PABT y 

 Social and Political Views 



" When a country is well governed, poverty and a mean condition are things 

 to be ashamed of. When a country is ill governed, riches and honour are things 

 to be ashamed of." — CoNFuaus. 



IN the above sentences, written long before the dawn 

 of Christian civilisation, we have an apt summary of 

 the social and political views of Alfred Russel Wallace. 



As we have stated in a previous chapter, it was during 

 his short stay in London as a boy, when he was led to study 

 the writings and methods of Robert Owen, of New Lanark, 

 that his mind first opened to the consideration of the in- 

 equalities of our social life. 



During the six years which he spent in land-surveying 

 he obtained a more practical knowledge of the laws per- 

 taining to public and private property as they affected the 

 lives and habits of both squire and peasant. 



The village inn, or public-house, was then the only place 

 where men could meet to discuss topics of mutual interest, 

 and it was there that young Wallace and his brother spent 

 some of their own leisure hours listening to and conversing 

 with the village rustics. The conversation was not ordinarily 

 of an educational character, but occasionally experienced 

 farmers would discuss agricultural and land problems which 

 were beginning to interest Wallace. 



In reading his books and essays written more than seventy 

 years later, we are struck with the exceptional opportunities 

 which he had of comparing social conditions, and commercial 

 and individual prosperity during that long period, and of 



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