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!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
m or exaggeration。 Most of the evidence upon which I have relied is taken direct from the official statistics supplied by the Government Returns察and as to the rest察I can only say that if my figures are compared with those of any other writer upon this subject察it will be found that my estimates are the lowest。 I am not prepared to defend the exact accuracy of my calculations察excepting so far as they constitute the minimum。 To those who believe that the numbers of the wretched are far in excess of my figures察I have nothing to say察excepting this察that if the evil is so much greater than I have described察then let your efforts be proportioned to your estimate察not to mine。 The great point with each of us is察not how many of the wretched exist to´day察but how few shall there exist in the years that are to come。
The dark and dismal jungle of pauperism察vice察and despair is the inheritance to which we have succeeded from the generations and centuries past察during which wars察insurrections察and internal troubles left our forefathers small leisure to attend to the well´being of the sunken tenth。 Now that we have happened upon more fortunate times察let us recognise that we are our brother's keepers察and set to work察regardless of party distinctions and religious differences察to make this world of ours a little bit more like home for those whom we call our brethren。
The problem察it must be admitted察is by no means a simple one察nor can anyone accuse me in the foregoing pages of having minimised the difficulties which heredity察habit察and surroundings place in the way of its solution察but unless we are prepared to fold our arms in selfish ease and say that nothing can be done察and thereby doom those lost millions to remediless perdition in this world察to say nothing of the next察the problem must be solved in some way。 But in what way拭That is the question。 It may tend察perhaps察to the crystallisation of opinion on this subject if I lay down察with such precision as I can command察what must be the essential elements of any scheme likely to command success。
SECTION I。THE ESSENTIALS TO SUCCESS。
The first essential that must be borne in mind as governing every Scheme that may be put forward is that it must change the man when it is his character and conduct which constitute the reasons for his failure in the battle of life。 No change in circumstances察no revolution in social conditions察can possibly transform the nature of man。 Some of the worst men and women in the world察whose names are chronicled by history with a shudder of horror察were those who had all the advantages that wealth察education and station could confer or ambition could attain。
The supreme test of any scheme for benefiting humanity lies in the answer to the question察What does it make of the individual拭 Does it quicken his conscience察does it soften his heart察does it enlighten his mind察does it察in short察make more of a true man of him察because only by such influences can he be enabled to lead a human life拭 Among the denizens of Darkest England there are many who have found their way thither by defects of character which would under the most favourable circumstances relegate them to the same position。 Hence察unless you can change their character your labour will be lost。 You may clothe the drunkard察fill his purse with gold察establish him in a well´furnished home察and in three察or six察or twelve months he will once more be on the Embankment察haunted by delirium tremens察dirty察squalid察and ragged。 Hence察in all cases where a man's own character and defects constitute the reasons for his fall察that character must be changed and that conduct altered if any permanent beneficial results are to be attained。 If he is a drunkard察he must be made sober察if idle察he must be made industrious察if criminal察he must be made honest察if impure察he must be made clean察and if he be so deep down in vice察and has been there so long that he has lost all heart察and hope察and power to help himself察and absolutely refuses to move察he must be inspired with hope and have created within him the ambition to rise察otherwise he will never get out of the horrible pit。
Secondly此 The remedy察to be effectual察must change the circumstances of the individual when they are the cause of his wretched condition察and lie beyond his control。 Among those who have arrived at their present evil plight through faults of self´indulgence or some defect in their moral character察how many are there who would have been very differently placed to´day had their surroundings been otherwise拭Charles Kingsley puts this very abruptly where he makes the Poacher's widow say察when addressing the Bad Squire察who drew back
;Our daughters察with baseborn babies察 Have wandered away in their shame。 If your misses had slept察Squire察where they did察 Your misses might do the same。'
Placed in the same or similar circumstances察how many of us would have turned out better than this poor察lapsed察sunken multitude
Many of this crowd have never had a chance of doing better察they have been born in a poisoned atmosphere察educated in circumstances which have rendered modesty an impossibility察and have been thrown into life in conditions which make vice a second nature。 Hence察to provide an effective remedy for the evils which we are deploring these circumstances must be altered察and unless my Scheme effects such a change察it will be of no use。 There are multitudes察myriads察of men and women察who are floundering in the horrible quagmire beneath the burden of a load too heavy for them to bear察every plunge they take forward lands them deeper察some have ceased even to struggle察and lie prone in the filthy bog察slowly suffocating察with their manhood and womanhood all but perished。 It is no use standing on the firm bank of the quaking morass and anathematising these poor wretches察if you are to do them any good察you must give them another chance to get on their feet察you must give them firm foothold upon which they can once more stand upright察and you must build stepping´stones across the bog to enable them safely to reach the other side。 Favourable circumstances will not change a man's heart or transform his nature察but unpropitious circumstances may render it absolutely impossible for him to escape察no matter how he may desire to extricate himself。 The first step with these helpless察sunken creatures is to create the desire to escape察and then provide the means for doing so。 In other words察give the man another chance。
Thirdly此 Any remedy worthy of consideration must be on a scale commensurate with the evil with which it proposes to deal。 It is no use trying to bail out the ocean with a pint pot。 This evil is one whose victims are counted by the million。 The army of the Lost in our midst exceeds the numbers of that multitudinous host which Xerxes led from Asia to attempt the conquest of Greece。 Pass in parade those who make up the submerged tenth察count the paupers indoor and outdoor察the homeless察the starving察the criminals察the lunatics察the drunkards察and the harlotsand yet do not give way to despair Even to attempt to save a tithe of this host requires that we should put much more force and fire into our work than has hitherto been exhibited by anyone。 There must be no more philanthropic tinkering察as if this vast sea of human misery were contained in the limits of a garden pond。
Fourthly此 Not only must the Scheme be large enough察but it must be permanent。 That is to say察it must not be merely a spasmodic effort coping with the misery of to´day察it must be established on a durable footing察so as to go on dealing with the misery of tomorrow and the day after察so long as there is misery left in the world with which to grapple。
Fifthly此 But while it must be permanent察it must also be immediately practicable。 Any Scheme察to be of use察must be capable of being brought into instant operation with beneficial results。
Sixthly此 The indirect features of the Scheme must not be such as to produce injury to the persons whom we seek to benefit。 Mere charity察for instance察while relieving the pinch of hunger察demoralises the recipient察and whatever the remedy is that we employ察it must be of such a nature as to do good without doing evil at the same time。 It is no use conferring sixpennyworth of benefit on a man if察at the same time察we do him a shilling'sworth of harm。
Seventhly此 While assisting one class of the community察it must not seriously interfere with the interests of another。 In raising one section of the fallen察we must not thereby endanger the safety of those who with difficulty are keeping on their feet。
These are the conditions by which I ask you to test the Scheme I am about to unfold。 They are formidable enough察possibly察to deter many from even attempting to do anything。 They are not of my making。 They are obvious to anyone who looks into the matter。 They are the laws which govern the work of the philanthropic reformer察just as the laws of gravitation察of wind and of weather察govern the operations of the engineer。 It is no use saying we could build a bridge across the Tay if the wind did not blow察or that we could build a railway across a bog if the quagmire wo