Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-25
ENGGlSHMEN NJ.
Ferrerro Believes Universal Education
Will Enable Middle Glass to Rule
EnoIand

Mich is being ,.aid and much will
Contiuu" to be said for Il long time to
come, about the probable effects OF the
last electoral campaign in England.
More or less railroad reforms in the
constitution of the House # Lords
seems Inevitable from now on; and
p. oplc arr asking 10 what extent these
reforms will alter the equilibrium of
the British constitution. ON pretcXt OF
T. forming the hereditary chamber, et-
forts are being nude to weaken il To
the advantage of the elective chamber,
81 rs IL diminish the political influence
Of Tn. rich What Will be the effects
ri this characterization or parliament
tarv institutions in the country where
the aristocracT of title and wealth has
hitherto welded the greatest influence?
To many people. tremendous changes
seem probable. and there is even talk
u coming revolution,
'ree future is !; mystery fUil of sur
prises; nobody can boast Of knowing
~. tne most absurd predictions are Of
ten realized. From this point OF view.
il would ~ useless. especially for 2
historian. TO discuss these opinions.
And yet. in the domain OF current
events, there is 4 more modest thlns
70 Co, 4 thing in which a historian may
sometimes he o: some little assistance
To the statesman This is the task Of
knowing with the great ST possible
precision all the element of situation.
Now it is possible that III all these
disc useions sufficient attention has not
been paid To a difference between Eng
lish society and Continental societies,
n difference which may somewhat re-
ducc the Immediate practical import
anca of the demoeratiZation Of British
institutions. This is difference III the
system of education. In England,
literary. scientific. and Philosophical
cult ure--culture de luxe, SO 10 speak
il still munopoiiZcd by 4 small minor
itv belonging to thu upper class. IN"
middle class is almost completely eX-
Guided from il.
On the continent, II II our haoit To
talk OF the rhCapneSs Of living IN Eng
Ia az. We take the statistics regard
!. 80 >-;oc- &c ,r1rat bread. butter,
sugar, and potatoes in London ana
Paris. for instance; We compare thelh'
and We draw conclusions Those Wh"
use statistics in this way forget tIAt
the modern man does not I'VE DE bieau
aIonc--mucn less 81. in fact, than the
man of former times THESE statistics
would seem to shcW that the poorest
classes get along a tribe better in Eng
land than en- the Continent. But when
we come to the upper classes olhet
factors come into play. making com
narisons difficult or fallacious. The
cost of education leaves the BRUSH
middle clas, in a position OF real soeiai
infcriority as compared with the Coh'i-
no1t.
On the Continent thanks to our pun
lie school systems. the middle class
can with but slight sacrifice give their
most promising children hish pro-
fessional training or a culture de luxe.
In ENGLAND, they are much less IL :
vof2d in this respect. The prlHiaiH
schools are free only to the poor 40
s,,rb system Of secondary education
exists as is repre- scented on the Goilti-
ncut By lvcecs. Instead there Is
LARGO number Of different schools. pun
lie and private, almost ali OF thel'
Horribly expensive. The preparation
| for liberal careers is likewise extreme
| " costly. The universities are accessi-
| bic only to millionalreS'