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lo work to the end that the will of God shall bo done, not only inheaven, but also on earth. But of these ideals there can be noquestion, he argued, as long as a large mass of bodily as well asspiritually miserable proletarians idled the depths of society,especially in the large towns. By want and social isolation it wasexcluded from all emotions of the human spirit, and was forced bypoverty and uncertainty of existence to crime and prostitution.The elevation of this class was, in his opinion, only possible by agradual limitation of private enterprise, and extension of publicundertakings under the control of the workers. Therewith alonewould the disturbing difference between rich and poor beeliminated.
lb was interesting to observe how this expression of politicalfeeling found numerous supporters amongst the women. Especiallydid an intelligent young female weaver defend the position of theclergyman. It was bare selfishness, she said, if the classes of theoperatives of centralised industry would bo satisfied with whathad been attained, without considering other downtrodden work-ing classes.
I he men opposed the somewhat obscure Socialism of theparson, especially the younger men, and a mule-spinner, who waspresent with tw T o daughters—the one whose household budget wehave already given. In any ease one was in the path, lie thought,of practical and permanent progress, which really only alloweditself to be gradually extended to an ever-widening circle of thepeople. But since their ow'ii fathers at one time had emerged outof the unvarying crowd of helpless proletarians, it was to behoped that new circles would continually loosen themselves fromits bonds and rise up. The way thereto w’as a double one—firstby union, and then by legislation. lie did not oppose the latterby any moans. Much rather w T as it exactly the cotton operativesof Lancashire ; who had understood how to put this weapon intooperation for themselves—certainly the most of all operatives inthe w r orld. But for this they w'ere indebted to the wise do-ut-despolicy of leaders, who ever each time only put forward immediatedemands, and had often made themselves indispensable to thpruling powers.
Therewith the position of the operatives in society in the lastdecades had improved extraordinarily. Numerous trade-unionleaders filled at the present time the honourable position of Jus-