FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>  
em over again, so that I may thoroughly comprehend them, and be able to think of them for future use. I myself am not fully satisfied with our co-operation, and never have been; it is too much tinged with the very elements that they complain of in our present systems of trade--selfishness. I have for years been trying to direct the attention of the editor of the _Co-operator_ to such evils that I see in it. Now further, I may state that I find you and Carlyle seem to agree quite on the idea of the _Masterhood_ qualification. There again I find you both feel and write as all working men consider just. I can assure you there is not an honest, noble working man that would not by far serve under such _master_-hood, than be the employe or workman of a co-operative store. Working men do not as a rule make good masters; neither do they treat each other with that courtesy as a noble master treats his working man. George Fox shadows forth some such treatment that Friends ought to make law and guidance for their working men and slaves, such as you speak of in your letters. I will look the passage up, as it is quite to the point, so far as I now remember it. In Vol. VI. of _Frederick the Great_, I find a great deal there that I feel quite certain, if our Queen or Government could make law, thousands of English working men would hail it with such a shout of joy and gladness as would astonish the Continental world. These changes suggested by Carlyle and placed before the thinkers of England, are the noblest, the truest utterances on real kinghood, that I have ever read; the more I think over them, the more I feel the truth, the justness, and also the fitness of them, to our nation's present dire necessities; yet this is the man, and these are the thoughts of his, that our critics seem never to see, or if seen, don't think worth printing or in any way wisely directing the attention of the public thereto, alas! All this and much more fills me with such sadness that I am driven almost to despair. I see from the newspapers, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and other places are sternly endeavoring to carry out the short time movement until such times as trade revives, and I find the masters and men seem to adopt it with a good grace and friendly spirit. I also beg to inform you I see a Mr. Morley, a large manufacturer at Nottingham, has been giving pensions to all his old workmen. I hope such a noble example will be followed by other wealthy master
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>  



Top keywords:
working
 

master

 

masters

 
Carlyle
 
present
 
attention
 

critics

 

gladness

 

printing

 

Continental


thoughts
 
astonish
 

utterances

 

truest

 

noblest

 

England

 

justness

 

kinghood

 

fitness

 

nation


suggested
 

necessities

 

thinkers

 
spirit
 

friendly

 
inform
 
movement
 

revives

 

Morley

 

workmen


pensions

 

giving

 
manufacturer
 
Nottingham
 

sadness

 
driven
 

thereto

 

wisely

 

directing

 

wealthy


public

 

despair

 
sternly
 

endeavoring

 
places
 
Lancashire
 

newspapers

 

Yorkshire

 
treatment
 

Masterhood