Mr. Gladstone also visited the Sunlight Soap Works, near Bromborough
Pool, and made a great speech on Labour. With the exception of one injudicious sentence, which we have discussed elsewhere, about the " idle rich," it is a most excellent speech. Mr. Gladstone, speaking out of his unusual experience, sees little reason for a pessimist view as to the relation between Labour and Capital. Not only has labour grown much more independent in his time, but the disposition towards friendliness between employer and employed has increased, as is shown by the efforts made towards that difficult experiment of profit-sharing with employes who cannot bear to share loss. Strikes have probably been useful, but are adapted only to the ruder ages of industry,—a most felicitous phrase. Then quitting detail, Mr. Gladstone burst into a most eloquent prophecy as to the effect of enfranchising the workmen. They might, probably would, make blunders in the intoxication of new power, but those blunders would be speedily seen and retrieved, for his experience had shown him that workmen had consciences, and were capable of understanding "fraternal duty" to their fellow-men. That is perfectly true ; but does it not need this rider, that men strongly excited often strike classes out of the list of fellow-men ? Irish peasants have even more fraternal feeling than our people, but as regards landlords they all accept Douglas Jerrold's fierce epigram : We are all brethren, all Cains and Abels." It is not the consciences of workmen we dread, but their prejudices, which, as we see among the educated every day, send their consciences to sleep.
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