The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-12

and extends the Outdoor Relief Friendly
Societies Act 1894 Take both together.
and they constitute a serious and even
a portentious inroad upon the attempt
which lies at the very foundation Of the
New Poor Law of 1884 to restrict within
the narrowest limits the use OF outdoor
relief. Under the act of 1885,, as extended
h. the bill of 1906. persons who receive r.
lief from any friendly society as sick
Jay will unless the relief received i
more than FIVE shillings a week, be abso-
iutely entitled TO retain this pension
through receiving outdoor relief. There
will be at once created body OF prIvi-
legged persons entitled in virtue OF their
status to the advantages, without the
burden of the discredit, of recognized
nauperism. Can any one doubt that sucn
privileged classes viii soon be increased
Can any one wonder that the represen-
tative of the great Charity Organization
Society and any refo-nle- who still be
lieves in the economical principles Of 1884
should protest against an attack on prin-
ciples of poor relief, the application
whereof some seventy years ago saved
England from ruin? There surely is
reason for alarm. Note. too. that the
relaxation of the rules regulating poor
relief Is, whether justifiable or not, mere
Iy art of widely spread movement. On
every side may be seen legislation, the
intended effect OF which is TO provide
for the class of wage earners at the ex-
pense of the state-that is. of the tax
payers. benefits which workingmen could
not, IL is presumed. obtain for themselves
or the folly of this policy is not an
object to say anything at this moment
Ones wish Is only TO note its existence.
1t flows. IN part at any rate, from the
increased political influence OF artisans
and laborers; 1t is due in part to a real
and honest change in the convictions CT
sentiment of the public. 1t is the siga
that a distince party which pursues more
or less -socialistic aims is coming 10 the
fore.
Assume that such a party obtains par
hamentary representatives. enough to
turn by their votes critical parliamentary
divisions; then. even though the labor
party be small in numbers, its very ex-
istense will. We may conjecture. produce
two important results. In the first place,
the existing parliamentary leaders, to
whatever party they may nominalIy be-
long will assuredly bid against one an
other for the labor vote. That they VIII
pursue this course is the more certain
because it will be dictated nor only by
self-interest and partisanship. but also by
motives of a creditable character. A Lib
eral who believes that modern Toryisrn is
leading England to destruction. or a Ia
ionist who is convinced that Home Rule
in Ireland will be a deathblow to the
strength of England and to the unity Of
the British Empire. may well think that
i. is right to make some concessions u
Socialism in order to avert public ca
lanity. In the second place. the odd Lib
eral party. in so far as il represents ths
indivicualism of the philosophic Radicals.
of the Wings, and Of the Peelites, viii
gradually lose such hold on the nation
is ii still retains. Between Liberalism
OF the old type and Socialism there can
be no permanent alliance.