Mr. Auberon Herbert (M.P. for Nottingham) made a speech of
admirable and very lofty tone at Poole last week on the Agricul- tural Labourers' question, saying that what filled him most with dismay was to find any class so completely below the level of hope as not to have the life to combine to help each other. The agri- cultural labourers had only just emerged from this slough of despond, but he hoped that they were looking beyond their own class interests to a real share in the life of the nation, which could not afford to leave any class outside the limits of its political life. Mr. Herbert struck the true chord in his speech, and as far as we can judge, it is not in any lower key that these much-feared and much-condemned agitators are prepared to reply. Mr. Arch will sink much below his present tone if be ever becomes the mere representative of an exclusive class-interest. We even fancy that we can detect a much deeper and wiser tone in his political addresses than in those of the leading London Unionists.
