392 Fundamental Principles of 



in stations of power and authority, and whose measures 

 must necessarily have much influence on the happiness 

 or misery of great numbers of people. 



Honest men may be found in all countries, but I am 

 sorry to say that the result of all my experience and 

 observation has tended invariably to prove (what has 

 often been remarked) that it is extremely difficult to 

 keep those honest who are exposed to continual and 

 great temptations. 



There is, however, one most effectual way, not only 

 of keeping those honest who are so already, but also of 

 making those honest who are not so, — and that is, by 

 taking such precautions as will render it evidently im- 

 possible for those who commit frauds to escape detec- 

 tion and punishment ; and these precautions are never 

 impossible, and seldom difficult, and with a little address 

 they may always be so taken as to be in no wise offen- 

 sive to those who are the objects of them. 



It is evident that the maxims and measures here 

 recommended are not applicable merely to the poor, 

 but also, and more especially, to those who may be 

 employed in the details of relieving them. 



But to return once more to the subject more immedi- 

 ately under consideration. If individuals should extend 

 their liberality so far as to establish public kitchens for 

 feeding the poor (which is a measure I cannot too often or 

 too forcibly recommend), it would be a great pity not to go 

 one easy step further, and fit up a few rooms adjoining 

 to the kitchen, where the poor may be permitted to as- 

 semble to work for their own emoluments, and where 

 schools for instructing the children of the poor in work- 

 ing and in reading and writing may be established. 

 Neither the fitting up or warming and lighting of these 



