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Memorial Edition of Collected Works of W. J. Fox
Memorial Edition of Collected Works of W J Fox Author:William Johnson Fox Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: in charity. Want and wretchedness have worn them down to this condition, devoid of the moral elements of independence. The true charity is to open a path back to... more » the point from which they have fallen; not to make their physical necessities the agency of prolonging and deepening their mental abasement. You were not neglectful of this better part, standing alone as you did amongst the aristocracy of the county, by your attendance at the Highworth meeting. A writer in the Times asks: " Why does not the noble lord begin at the top and work downwards ? Why does he not convene a public meeting of the great landowners, the clergy, and farmers of the county, for taking into consideration the best means of bettering the condition of the working classes ? If the noble lord would do this, he would have the willing cooperation of men of all parties." Would he ? Then why did not the men of all parties present themselves at the Highworth meeting? Such were its objects. Farmers were there, and labourers, and small tradesmen. But you, my lord, were left to represent the landed aristocracy. The fairest play was given, and the utmost freedom of speech allowed. Why were not these charitable landlords and clergy there? Because it was not a packed meeting, to praise in set phrase some bit of delusion and cajolery, by which the working classes may still be kept in their false and oppressed position. In the last two resolutions of the meeting, the intelligence, spirit, and interests of the working people are pithily embodied. To contribute, as your lordship has done, towards cherishing in them such views as those resolutions express, is a service beyond all donations. It is worth more than lakes of soup and mountains of blankets. " 6. Kesolved—That the working classes of this country have no...« less