FALSE FRIEND

Woodville Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 13, 14 November 1883, Page 4

FALSE FRIEND

We regret, says the “ Christian Record ” to find that, in many instances, so-called “ friends ” seek to benefit the working man at the expense of his employer, and to foment Unfeeling between c'ass and class, as though the success of the one side necessitated the injury of the other. Most of the professional “ working man’s friends ” lack either the courage or the wislom to tell them the truth concerning themselves. It is well that we should have liberal <>na just hiws ; hut no laws ever passed by any Government could h ip t.e working man to ameliorate his position to anything like the extent that he himself has the power to ameliorate it. Of what use would an increase of wages be to a man who spent the best part of his earnings in the public house ? What good would a man derive from shortened hours of labor, it his leisure wore passed in vicious indulgence 1 We should like to see the leaders of the people lay greater stress upon the power that working men possess, indepen tent altogeeher of Press, P atform, or Parliament, lo improve their own moral, inte lectual, and social condition, by the exercise of industry, frugafi y, and selt-restralnt. The theme might mv be so pleasant to their hearers as c mdemnation of the masters, but it would be infinitely more useful.