LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE LABOURERS' VOTE. [To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR-"1 S Irz,—The following extracts from a letter lately received from the Rev. W. Berkley, M.A., the Vicar of Navestoek, in this neighbourhood, whose ill-health prevented his attending an open-air Liberal meeting at Ongar, of which I was chairman, may interest you as bearing upon the problem of the labourers' vote in the coming election. We got more artisans perhaps than labourers at the meeting in question, the first of the kind ever held in Ongar. Some 400 were present ; the feeling was warmly Liberal, though the district is densely Tory ; and they ended with three hearty cheers for Gladstone :— " My own parish is specially typical of the change under the Reform Bill. The new electorate not merely outnumbers but absorbs the 4! in a ratio of about five to one. Oar population by the last census was, I think, about 850, our electors a little over 20; the new electorate will exceed 100. How will they vote ? Will they vote with t heir class, labourers versus employers ; or rather country versus town ? It is doubtful. I think I have made out one or two points : " 1. As to public affairs generally they know of nobody but Gladstone, as they think him a good man,' and that through him they have got the vote. That is a good card so long as he is alive. After his death I have no doubt the Conservatives will boast that they were his only true supporters. Meanwhile, I don't believe you will effect much with the working-class except by saying that things are safer in his hands.
2. As for a policy, I hear them say vote for a rise in wages.' There I think the Conservatives have a chance by the Fair-trade humbug. Something ought to be done to drill a little sound political economy into their brains. A woman complained to me, How low wages is this winter, they tell me its the enormous quantities of foreign corn.' I suggested, at any rate, bread had never been so cheap before. She admitted it reluctantly ; but added, It is only one thing after all ; and what's the use of bread being cheap, when meat, and milk, and butter is at the enormous price they are ?'
" 3. I am sure a great deal might be done by an out-and-out reform of our land-laws. However little it might be worth commercially, in theory there is no labourer but would be thankful to put his savings into land if it could be made reasonably purchasable on a small scale. I think he would be right, but that is a fairly debatable question."
In a subsequent letter Mr. Berkley says :—" The medical restriction will disqualify largely ; but it is absolutely necessary in my opinion." I have Mr. Berkley's permission to make use of his letter.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Marden Ash, Ongar, Essex, June 8t1. JOSIAH GILBERT.
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