The whole machinery--I don't mean the wood and iron machinery now--of the cotton trade is so new that it is no wonder if it does not work well in every part all at once. Seventy years ago what was it? And now what is it not? Raw, crude materials came together; men of the same level, as regarded education and station, took suddenly the different positions of masters and men, owing to the motherwit, as regarded opportunities and probabilities, which distinguished some, and made them far-seeing as to what great future lay concealed in that rude model of Sir Richard Arkwright's. The rapid development of what might be called a new trade, gave those early masters enormous power of wealth and command. I don't mean merely over the workmen;I mean over purchasers--over the whole world's market. Why, I may give you, as an instance, an advertisement, inserted not fifty years ago in a Milton paper, that so-and-so (one of the half-dozen calico-printers of the time) would close his warehouse at noon each day; therefore, that all purchasers must come before that hour. Fancy a man dictating in this manner the time when he would sell and when he would not sell. Now, I believe, if a good customer chose to come at midnight, I should get up, and stand hat in hand to receive his orders.' Margaret's lip curled, but somehow she was compelled to listen; she could no longer abstract herself in her own thoughts. 'I only name such things to show what almost unlimited power the manufacturers had about the beginning of this century. The men were rendered dizzy by it. Because a man was successful in his ventures, there was no reason that in all other things his mind should be well-balanced. On the Contrary, his sense of justice, and his simplicity, were often utterly smothered under the glut of wealth that came down upon him; and they tell strange tales of the wild extravagance of living indulged in on gala-days by those early cotton-lords. There can be no doubt, too, of the tyranny they exercised over their work-people. You know the proverb, Mr. Hale, "Set a beggar on horseback, and he'll ride to the devil,"--well, some of these early manufacturers did ride to the devil in a magnificent style--crushing human bone and flesh under their horses' hoofs without remorse. But by-and-by came a re-action, there were more factories, more masters; more men were wanted. The power of masters and men became more evenly balanced; and now the battle is pretty fairly waged between us. We will hardly submit to the decision of an umpire, much less to the interference of a meddler with only a smattering of the knowledge of the real facts of the case, even though that meddler be called the High Court of Parliament. 'Is there necessity for calling it a battle between the two classes?' asked Mr. Hale. 'I know, from your using the term, it is one which gives a true idea of the real state of things to your mind.' 'It is true; and I believe it to be as much a necessity as that prudent wisdom and good conduct are always opposed to, and doing battle with ignorance and improvidence. It is one of the great beauties of our system, that a working-man may raise himself into the power and position of a master by his own exertions and behaviour; that, in fact, every one who rules himself to decency and sobriety of conduct, and attention to his duties, comes over to our ranks; it may not be always as a master, but as an over-looker, a cashier, a book-keeper, a clerk, one on the side of authority and order.' 'You consider all who are unsuccessful in raising themselves in the world, from whatever cause, as your enemies, then, if I under-stand you rightly,'
同类推荐
热门推荐
夺辰
天地颤动,风起云涌,乾坤扭转,时空错乱....修真界发生异变,一个恐怖的界限笼罩在修真大陆上。“异象现,灵气泄,空间裂,大地陷,云星泣,血雨下。”“灵魂现,本源破,残魂存,世界塌。逆天行,夺本源,破残魂,则重生”。本来只注重灵力修为的修真者们在修真界掀起了灵力与灵魂的修真新篇章。一位修真者“傲然”在机缘巧合之下把爆菊特工队(情圣·风魔少年·帅哥王子)带到了修真界,在修真界开启了修真之旅,欲与天同在,要逆天而行,夺辰而玄,武动而行。“蹋天路,逆天行,强者之路布荆棘。辰而玄,武而行,血染晴空铸万古。”揭开了一重重神秘的未解之谜.....................................王爷止步:王妃要休夫
她本是现代知名心理医生,因为一本书,她穿越到了一个恶毒王妃的身上,王爷不喜,丫鬟又是男人,一下子又回到了现代,一下子又穿了回去,请问我不在的这段时间发生了什么,怎么说死就死!好不容易保住性命,交代身家,才取的那个男人的信任。且看一个恶毒女配是如何翻身成为主角,夺得复黑王爷的青睐。