The times., 1899-11-05
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The Growth of Freedom.

Liberty in the Nineteenth Century is
the work Of Frederic May Holland, author
OF The Rise Of Intellectual Liberty" and
deals with the growth CT freedom. both
political and religious. in England France,
and America. The history Of other coun-
tries is touched upon, but the subjects
mainly dealt with are the reforms Of the
first half Of the present Gentry in Eng
land. the rise Of abolition sentiment in the
United States. the influence Of Emerson and
the Concord school OF philosophers and
the growth Of free thought IL general in
this country. Mr.. HCl I'D has In this
subject perhaps more interesting than al
most any other which he could have chos-
en. and there is opportunity for a much
larger book than the one he has written,
dealing with the same topics.
One particularly interesting phase of
this subject Is alluded 10 in the preface,
in which the author says:
h5re tried 10 show how The cautraliziug tend
eUr-eS of q government are stTruGt hrUsu 10y Iife
WISH ni us citizens ~ gam private advantages Icy
Etatr a1a- JaiU stuart Mllt and Herbert spencer
have published fIurIr warnings against the danger
AZ .fet-. ing tHr development ai individual energy
ard ability iy ma-li'e~ame laws Whether tine
Taatr st rho government ought 20 Uc reduced 10
the narrow limits proposed by these great think
ers- Dr. question which has been discussed al
same length iU my last chapter ID Is there slg-
EesIea that such q reduction would be much
moro practicable In tAe case % national than Of
lpeal governments II is not likely 10 be made
anywhere an present. but II might be well Tor
ref"rmeIs O. try o. restrict the operations of
EoR eIumeuis according 10 the following rule:
Nothing 10 be uua sgu Ll national govern
meut which can oe well by muuicipsli-
Tics; and nothing 90 bg attempted by either a
local or GENITAL government which can be done
wei lE private citizens, acting siugIy or in vol
uular associations This rule would Justify towns
and cities in taking such care Of roads streets.
HnC schools as p NOT sanctioned BE Spencer: hut
lt would leave municipalities free 10 decide the
question whether they ought 10 carry on gas and
wafer works electric roads, and other enter
pfise~ according 10 Ihe merits 0f each special
ease Here in America internal Improvements
srlm 20 be- the special charge Of the State rather
than ot the nation; HIt whether the former has
aliE right 10 enforce sunday laws and the latter
have taken The liberty Of discussing thoroughly.
The first chapter deals mainly with Ma
pOIeon and his work. The author sketches
briefly the influence of the great soldier
upon his country and his time, taking him
as an example OF The kind Of ruler which
many people have considered good-an en-
lightened despOr. He aims 10 prove that
NspoleOns action IN destroying all repre-
sentative government and so centralizing
authority hat in all after time France has
been unable 10 change the system establish
W tt AAA44- hsAG lL4li4t 444leLllEhDuS LLGG al
most anything else tina; could have hap
pened. and that the evil effects of this more
than neutralized the good of any reforms
which be may have accomplished. His ar
gument is hat since these reforms survived
Napole0u's time they would have come
without him. in any event.
He then discusses the condition OF Eng
land during this era. and the great reform
ers of the 6rsi half Of the uiuzteauth cen
tury in that country. In this chapter the
struggle OF English workinEmeu for a share
IN the government is described. and II may.
BY the way. be Of some comfort TO people
who are EroaElns over The problem Of max
ing al intelligent voter out OF an ignorant
man 1t VIII surprise the general public TO
learn Of the taxes on paper and on printed
matter. eXactod in England in 1885 and Of
the difficulties placed IN The way of educa-
lion for the poor man. There is q com
prehensive though brief notice Of the Irish
troubles during that period. and of the
famine Of the early f0rlies. OF this il is
said.
All reforms stopped in IsH- when the wings
iqsT tHe -uprErUsgE- u was HgL their fauli that
excess n speculation au both sides OF the At
ilLiie had iT lalr panic which threw
thousands at people HHI af work in the factory
towns and reduced other thousands 10 csruing
Only Two pence a-E s succession lf bad udT-
vests. just before l-i1. made wages very low on
ths farms, and food tpo dear everywhere. Bread
was sold IN halfpFHHy slices: labarers robbed
pigS 0i sgil. children fought with dog for
bones lu the Streets one person 10 every eleven
was q paupgr- and England seemed 70 Dickens
llhe one vast pDlrhouse- knowledge
thst paupcr~ sgere neglected strengthened the
bebet oi iIe WoIkiuEnen that all they needed
70 make them IS wcll Of their brethren in
America WAS TIe ballot. Paine Goblet and
HetherlnetCH were widely read: manhood suf-
frsge and secret ballot were called 'fThe Peo-
pies H.r h.r,
million signatures - The Chartist petition in
~ 1ese demands were just; but about one
Eng ist.I1an IN three Was unable to write his
name - tlls times aud many who had acquired
ans accomplishment knew dangerously little
about pli-ias.
Lord C0bdcn's ideas and the sight against I
protection then receive notice. with some
statistics regarding the effect Of free ira e .
on England These are rather interesting
After describing the way in which the
irish famine, though at a terrible cost of
lie and property. made tariff reform pos
sibie. MI Holland says:
Never again has England been So near % famine
as -a ISL Food Is naH So plenty that five times
g. much sugar Is used in proportion 20 pupuia-
rel as jn 1892, and more than twice as much
butter and eggs TINS does not mean that Tie
millionaire eais five times as much sugar OF twice
IS I-lt eggs. as before. but that poor people can
Ii0E buy freely Wla- formerly were almost uu-
aif-I-ab-e luEUres. Tie proportion 0f money iu
SWINGS banks il EHz--s.d and Wales has doubled:
stt t#aT ct H4GTEEs sank from ] iu II iu 1872
r. -l ai Do 1855 Wages have risen 30 per cent
N-l-e other HElaes have falLeu- and British work
men are better eh than auy Others iu Eu-oue
4t- annual value ~ English exports declined
htal-t iTaiI l~la tg 1872 but it IS now four
IiH.e a- great as iH rAe latter YEAR and IL IS
i"orf than twice IS large iu proportion H. uoptl-
-4tlii a- ll i-ia-s highly protected c0uutI5cs rbc
.5 gLifa States aHa France. Low tariffs also en-
4t-e h'RllfH- 10 export ae4rlv three times ss
g. ~ falt iuaalitaHr as France, and New
south Wales ta export dFe times Is snseb As the
United states
Then comes chapter on Democrats and
6aIrisonians ia America. The iuju9icious-
ness of some Of Garris0u's statements and
acuCHs is Rlade plain. He was a born on
thuslasis and al enthusiast Is rarely qtit.
sane for no sane man goes al d stone wal
with his head, trying 70 butt IL down and
H.en like Garrison usually oppose a force
0f public opinion which is about as NOV
able as stone wall so far as they arr
concerned. However. their personal mag
neusm and readiness TO suffer for their
convictions usually set people 10 think
Ing, and then, as happened in this case,
mere rs broader and more general move
ment with compromises which they would
have rejected. Garrison advocated slave
Instructions, and commended in his pa
per The "Liberator," the action Of slaves
who killed women and children in their
Efforts 10 secure their liberty. This exas-
peiated the Southern people even those
who were in favor OF gradual emancipa-
uon. Tor they naturally did not wish 10
have their throats cut and they refused
60 allow the circulation Of anl-slavery
literature and the result OF ii all was q
gradual misunderstanding between both
sections, which must, perhaps have come