Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, June 17, 1894, Page 13

- | gand chiet SOCIALISM 1N ENCLAND | — | Disoussed by the Leader of the Irish Parlia- mentary Party. TRUE EASTERN QUESTION FO ENGLAND A Br the Taboring Classes Condition of the ¥ ple of Londo t Plea for Larger Privileges for The Present or Peo- ng Syndicate), Sir Willlam s is reported Very iikely he (Copyrightsd 194 by the T “We are all soclalists n Harcourt sald, or at all ev to have said the other day. did say it. The declaration describes fairly | well a remarkable change in public feoling. Of course it will not be supposed that Sir Willlam Harcourt meant to say that here in England we are all In favor of the theory that property is robbery, or that there ought to be a general redistribution of goods or that the capital should be divided among the working men, or even that the land should be nationalized. Sir William Har- court I8 & man who understands very well what he s talking about, and who has a quick faculty to apprehend and appreciate the gradual changes, the advances or re. actions in English public opinion. He is one of the very ablest public men in England and he has been often accused of incon- sistency and even of mere scif-seeking be- cause he was privileged to see much eoones than others of his class when an old politi- cal or social creed was played out, and when a faith adapted _to th altered condition of human affairs must come into existence. I can quite und said that we are all socialists now. We are all, or nearly all of us, willing to accept the fundamental principle of what seems to me the true creed of socialism, that the govern. ment or state, however you define either, Is bound to take a direct and active interest in the well-doing of the citizens Edmund Burke laid down the famous doc- trine that the whole business of government and of legislation is to sce that twelve honest men are got into every jury box. That Is to say that the whole business of the state Is to see that its citizens are protected by honest legislation and by honest men to administer it. Now, I have an enthusiastic admiration for Edmund Burke. I am con- vinced that he was one of the greatest politl cal thinkers that ever lived. But, although he was sald to see everything and to foresee everything, he certainly did not foresee far enough when he thus defined the duty of the state. The growing socialism of Eng. land, to which Sir Willlam Harcourt must have been alluding, was the growth of that public opinion which is willing to admit that the state has much more to do for the citizen than merely to make it sure that he shall have justice awarded to him in the civil or the criminal courts. My first intimate acquaintance with English politics was formed during the reign of what was called the Manchester school. The faith of the Manchester school was in free competi- tion. Abolish all legislation which interferes with free competition—and trust to human energy and human nature and the produc- tiveness of the carth for all the rest. The Manchester school accomplished some great successes. It abolished numbers of legisla- tive restrictions that favored one class, or what was called “one interest,” at the ex- pense of another. Its work was decidedly a work of advancement. But its dogma was all too narrow, and curiously enough its faith at the same time was too fanciful. Its malin belief was that fres trade with foreign nations and free competition at home would remove most of the mountains that stand as a barrier between man and his happi- ness. Some of the enthusfasts of the school were at one time for having the postal service itself left open by competition to pri- vate contract. GRIEVANCES AND WRONGS OF LABOR. Then there came an inevitable reaction which the Manchester schocl had itself di- rectly helped to bring about. For the Man- chester school had fought hard for the exten- sion of the political franchise, and the ex- tension of the franchise gave power to the working class. The workingmen soon made it known that they had grievances and ‘wrongs which could not be left to the opera- tion of free competition and the widening beneficence of human nature. They insisted that they had grievances and wrongs which only legislation could remove. The first of what I should call the great socialistic measures of English legislation, before work- ingmen had much share in the franchise, was the factories act carrfed by the late Lord Shaftesbury in i844. There was a previous measure passed by the same phil- anthropist in 1842, but that act only con- cerned itself with .what related to the working of women and children in mines. The factories act of 1844 was clearly based upon the principle that the state had a right 1o interfere with what was then erroneously and absurdly called the freedom of con- tract between employer and employed. On the ground, among other grounds, that it did thus interfere with the freedom of con- tract and freedom of competition the Man- chester school opposed the passing of the factories act. Nobody ever questioned the sincerity and the public spirit of the men who on behalf of the Manchester school opposed that legislation. Nobody could have questioned the€ motives of men like Cobden and Bright. . But Lord Shaftesbury tri- umphed, and every one now admits that his triumph was a pubiic benefit and a pub- lic blessing. THE TENDENCY TOWARD SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND. Now, I hold that when a state comes to interfere with freedom of contract, even in the case of women and children only, that state has gone a good way along the path of socialism—genuine socialism. Since the passing of the factory acts, England, under whatever government, has been mov- ing farther and farther, faster and faster, along tnat path. What has become of the priciplo of contract as between landlord and tenant in Ireland? Tory governments as well as liberal governments have decreed that its day is done. I have just said that the phrase “freedom of contract,” as 1t was once used, is erroneous and absurd. Between the English capitalist and the English working man, between the Irish landlord and the Irish tenant, there was in the old day no freedom of contract. There could be none. There is mo freedom of contract_between a fasting man and a full man. The full man can wait; the hungry man cannot wait. In the elder Dumas' famous romance, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the wicked banker, Danglars I think ‘was his name, s captured by a bri- and held to ransom. Poor Danglars grows very hungry and asks for food. He is told that he can have food, but he must pay for it. fle says he Is willing to pay for It, and asks what the price of a fowl would be. He is told of some enormous sum—many thousands of francs. He angrily demurs, but he is po- ltely assured that it is all a matter for himself—he need not eat, and if he does not eat he will not have to pay, but if he de- cides to eat he must hand over the stipulated price. Now, that is not by any means an unfair illustration of what used to be called in the old days “feedom of contract.” A hungry working- man with a wife and children depending upon him applies for employment and is told he can have it it he is willing to work twelve or fourteen hours a day. He has no alternative—such was freedom of co tract. Against that principle all the social glslation of modern Eugland has set its face. Only the other day I voted in the division lobby of the House of Commons in favor of the second reading of a measure to Jnit the working hours of miners to eight hours a day. The second reading was car- ried by a large majority. Parliament. has taken upon itself to watch over the housing of workingmen and.of the poor in general There are acts to govern the management of common 10dging houses. There are acts to regulate the employment of women and their hours of work in ordinary shops where dressmaking and millinery business are car- ried on. The air is full of schemes for the establishment of some system of old age pen- ons. We hear of some sort of universal state life assurance for all people—a prin- ciple that, it will be remembered, found great favor at one time and probably still finds great favor in the eyes of Prince Bis- marck. We have abandoned the old ways sltogether. The man who would at the Sl e e o ah present time venture to preach the doctrine of laissez faire in Bngland would be a fool for his pains. He could only make him scem more of A fool by presenting himse as a candidate for some parliamentary con stituency at days are utterly g for when a man i Lord A talk of the “odious principle of paternal govern ment” and be gereraily applauded for the ut- | terance NO REAL POWER BUT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. But then, let it bo remembered, that it we have got back, as for the time we certainly have got back, to the principle of paternal government, we have quite passed away fr the era when government was in the hands of a despot or of a privileged class. We are certainly very ly to have for some time to come a growing Interference on the part of the state with the c anization of capital and lab But then by whom {s that state interference to be | ted 1 regulated and controlled? By a house of commions wh contains amongst its members the rep tative: f the lab r as well as of th al- ist: of the emp ed as well of em- | ployer: of th sh crofter as we as of the Secottish | : of the Ir; tena farmer ae w as of the Irish landlord. W need not feel alarmed about a despot power driving us on. There {s no rea! legislative power in England but the power of the House of Com- mons, and the House of Commons is now as nearly as sible a legislature represe tive of the whole people, all classes, 1t will be ranks, all interests; an ™ strictly comprehensively t tive as the next few years grow on. have clearly then alt r given up, for the time at least, the doctrine that the state can do nothing to help the poor, ¢ poor to help themselves, to enfc systems of labor, to that work for dally bread work under regard to heal shall decent conditions a h—and In fact o ass d with, due rt the right of interfering, for the good the whole community, between thcse who em- ploy and those wiio are employed I quite admit that we bave not vet hit upon any system by which .the curse of growing poverty can be removed {rom the land. 1 do not myselt know how to state a scheme which should make the gulf be- tween increasing poverty and Increasing wealth become narrower and more and more narrowing in England. But I do insist that if English statesmanship were to turn its attention in full earnestness to this question the principle of legislation could be found, if it is possible, as I believe it is, to find in human affalrs such a principle at all. In England we expend far too much of our statesmanship over foreign affairs. At pres- ent we are in a terrible scare—one of our periodical scares which return ilke a well ordered comet to its place in the public vi- sion. We are going to spend millions— many millions—of pounds sterling in the strengthening of our navy agalnst the imag- inary schemes of some foreign powers to make a piratical descent upon our coasts. Now I am entirely for our keeping up a good navy, but reasonable piecaution is ail that any state can be expected to take. THE TRUE EASTERN QUESTION® I have said more than once in the-House of Commons and at Eoglish public meetings that in my solemn conviction the true east- ern question for England s the condition of the poor in the east end of London and in the similar regions of all the great provincial cities and towns of these izlands. After all, it Is just barely possible that the Russians or the Germans or the French, or all three combined, may not attack us. It is also a possibility, conceivable at least to English- men—certainly concelvable to me who am rot an Englishman—that even if thus attacked for no apparent reason whatever, England might manage to hold her own. But it is absolutely certain that the condition of our poor in our great cities is a source of the most alarming national weakness. I am therefore in favor of English statesmanship turning its special attention to the condi- tion of our poor. If it would give but half the attention to that subject Wich it has given through generations to foreign policy I think it very likely indeed that some rem- edy for the evil jcould be found. Do not tell me that in such matters statesmanship can do nothing. I ask how we know that, and when has statesmanship ever seriously and persistently tried what it could do? T know no better defense of England than a prosperous and a contented people. 1 remem- ber what the Antiquary, who is the hero of Scott’s immortal novel, says to Edie Ochil- tree, the chartered beggar who declares that if the rumors of French invasion are true he will fight, old as he is, for the country where he has always lived, and where every- body has been kind to him. ‘‘Bravo, bravo, Edie,” the Antiquary exclalms. “The coun- try’s in little ultimate danger when the beg- gar's as ready to fight for his dish as the laird for his land.” I am quite in accord with the Autiquary. Therefore and for many other reasons I draw comfort and hope from the spread of genuine socialism in England; from the recognition of the fact that the state is bound to take account of the con- dition of the he'pless, and tbat statesman- ship is not limited to a concern with foreign affairs and a pedantic aloofness to the con- dition of the bulk of the English people. In that sense, as Sir William Harcourt says, we are all socialists. The state, at least in England, has acknowledged that it cannot any longer afford to fold its arms, to look down upon the seething and weltering strug- gles of the country's social life, and compos- edly wait for the survival of the fittest. JUSTIN M'CARTHY, London, England, May 15. —_— - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. The finest grade of matches is made of cork pine. Bermuda farms bear three succes:lve crops in one year. Nevada 1s second in gold production and fourth in silver. The manufactured product of Great Britain amounts to about $4,100,000,000 a year. | The fastest shorthand writer in the world | is & young Dublin man, George Bunbary. He can write 260 words in a minute. By an English invention camel's hair cot- ton plant and chemicals are being substi- tuted for leather in machinery belting with considerable success. Krupp of Prussia claims as the result of experiments that while only 10 to 15 per cent of heat units are utilized in the modern steam engine, If the coal 1s powdered to an impalpable powder and explcded in cylinders, after the manuer of an ordinary gas emgine, 75 to 80 per cent of the heat units may be realized. The new Atlantic cable which Is now being 131d in sections between Ballingskellings Bay, Ireland, and Canso, N. S., for the Comme clal Cable company, n many respects a notable piece of work. Phe cable is about 2,100 miles in length; its conduetor contains more than 1,100,000 pcunds of copper and is armored with over 10,000,000 pounds of steel wire. Copper must have been one of the earliest metals known, worked and valued in human industry. It ranks second to silver in mal- | leability and ductility, or third as compared | with gold, which is the most malleable metal | known, and ranks next to ircn In tensile strength, and, belng an abundant metal, native in many parts of the world, it often lies at or near the surface of the earth. ° A new steel cantilever bridge is to be built across the gorge at Niagara Falls, just below the cataract. It will be owned by a syndi- | cate of New York capitalists. In form it will be a combination of the arch and canti- lever principles, with a span of 1,000 feet, or 200 feet longer than any arched bridge in ex- istence. It will bave accommodations for trolley cars, railroad cars and foot passen- gers. A railroad which the Germans have built in Asia Minor, extending from Ismid, & har- bor about sixty miles east of Constantinople, east by south 309 miles to Angora, has as little wood in it, perhaps, as any in the world. Not only the rails and bridges, but the ties and telegraph poles are of iron, nine- | tenths of it furnished by German works, chiefly by Krupp. Probably the largest plece of cut glass ever made in America is on exhibition in New York City. It welghed seventy pounds before it was decorated and lost about twenty pounds in the cutting. The piece Is a punch bowl elghteen inches high and twenty-four inches in diameter. The actual cost of pro- | duction was nearly $400. In the treasure room of the Maharajah of Barnda s stored a carpet which cost §1,000,- 000. It is only ten by six feet, but is woven from strings of pure pearls, with a center and corner circle of diamonds. It took three years to make It, and was intended as & gift to & Mohammedan beauty. THE _OMAHA DAILY BEE{SUNDAY, "RETENDED TO BE ONE OF THEW. 0 1+ in magnificent conditibh’ "his museles ah» RECOVERING FROM THE FLOODS. How a Professional \Th;'l W i e oa usy iy wen the e Wi o ' Athlete Won Races at | swimming race. Fraser Kiver Falling Rapldly and Railronds & Farmer's Festival, That settled it. The, countrymsn seanted | anieation. DREWSTERS, N. J., June 16.—At the | to mob him, but he Just smiled and put on | OUVER, B June 16.—Reports games of Brewsters Athletic club the ,’l'::‘"""';“f' "“"':::‘"'m”;.“'u,"",l e ot > interior state that the river Is still ontestants were the young farmers of the | ainiae, now a New Yark pollcsman. Lfe wag | fAINE rapidly. At New Westminster the neighboring towns. The games were just | on his vacation. { mills are now able to resume 6peration thout to be started, when a tall, smooth- —_—— | although the lower part of the city Is n shaven man Inquired of the starter If he HAIL AND EIGHTNING entirely free from water. It is reported taht could take part. He sald he worked for a | goyere THunderstorms in Chicago—Narrow | (D0 Fraser mude some considerable change farmer near one of the neighboring towns Apu from Falllog: UrARItS: In its course. Soundings will have to be and he looked the part, wearing blue overalls, | GHICAGO, June 15—A severe electrical, | CAFfully taken all along the river, At Chilils a soft hat and appearing quite innocent. raln - &nd BALT SdFm ‘Hissed over this ol ¢ | Wack the water has fallen four feet. Farme The young man was aliowed to start and | yeeterday, doing considerablo damage. Light. | ©® Will 20on be able to take stock and esti- |!n & baif-mile race for which there w ning struck the top of the Teutonic bullding, | MALe losses. The freshet has washed away fourteen contestants. He just baroly won. | which Is ten stories high, and knocked a | laT8e amount of land at the mouth of the When questioned privately by one of the | firt und pie o' from the cornice | TIVer. On Tuesday the Kraser river fishery P I used to run after the cows on | to the paveme it narrowly 1| mess house took a slide into the river and was the best he would answer. | two policemen. T r and noise of the | sailed into the gulf of Georgia. Wednesday L started In the sack race and | falling ston caused ral horses ) run | morning part of the cannery we and a won easily. The big event of the day was [ away. Gottlieb Got b was {u- | large number of cans almon boxes were the three-mile race. The Brewsters pecple | stantly ki id several liouses | lost. Yestorday the Great Northern re- had a man who had never been beat:n and | on the west s were struck and | sumed service between South Westminster they bet on him as though the a ) and Seattle. Canadian Pacific dis. over but to collect the mon The | DU QUOIN, Il June patched a train yesterday. farmer” get the pace from the start avnd | structive hail storm in TACOMA, Wash J » 16.—The North none of the others could get near him. He | this city yesterday aft Pacific has established through connect won by ten yards. Then the countrymen | covered the ground inches d with St. Paul by y of the Cou d'Ale began to become suspicious Corn, wheat and oats and all kinds of fruits | branch, trains to be run over the Unlon Pa. The next event was the swimming race. [ and vegetables are ruined. Many windows | cific braneh from Spokane to Wallace, The “farmer” started in that, too. He was | were broke Idaho. Slight repairs remafn to be made be- You know it—everybody knows it—No one doubts it when once inside the store—Business could not be continued and such prices quoted—You never saw anything like it—Your friends were here this week—Such crowds—Your last chance for bargains——When we are gone nothing will ever tween Desmet and Wallace. which left St. Paul yesterday will through, arriving Monday. The first RO~ ALL OVER FOR FIFTY YEARS. Governor Flower Says Tarlff Tinkerers Will w e Killed Right Off. The Overland come east- bound through train left Tacoma last night. 13 Tiean ticket tion Northwestern Elevator I ed TACOMA, June 16.—Frank OrbinandJ. T. p— In this state and would not vote the repub. Ho also expects the suftrage amendments to take many votes from the re- publican party and thinks the people of the state are well ‘satisfied with his administra ALBANY, N. Y., June 16.—Governop | RIbD, composing the Tacoma Grain coms Pow v o Alb o a1 | Pany .have purchased of the receiver of the Flower, returning to Afbany from the Adls | wornern Pacifie Rlevator compaiy = UM rondacks, talked to a large number of peopls he Oloverville depot yesterday after- thirty-nine elevatc with a capacity of LR Cast : 6,000,000 bushels, located In Idaho and in noon. He spoke of the financial trou! ana | . 3 sald: “The undoubted cause is the tinker. | SPOKane, Lincoln and Whitman countles ot Ing belng done with the tarift. In thirty | {18 state, and also the Terminal elevator, e > ~ 000 bushels, located In Tacoma. Last days the agony will be over, and the question | L' \nase elevators ahipped 2600000 contals settled. If In the succeeding fifty years any- ( £¢“\0 OR¢ BCIHEES SAIPBEE 500 v atte o th p' 0 . ch load rty-six ships, and body attempts to tinker with the tariff he'lh | \hg yoar they are expected to ship 4,000,000 get killed. The times will improve now av e D Bl B nee, and your old prosperity will be in il BRI TN RV T creased a hundredfold e ey - arding Her Greave with a Shotgan. Why Lewelling Expects to Win COVINGTON, June 16.—The Drollinges LEAVENWORTH, Kan., June 16.—Gov. | Polsoning case at Foster Is creating much ernor Lewelling attended a meetin of the | excitement. The husband still refuses to Mystic Sluine here. Speaking to an Assocl- | let the authorities exhumo his wife's body, ated press reporter regarding the populist | and guards her grave with a shotgun. He s possibilities in this state he said ho expected | stron aspected of having caused her the ticket to win on account of the enthu- | death, as a former wife died very suddenly slasm for the party " The Morse Dry Goods Co. Retiring from Business. be worthy the name of bargain in comparison with our great closing sale. d because the demo- crats must vote and are tired of their party In the same manner. humed by the authorities. Dress Goods— Silks— Notions— Carpets— Draperies— at at at at at yorrown your own your own your own your own price. price. price. price. price. All new, this season's styles, 35,000 worth to be sold. Get your dress while you can get it at a price without profit. Hosiery and Underwear— at The most elognr;!.swck ot silks in this weste?n' country going at any price whatsoever to close them out. ' e T your own price Neither ladies ncr gentlemen can very well afford to let this chan at no time in the wildest ce go by, for excitement bave hosiery and underwear gone at such prices. Chinaware-— at your own price. On the second floor—by far the largest and most complete stock in the city. Cost is not considered Cloaks and Suits— Little things that cost but little at any time are now going for worse than nothing. A couple of dollars will buy more no- tionsthan you can carry away. Men'’s Furnishings— at your own price they have an opportunity. occur again, Remember that. The gentlemen should lay in a supply of neckwear, collars and cuffs now that It won't Here is the place you can realize the difference between the old price and the price that goes now. You can buy a Brussels carpet cheaper than you used to pay for an Ingrain. This department overflows with magnificent bargains. Ail the newest things in silks and dra- peries go in at the going out of business prices. Laces, Gloves, Ribbons— latest styles in laces, at your own - price The most beautiful, the most perfect, the ribbons and gloves, all go inat way-down prices at this great closing out sale. Handkerchiefs— at at your own your own price. price Summer, Spring all go in—all must go. now,but wiater will come and you can’t buy half as cheap then as and Fall Wraps It's hot Handkerchiefs for every possible taste at every kind of price. lacey, fleecy kind go as cheap as the plain white ones used to. The » . Boys’ Clothing— at your own price You can save more money proba- bly here than anywhere else, for no matter how much you buy the boy will manage to wear them all ouw. Anyprice whatever goes. —_— Muslin Underwear— here. o Dress Trimmings— Toilet Articles— at at your own your own price. price. As complete as this stock was it is no won- Always the lowest on soaps, face powders, der it is a center of attraction, now and other toilet articles, we now cap that so little money is required to get the climax by letting you take away | more than you can carry, the goods at your own price. it Retiring Retiring ‘ Retiring Retiring from from from from business. business. business business. ‘! - N ieis v \ Mail Orders shoifd be accompanied 1 ' by draft or money order. No goods sent on approval. Where amount is not known 5 i No goods !aid aside or sent No purchases that amount to No money refunded. No goods exchanged. send at least one-half and goods will be sent C. O. D for balance, C. O. D. unless half amount of purchase is paid. less than 81.00 will be de- livered. at your own price. Good seasonable wear, perfect goods, the most radical cuts in the store are right Try and see, —— Retiring from business Goods for all seasons, Spriug, Summer, Autumn and Win- ter on sale, RETIRING FROM BUSINESS THE MORSE DRY GO 0DS CO The body will be exs