74 POLITICAL ECONOMY 



whose nterest they desire it. If for the workman, believe that 

 he knows best what he wishes, and wait for complaints before 

 you force your aid upon him. If you desire the separation in 

 order to weaken unions, say so. It may weaken them, but it 

 will force them to be aggressive, and diminish their responsi 

 bility. A precious plan this to avoid quarrels ! you give a man 

 money which he can spend in no other way than in fighting 

 and then prevent him from accumulating other property, so that 

 he can lose nothing in the fray ! Of all the folly talked about 

 unions, surely this is the most mischievous, supported though it 

 be by men of real benevolence, who prate of widows and orphans 

 as though hundreds such had been defrauded, as has truly been 

 the case in some of the very friendly societies they so strongly 

 advocate in opposition to trade-unions, which have hitherto 

 everywhere met their engagements. 



In conclusion, we have only to urge that before men are con- 

 demned for practices which at first sight may seem unreason- 

 able and even unjust, care should be taken to understand the 

 practices, and the arguments should be heard which the men 

 have to urge in their favour. When we speak of the men, we 

 speak of the secretaries or others among them who have the 

 gift of speech. Many English workmen, not dull of under- 

 standing, cannot explain themselves, and what is more, they 

 will not do so, in answer to avowedly hostile inquiries. The 

 Press, in notices and articles written for the middle classes, and 

 written by men ignorant of workmen, has so very generally mis- 

 understood and misrepresented the action of unions, as to have 

 raised a feeling of angry contempt, preventing even wise and 

 reasonable advice from being listened to. Above all, let us 

 beware of believing that the men are suffering from hardships, 

 of which masters draw a harrowing picture, but of which no 

 artisan complains. Workmen are wedded to the system of 

 unions from no irrational motives, but because they have by 

 their aid obtained great benefits. 



The members find great pleasure in the management of their 

 own affairs, and boast of the kindly feeling and enlarged sym- 

 pathies which co-operation induces, at least within the pale. 



The artisan enrolled in one of the great societies may with 

 some truth speak as follows : ' To unions we owe increased 



