The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-26

MUCH mat HI Urged isas Been Deas:
Maeh Vet to Ne Changed.

Much mat HI Urged naa Been Deae.
Mach Vet to Ne Changed.
Nowadays. says b. W. yiatx. editor
OF the bicksnsian. In the London Booknnn
for November. when social reforms are
in the air. 10 to speak. and are being
brought about by collective national
forces It Is easy to forses how in the
past one man advocated more or less
single handed what 10 the chief work Of
Engiand's Ministers at the present time.
Not that Dicksns's attempts at refosM
bore no immediate fruit: they did. a.
everybody knows. But in his day Par
lament did not take 40 much heed ~ 10
does now OF tho importance OF the claims
and needs OF social reform. And Dick
ens's forcible voice often had to ring out
alone in the cause Of his less fortunate
fellow creatures.
Dickens from the commencement OF
his literary career showed his instinct
for social reform. He sa~ that the ma
chinery Of our social administration was
sadly in want Of repair. II not that IL re-
quired renovating altogether. Nearly
every one Of his books give striking evil
dence Of this; he was the advocate OF all
those who suffered for the wrong Of the
world. and by holding up that wrong for
all 10 zee. by ridiculinS some OF its con-
sequences. by showing some Of it's evils
tat times enveloped in his matchless
hurnor. at others irradiated by his rare
pathos) he exhibited the undoubted in
ianities in such manner that there was
nothing left to say in their defence.
The intolerablc poor Law adminisfra-
-. Tx.-o.
Bumbledom: the fallacy and impotency
Of Imprisonment for debt in Pickwick
Papers in David Copper field and In
Little Dorrit: the iniauity Of Yorkshire
schools and the cruel treatment OF chill
dren attending them IN Nicholas
Nickleby': the immortality Of gambling in
The Old Curiosity Shop; slavery and
the copyright laws in American Notes
the perilous system OF ignorant and
venal nursing as typified IN Mrs Camp
and wildcat company promoting in
Martin Chuzzlewit'; the disregard Of
the human spirit toward the poor and the
industrial population generally. and OF
the helpfulness of the true Christian
doctrines in life and work. in his Christ
mas Stories the system OF education
obtaining in private schools in David
Copperfeld and in Other books. the
laws fantastic delays in Bleak House,
education again. the relations between
workman and masie-. and the laws or
marriage and divorce in Hard Times.
tho Cove .'nment officials. their ysfem
OF now not TO do it, for which the cir
cumiocution Office stood, and the prin-
ciples OF red tape in Little Dorrit': the
poor laws and the workhouse again IN
'Onr Nurnal Friend
The student OF Dickens will readily
remember othe.s as. for instance, unjust
sentences. Imprisonment and i'll treatment
Of children; the want Of a toierable system
OF public education. tho want OF Sufficient
and sanitary dwellings for the poor: I'M
clean and dishonest elections abuses OF
law and Lawyers, religious intolerance.
cant. hypocrisy and prersnce truly
lengthy yet incomplete catalogue The
student OF political and social life Of
to-day will be able as readily 70 say how
many of these crying evils have heen
cleaned on the slare OF oIr adminlsrra-
ton. and how many are now in the
proc ess Of being eliminated And al
though II NAV not he true 10 assert that
all these reforms have been brought
about by Dickens N 10 nevestheless fact
that he did more than any one else To
cause than 20 be brought about
Education MAS rerhapi the sub ect
which Dickens had most az heart The
education OF the r1atsef ne look Ell upon
a. the panacsA for most Of the ills which
Re e. life H. far hack 81 isa5 in an ar
ticle on Lord m crime he showed how the
worst evils We-e due to ignorance
Dickens furtha- appreciated that AT
the bottom of all d-pravify was the want
Of better housing accommodation. ard
he used his pen TO effect some reforms
in this respect also AT the time OF the
cholera outbreak IN 1854 he Addressed
a striking article. To Working Men.
IN which he called upon them TO Assert
themselves and cornhi ne ard demand
the Improvement VI the towns in which
they live IL 10 the duty III the people
to firmly insist. above all things. IN their
and their children's right 10 every means
Of life and health that Providence has
Afforded for all. and firmly refuse 10 allow
their name to he taken in vain for any
purpose. by any party. until their homes
are purified and the snplest means Of
cleanliness and decency are secured 10
them
He advocated the abolition Of capital
punishment and although h. was not
successful in hrin ging about an alteration
in a law concerning the efficacy Of which
there are 81 many opinions, he was never
,heless instrumental in doing away with
its extreme penalty being performed
in public by vigorous letter to tho Times,
which started the agitation