The Labor enquirer., 1888-01-14
WOMAN'S COLUMN.
Ea,sed by mrs. A. l.. w.'h""rh'

American puDilCdtio" "
Wheeler, reference is made 10 Mr.
Furnival,,the charming editor OF
"Babees Bake" who expressed the
opinion that education in Eng
land travelled up from the middle
and lower ranks rather than down
from the higher. The classes who
studied the graces of society did
not bctakc themselves to solid
learning till the sons of the poor
educated by priests, jostled them
on the steps Of the throne. The
poor mans course of study be-
came in time that OF the rich
man; when geometry got into the
course there ceased to be a royal
road to learning.
but, unfortunately, this was
hardly come about till the rich be-
gan that pillaging OF poor boys
rights which has now shut those
for whom they were given ont OF
the munifcent endowment OF the
schools of England. Each foun-
der of these endowmcnts provid-
ed for the education and board OF
certain number of poor lads.
But the election fell into the hands
of the rich and these gave the
places to wealthy lads. The COM
plant of the poor could not be
heard; perhaps it was not made
for in a land Of privilege the poor
are kept in ignorance of the bless
ings Of education"
docs not this bit of history
c9rroborate the teachings of these
latter days that the possession of
wealth is demoralizing1 Or does
decentralization precede the accu-
mutation of wealth. Certainly
few of the millionares of to-day
are noted for public spirit or the
justness and fair dealing by which
their fortunes built up; on the
contrary, the complaint is general
and proof is given Of the justice
of the complaint that the system
attic robbery of the people has
been the source of the enormous
accumulation of wealth in the
hands of a few
Five or six hundred years ago,
\ acsording to this author. the uA(
versities of Oxford and Cam
bridge were mostly patronized by
the poor. the cost of schooling
was small and wealthy men took
pride in helping the promising
lads" But even then royalty was
a burden TO students as one wrote
home for "money to spend on the
degree OF the queens brother"
Gradually the privileges of Ok
ford and Cambridge passed to roy
atty and "gcntlcmen's sons" and
poor boys were driven out partly
by the social customs introduced
which added largely to the ex-
penscs of education. A writer OF
1880, nearly 800 years ago, speaks
OF the process of "Scrowging poor
people out of the cndowments'
in which process even "briberie"
was used. as nowadays, to advance
the richer sort at the expense
of the pore"
In these days unfriendly lcgis.
lation, he says, helped to keep
the farmers boys in their places.
In 1888, just 500 years ago, it was
enacted that "hc or she which
used to labor at the plough and
cart, or other labor or service OF
husbandry till they be of the age
of twelve years, that from hence
forth they shall abide at the same
labor, without being put to any
mystery or handicraft." This
statute was repeated III I4os the
chief reason given being that the
practice of binding out farmers
children to trades made great
scarcity of laborerS so that the
gentlemen and other people Of
the realm be greatly impover-
ished." In some places only
reading was allowed to be taught;
in others writing was added, but
arithmetic not; the boys would
be getting to know too much
about wages and that would be
troublesome
We mothers have then to be
thankful that some progress has