New-York tribune., 1898-01-25
WORk OF ROBERT OM EN.
JOHN GRAHAM BROOKS TALKS ABOUT
THE FATHER OF THE FAC
TORY LAW"
ALWAYS DREAMER OF DREAMs-oDD ENTRIES
IN HIS DrARY-Hus WONDERFUL SCHOOL
AND THE ATTACKS MADE UPON HIM.

AND TIE ATTACKS MADE UPON HIM
r,hn Graham Brooks gave most Interesting
account yesterday morning In the Mendelssohn Glee
club Hall before the League for Political Educa
ton Of the Life and Work OF Robert owen,
Worker and Dreamer" the father Of the factory
law reform of cooperation and Of municipal social
ism MI Brooks said in part:
owen completed The work OF lie Play. so far as
the doctrine and remedy are concerned but like the
lsrter's followers he had to turn from the rich
and 10 the people for help in carrying out his
schemes
HI. life began much like that Of the usual Sun
dsy-school book hero As boy he left modest
Welsh home with only SO in his pocket. lie ap-
prentced himself a lnen-draper. worked rroH1
o'clock a n til O'Clock p m. and yet tried TO
get a little time 10 read and improve his mind. HIS
business ability was so marked that his employer
consulted him as he would partner long before ne
was old enough occupy such position. ana ne
rose rapidly 10 he of the FIRST business men IN
England But he always dreamer OF dreanls'
He never ceased asking himself what kind OF
race he and his partners were making while they
were getting rich In his diary he said: 1t seems
as II the devil had hold Of u.s. crushing out every
hone of better race Another entry records the
fac, tha; IN tho preceding year he had made $N"'
while the laborers working ten. eleven ana
twelve hours day for ten. nine and eight shillings
week He that # is all controlled by eco
nomic law and that he cannot change existing con-
dftions IS he wishes but is convinced that he has
no fight to S0.coo year the condition Of making
tor England a race Of mothers unfit to bear chill
dren.
He thought all this out before he said anything,
and then he tried 10 induce other people to do
something only 10 be met by the same sort OF
arguments that would be used against similar prop
ositions to-day II was told by an polite and intel
ligent people that he dreamer and theorisi,
who became unreliable the minute he got off busi-
ness ground for they could not deny his capacity
IN hat lima hey =
were determined by economic law. and II he tried
70 change them he would only drive business out
NJ the country and not help the laborers. They
identified their private interests with the public
good Just as people do to-day and argued that. II
they got rich and spent money freely the people
got It IN the end He lived through the rise Of this
philosophy as well Of the modern capitalistic
system out Of which IL grew.
ITO all these arguments owen replied that
country could be benefited by wealth gained al the
Of keeping the majority Of its inhabitants In
poverty. engaged IN useless occupations In which
they had no Joy, that the manufacturers were max
INK the future population Of England criminal and
that they had right to get rich at such cost.
AT last he persuaded his partners 10 let him
try his experiment He bought out a manufacture
inE business IN town Of about two thousand in
hsbtants in Scotland. ard his first step to
ganzs 1t and make II pay. If Il hadn't been for
this his partners would have broken with him be-
fore they cd Then he refused employ any
child under ten. and cut two hours of the working
hours. H.s partners protested. saying that he
running The business. but he said. You promised
70 let me try' Next he opened school for the
children below factory age. lie arranged cur
rcuum Of Oh hiect- lessons, manual training singing
and dancing and hunted half Of Scotland for
teacher who could keep his temper At last he
FOUND and a woman and established hem IN
The school with the direction that they were never
% show sgn Of anger before the children and
~Ie never % punish them IN any way. school
of this kind wonder I'm those days, and peo-
PIE from all over the world Il. Among
ne visitors the Car Of Russia. the Duke Of
Kent the Duke Of Hesse. Lord Broushsm and
Owen was allowed TO continue mis- work for
lhree years and then attacks on him began 10 he
end bitter enemies The village pastor be
gan ~ work against him because the children were
not taught the kind Of theology he approved Of;
NE Bishop Of Exeter attacked him IN a number
o. bitter letters and The London Times accused
nm o. teaching monstrous abom!nations. ma
,enal and Internal atrocities ana bestlallues
Ffom tbs time owen assumed sn attitude OF
hostility toward the clergy which was entirely the
result OF their treatment Of him Under other cir
.nmsiances he wound never have had this quality
The doctors also entered The lists against him
eno made affdavit that child Of five or six years
WAS MOI .DiGrc1 by working ~ a mill
At laSi lis partners partly from religious mo-
ives, turned against him. and he was obliged TO
s've " the work. lie came 70 America. where lie
.snd. resolved TO appeal to the people. lie spent
s'1D i'm printing and distributing pamphlet set
Hng for,h the evils OF employing women and chill
trieh 10 mills. and he nnally succeede In peTsuad-
Hg some daring minds that II was necessary 10
ssoucate the working classes into q capacity or
uCng business for themselves
The next lecture "Shsftesbury." VIII be really
continuation Of Yesterdays subject. Mr.. Brooks
fsi1 for Shaftesbury continued owens work ana
succeeded IN securing the reforms which the lat
'er tried in vain 10 get.