The herald., 1894-07-22

|, eACus wealth mas Its draw Dacka as we
as poverty. And possibly, If at the clos
OF life we could all add up correctly, W
should find that the balance OF happi
ness is rather on the side of the pool
Ii their sorrows are sharper their JOY
are keener and their power of enduranc
greater. They never experience tina
safety OF living which comes from IS
tiety Of pleasure. They could not IN
derstand the pangs of poverty in tn
breast of that luxurious Roman VIII
committed suicide because he had onl,
ESQ, 900 left. Simple habits and natura
tastes are far more conducive to enjoy
ment than many are aware Of. Every
day duty gives zest for harmless recre
alton and many a good-nstured father
who takes his little ones OF Sunday 70
quiet stroll in country lane, wheI
the hawthorn or the honeyeuckle is IL
bloom, derives more cold happiness
from this than il he were q prince anC
played at Monte Carlo.
1t is the custom nowadays to hattel
the working classes by sscribing to them
all the virtues. But those are not theil
true friends who do this. Every class
has its own virtues and vices, and the
working class has it's. They would dc
well to remember that political suffrage
does not give political wisdom, and that
restricted education must produce a
restricted intelligence. Their improved
condition will depend, moi on ex-
trsneous assistance, not on acts
OF parliament, nor the nostrums
of economical and political quacks,
but on themselves. They must set
themselves a higher standard of educa-
ton and higher code of morality be-
fore they can make any considerable
advance. Only those who live in a fool 8
paradise believe in the power of parlis-
ments to effect great social reforms-
ton, which, like that of an individual,
must proceed from within. Drink, for
instance, is the greatest hindTance to
their prosperity and the happiness of
their married lives. Many think that
If all the public houses were closed by
act of parliament, England would be
changed from drunken to sober ma
ton. This is pure delusion. The IA
natics OF the state OF Maine caused it to
De tried there by law. But Mr.. Justin
M'Carthy has given us his experience
OF the working of this act. People drank
as much as before, and Mr.. Mccarthy
found no difficulty in getting his native
whisky anywhere, even OF Sunday.
Wilfred Lawson does, but we do not
think Englishmen and 1rishmen will
ever suffer themselves to be dragooned
into becoming teetotallers or anything
else. Although the poor frequently un-
dergo many unavoidable privations, the
necessities of life are cheap, and wages
are higher than on the continent.
There they find no difficulty in marry
ing. This seems to require soma ex-
PLANTATION for those concerned. Can it
be true, as Nous. Louis Blouet (Max
O'Reill. author of "John Bull and his
Island" said in his lecture at West
bourne park few days ago, that much
harm arises from the desire of the poor
to ape the class above Thorn. This, he
said, prevails in England much more
than on the continent. There poor
man Is not ashamed TO go to church in
a blouse. and servant girls do not at
tempt to vie with their mistressea in
airs and dress, as they do here. We re-
Trss c me w Loss an 81 shst m9dest humility
that honesty OF department which pre-
served them from affecting to be other
than they were. Even il these reyolu-
tionary times there are come things
worth preserving.
ask should the course of labor stand still ?
Should the grass grow in our streets,
and the cobwebs rot on our walls?
Should the lands lie untitled and the
seas unploughed? Should the shuttle
cease, and the anvil be silent? In
word, should famine and pestilence,
hunger and fury, desolation and death
sway as of old? For all these would
happen were the sons and daughters of
labor to cease breeding the workers of
our industrial hives. Let none despise
labor, nor be ashamed OF it. 1t ia the
foundation OF all dignity, all goodness,
and all true happiness. 1t is only idle
ness that is contemplate.
And if, in the great battle with and
against he forces of nature, thousands.
enieebled by fight or folly, fall out of the
ranks as paupers, the workers must not
on that account be discouraged. nor dee-
pise their lot. The rich have their
paupers as we'll as the poor. AS a rule,
their eldest sons inherit their fathers
wealth, and the younger are thrown
upon the resources of their country.
Most of the good things in the army,
navy, and church fall to the poor OF
high connections. 1t is only rarely that
superior ability is allowed to take pre-
cedence of incompetent rank. But we
shall change all that before long. There
are good times in store for the poor, if
they will prepare themselves to use them
wisely. Whenever they can perceive the
suicidal folly OF atrikes and the intility of
multiplied laws; when they acquire gen.
orally that love of morality which teaches
that only honest work deserves honest
payment, and learn to scorn the man
who scamps his duty as they would any
other vulgar cheat; when they regard
women with greater respect, and are
kinder to their own; when they free
themselves from the indulgence OF
filthy language and debasing habits, and
find that pleasure in intellectual pur-
suits which the best OF them have found;
when they see that to be free the rights
of all must be respected alike. then the
economic and social problems which
afflict us now will have been solved.
Honesty and morality will bless every
household. 1.-THE cottage homes of Eng
land" will be happy homes; marriage
will be regarded as the sacred birthright
of all. Good Charles Mackay, the poor
mans poet, who wrote There's good
time coming, boys; wait little longer"
also wrote:
For every up there is down,
For every folly shame;
And retributiOn follows guilt
AS burning follows flame.