The Labor enquirer., 1884-08-23
3 Rotteana~ ana Rsyolution.
Justice Gondon, England,.


Among the many signs Of decay to, be
detected by the most careless observer u
our existing society none is. more omin-
Gus than the appalling and increasing
Iimmorslity Of the idle classes If il be
true that hypocrisy is the tribute paid BY
vice to virtue, the small surprise excited
by the nauseating revelations Of the last
few months show more deeply seated
corruption than would hare been indi-
Gated by, the, storm Of hypocriticsl indig7
nation which such disclosures would
surely have reused q generation ago.
When one hereditary legislator is proved
to have run off with the wife Of another
after illtreating his own, the circum-
stance hardly excites remark. The,pee
who. as members Of the vigilance COM
mittee for the suppression Of immortality
in the streets, sat in conclaye London the
fothef day, did not place on record their
disgust at the fact that one who is now
sitting in their own chamber has been
found guilty of a Crime (which intox-
ication was no excuse, and three weeks
confinement no punishment. The pro-
posal to reinstate in his former position
in her majesty g army a man convicted
of a deed which, neless civilized com
munities would have been punished by
Judge Lynch, lis enthusiastically urged
in-letters to the public prints by hun.
dreds of women, apparently on the
ground that this man Was no worse than
so many others. The exposure Of wide
spread depravity amongst the well-to-do
classes in Dublin is instantly followed
by open declarations that the great work
Of the new head master of public
school win be to prevent THE sons 81 the
wealthiest families in England learning
all that is bad, If he cannot teach them
anything that is good. Yesterday the
horrible details Of a divorce case in the
..highest circlesa would have been 4
three days wonder had not those inter-
ested in such matters been supplied with
fresh food for gossip BY the death under
painful circumstances of one whose busi-
ness in life was to make and to enforce
the laws Of his country. 'iitf tsS'i y y
But the instances that come, to light,
numerous and distressing as they are,
form merely the outward and visible
signs of the wantonness which springs
from luxury and safety. AS q matter Of
historical fact we do not find that this
cynical immortality showed itself In socl-
eties where no. classes were exempted
from work. Itionly rears I its head In
communities where s6me Of the MEM
ibers are exposed all their lives long 10
the enervating effects Of idleness ana
luxury. igt,i = EsatsvI.s
+ Now the question comes how is the
moral atmosphere to be cleared 2 Where
are We to look forsthe growth OF public
opinion strong and honest enoughit6 en-
courage true morality without fostsrins
hypocrisy7 Where is the power to cope
with the groHipg dsprayity against
which religion and culture are in
effective? s1is, Y1r ~
Those who hold with Robert Owen
that the surest way to- do awsyI with
crime is to atsack,its causes and rsnfoye
Its Temptations, VIII readily fnf an
answer. 10 isaye tie wsil-to-do ana sfe-
.spectablen classes, and the society they
misgeFern from the collas ss threatened
bystheI own cerruptions the lcanditions.
under which those classes are educated,
jim youth maintained through life mnsk'
be radically sltefed. = It. il ths crdel
irony of their fats that they themselves
are totally incapable Of making tbsi''
changes ini their : matsnal oonsii tions
x.r u n =. A. 4 ~ ~ -