Past and Present: Thomas Carlyle's Collected Works, Vol. XIII.Carlyle, Thomas
Philosophy
Past and Present: Thomas Carlyle's Collected Works, Vol. XIII.
Carlyle, Thomas
Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century; Social problems
Of Time-Bill, Factory-Bill and other such Bills the present Editor
has no authority to speak. He knows not, it is for others than he to
know, in what specific ways it may be feasible to interfere, with
Legislation, between the Workers and the Master-Workers;--knows only
and sees, what all men are beginning to see, that Legislative
interference, and interferences not a few are indispensable; that as a
lawless anarchy of supply-and-demand, on market-wages alone, this
province of things cannot longer be left. Nay interference has begun:
there are already Factory Inspectors,--who seem to have no _lack_ of
work. Perhaps there might be Mine-Inspectors too:--might there not be
Furrowfield Inspectors withal, and ascertain for us how on seven and
sixpence a week a human family does live! Interference has begun; it
must continue, must extensively enlarge itself, deepen and sharpen
itself. Such things cannot longer be idly lapped in darkness, and
suffered to go on unseen: the Heavens do see them; the curse, not the
blessing of the Heavens is on an Earth that refuses to see them.
Again, are not Sanitary Regulations possible for a Legislature? The
old Romans had their AEdiles; who would, I think, in direct
contravention to supply-and-demand, have rigorously seen rammed up
into total abolition many a foul cellar in our Southwarks,
Saint-Gileses, and dark poison-lanes; saying sternly, "Shall a Roman
man dwell there?" The Legislature, at whatever cost of consequences,
would have had to answer, "God forbid!"--The Legislature, even as it
now is, could order all dingy Manufacturing Towns to cease from their
soot and darkness; to let-in the blessed sunlight, the blue of Heaven,
and become clear and clean; to burn their coal-smoke, namely, and make
flame of it. Baths, free air, a wholesome temperature, ceilings twenty
feet high, might be ordained, by Act of Parliament, in all
establishments licensed as Mills. There are such Mills already
extant;--honour to the builders of them! The Legislature can say to
others: Go ye and do likewise; better if you can.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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