I Was Told
There Were Far Greater Evils Than Those I Had Assailed - That I Had
Left Untouched Much Worse Things.
It was in vain to reply that no one
could grapple with the whole at once; my opponents on
The ten hour
bill sent me to the collieries; when I invaded the collieries I was
referred to the print works; from the print works I know not to what I
shall be sent; for what can be worse? Sir, it has been said to me,
more than once, 'Where will you stop?' I reply, Nowhere, so long as
any portion of this mighty evil remains to be removed. I confess that
my desire and ambition are to bring all the laboring children of this
empire within the reach and opportunities of education, within the
sphere of useful and happy citizens. I am ready, so far as my services
are of any value, to devote what little I have of energy, and all the
remainder of my life, to the accomplishment of this end. The labor
would be great, and the anxieties very heavy; but I fear neither one
nor the other. I fear nothing but defeat."
From the allusion, above, to the colliery effort, it would seem that
the act for removing women and children from the coalpits preceded the
reform of the printworks. Concerning the result of these various
enterprises, he says, "The present state of things may be told in few
words. Full fifty thousand children under thirteen years of age attend
school every day.
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