large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb_30
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb
English
6138
There was no sign of revolutionary feeling in England twenty years ago: the middle class were so rich that they had no need to hope for anything—but a heaven which they did not believe in: the well to do working men did not hope, since they were not pinched and had no means of learning their degraded position: and lastly, the drudges of the proletariat had such hope as charity, the hospital, the workhouse, and kind death at last could offer them. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF REVOLUTIONARY FEELING IN ENGLAND TWENTY YEARS AGO THE MIDDLE CLASS WAS SO RICH THAT THEY HAD NO NEED TO HOPE FOR ANYTHING BUT A HEAVEN WHICH THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE WELL TO DO WORKING MEN DID NOT HOPE SINCE THEY WERE NOT PINCHED AND HAD NO MEANS OF LEARNING THEIR DEGRADED POSITION AND LASTLY THE DRUDGES OF THE PROLETARIAT HAD SUCH HOPE AS CHARITY THE HOSPITAL THE WORKHOUSE AND KIND DEATH AT LAST COULD OFFER THEM
t combination among the workmen; so that the Trades Unions won for themselves a legal position and became a power in the labour question, and were able by means of strikes and threats of strikes to regulate the wages granted to the workers, and to raise the standard of livelihood for a certain part of the skilled workmen and the labourers associated with them: though the main part of the unskilled, including the agricultural workmen, were no better off than before. Thus was damped down the flame of a discontent vague in its aims, and passionately crying out for what, if granted, it could not have used: twenty years ago any one hinting at the possibility of serious class discontent in this country would have been looked upon as a madman; in fact, the well-to-do and cultivated were quite unconscious (as many still are) that there was any class distinction in this country other than what was made by the rags and cast clothes of feudalism, which in a perfunctory manner they still attacked. ROCIOUS LAWS AGAINST COMBINATION AMONG THE WORKMEN SO THAT THE TRADES UNIONS WON FOR THEMSELVES A LEGAL POSITION AND BECAME A POWER IN THE LABOUR QUESTION AND WERE ABLE BY MEANS OF STRIKES AND THREATS OF STRIKES TO REGULATE THE WAGES GRANTED TO THE WORKERS AND TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF LIVELIHOOD FOR A CERTAIN PART OF THE SKILLED WORKMAN AND THE LABORERS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM THOUGH THE MAIN PART OF THE UNSKILLED INCLUDING THE AGRICULTURAL WORKMEN WERE NO BETTER OFF THAN BEFORE THUS WAS DAMPED DOWN THE FLAME OF A DISCONTENT VAGUE IN ITS AIMS AND PASSIONATELY CRYING OUT FOR WHAT IF GRANTED IT COULD NOT HAVE USED TWENTY YEARS AGO ANYONE HINTING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS CLASS DISCONTENT IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKED UPON AS A MADMAN IN FACT THE WELL TO DO AND CULTIVATED WERE QUITE UNCONSCIOUS AS MANY STILL ARE THAT THERE WAS ANY CLASS DISTINCTION IN THIS COUNTRY OTHER THAN WHAT WAS MADE BY THE RAGS AND CAST CLOTHES OF FEUDALISM WHICH IN A PERFUNCTORY MANNER THEY STILL ATTACKED
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