich, any more than of the poorf In
deed if a difference in political power were
thing to be thought Of it wond seem but FAR that
the larger portion of it should he conceded to the
poor man. as a compensation for his less measure OF
enjoyment socially.
Such questions however, foreign TO the pur-
pose of the present letter, which Is to give the
american people hint that may interest and !
hope be of service to them; and rs lt more
esneriallv concerns the American farmer, HE
TRIBi NJ seems the very medium Tor cOnN eylng u.
Nv suggestion is that the most wanted on your
side. and the most likely TO benefit You IN Ma
tiona SENSE arc ,hese poor aborers, the unen-
francbsed of England This may not be the gen
era belief indeed the opposite would seem TO pre-
vail Judging from what read IN your newspapers.
These recording the arrival of immigrants, now and
then indulge in graduation about the newcomers
being OF class above that OF the laD0rer, ana al
the warmer are they welcomed if III fine attire,
with f1OO or goo in pocket, as IT were bringing so
much grist to the mill. But what of this 7 WHAT
signifies such "A paltry entIance-fee compared With
the bone and sInew of man well able for work.
and eagerly willing to do It, even though lie present
himself in coIduioys and with empty scrip? y
single year or at most couple, VIII equallze the
yalues of the two kinds of nmiG grants after which
tie advantages will he all against the petty CAPT
talist an on the side of the proletanau. not only
10 himself bat to the country of his adoption ! do
not say that this holds good universally, but only
as a rule for as Il rule he with the hundred ON
pounds has neither work in him, nor the design OF
dong it, II a farmer he will be OF the sort who took
things too easily at home; hence his having to
leave it, The same with his sons and daughters;
the latter in all Likelihood better acquainted with
the piano than the milkpall while the capabilities
of the former we're not long ago described TO by
a farm laborer. saying: Z" Sir, they don't know
plouehs head from It's tail" 1t is an absolute tact
that very few English farmers daughters can
make either butter cheese Of cOmmeDdable
quality and fewer still understand the management
of poultry The former industries are usually lett
TO the naid.of-all. work.: the latter to the cot
tage dame wife Of the laborng man, who knows
and does the business better. And just as with the
daughters. so with the sons these often deyOtng
moro OF their time TO Tally Who than to the missing